Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) – James Marshall Public Policy Postdoctoral Fellowship

The SPSSI James Marshall Public Policy Fellowship trains early career scientists to 1) contribute to the effective use of scientific knowledge about social issues in the formation of public policy at the federal level; 2) educate the scientific community about how research can contribute to the development of public policy; and 3) establish a more effective liaison between social scientists and various policymaking mechanisms.

This position is supported, in part, by an endowment provided to SPSSI by the James Marshall Fund. The fellowship provides support for a postdoctoral-level fellow to work full-time for one year (September 1, 2018 to August 31, 2019) in the United States Congress in Washington, DC.

The Marshall Fellow should expect to use psychological research to inform the public policymaking process while working full-time in a congressional office. The fellow participates in a range of activities involving the application of psychological research to analyze specific social policies and develop science-informed policy. The policy focus of the work varies from year to year depending on the fellow’s congressional placement. Past fellows have carried out placements in both the House and Senate and have engaged in a diverse range of policymaking activities (e.g., drafting legislation, writing speeches and talking points, planning hearings, meeting with constituents and outside groups, conducting background research).

The James Marshall Fellowship program is affiliated with the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Science & Technology Policy Fellowships program, which means that Marshall Fellows participate fully in the AAAS Fellowship program’s orientation to federal policymaking in early September and have access to a range of AAAS Fellowship professional development opportunities and support throughout the fellowship year and beyond. With support from SPSSI, AAAS also facilitates the congressional placement process in mid-September, assisting fellows with identifying and establishing placements in Congress that align with their interests and expertise.

Marshall Fellows typically have multiple points of contact with SPSSI over the course of their fellowship year, including communication with SPSSI’s Policy Director, SPSSI’s Dalmas A. Taylor Summer Minority Policy Fellow, the SPSSI Policy Committee, and SPSSI members. Marshall Fellows are also expected to attend the mid-winter SPSSI Council Meeting, the June SPSSI Council Meeting (immediately preceding the annual SPSSI Conference), and the SPSSI Conference.