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The University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public is seeking a Research-To-Policy Fellow responsible for identifying, synthesizing, packaging, and communicating policy-relevant research at the CIP and our campus partners. This position is a full-time translator for our policy work, working closely with the CIP’s co-founders and faculty associates to build and nurture relationships in Washington, D.C. and at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia; ascertain and identify our policy-relevant research; and translate that research in a way that is timely and accessible. They are a force multiplier in elevating the salience, visibility and utility of our research for policy audiences in government and the private sector.

The Research-to-Policy Fellow works collaboratively with faculty, researchers, and staff in the CIP. Duties include identifying CIP work product that bears on policy discussions; creating whitepapers, one-pagers, or other documents that distill the work into a digestible format; cultivating relationships with national, state, and local policymakers; and planning/executing strategic CIP visits to Washington, D.C.

The CIP is a collaborative research center that brings together faculty, staff, students, and community partners in service of a core mission to resist strategic misinformation, promote an informed society, and strengthen democratic discourse. Located at the University of Washington, a world-class research university and embedded within the local community in the Pacific Northwest, the CIP leads programs that span research, education, policy, and outreach.

In the iSchool there is an expectation that all faculty and staff will step up where they see an opportunity to apply their special expertise or talents, speak up when they identify opportunities or concerns, and lead by taking actions that exemplify the iSchool’s core values. Leadership within the iSchool is expressed in diverse ways reflecting the variety of styles and cultures that are represented by our faculty and staff.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Program Strategy:

• Help researchers better understand the ever-evolving policy environment–both in government and in industry–so that research can be increasingly impactful on policy-relevant topics.
• Guide and support the CIP in fully maximizing our efforts to translate our research into operational insights for policymakers; build capacity of researchers to engage beyond existing channels and partnerships.
• Regularly assess policy initiatives and partnerships and identify opportunities for strategic expansion.
• Help develop and guide CIP’s policy-related strategy and efforts, informed by policymakers’ needs, concerns, and goals.

Research Analysis and Communication:

• Engage with CIP researchers and academic partners to identify policy-relevant research opportunities.
• Collaborate closely with CIP researchers to translate complex research findings into clear and actionable insights for policymakers and industry leaders, ensuring the information is both timely and accessible.
• Develop strategic communication plans to effectively disseminate research outcomes through various channels, including policy briefs, reports, presentations, and digital media.
• Generate original content to educate policy audiences on key issues relating to CIP-generated research and scholarship.
• Guide and mentor junior team members in best practices for translating and communicating research to non-technical audiences.

Engagement and Partnerships:

• Engage with academic partners and the broader field of study; keep abreast of academic and research developments across the field and engage with peers and colleagues to strategically and collectively advance the field’s impact more broadly.
• Engage and support researchers in working directly with policymakers and partners in industry to develop/nurture relationships, understand their needs, and identify new opportunities.
• Design and execute strategic events locally and in Washington, D.C. to increase impact of relevant scholarship and provide opportunities for researchers and policymakers to more meaningfully engage on these topics.
• Foster strong relationships with national, state, and local policymakers in Washington, D.C. and at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia to enhance the impact of reach and research initiatives.
• Provide strategic leadership to the CIP’s role in the Public Technology Leadership Collaborative, a peer learning collective of scholars, researchers, and government leaders committed to addressing the social and cultural implications of data and technology.

Participate in Service:

• Participate in CIP-wide meetings, seminars, and other activities.
• Provide training and mentorship (formally and informally) on the policy space to students, postdoctoral scholars, and other researchers at the CIP.
• Engage in professional development activities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Education, Public Affairs or Public Policy, Political Science, Computer Science, or related field; equivalent combination of comparable knowledge and skills may substitute for education and/or experience.
• Five years of professional experience, preferably in policy development or related field.

Additional Requirements

• Expertise in developing relationships with communities of interest (e.g., government, private sector, regulators, think tanks).
• Demonstrated experience in working with persons of diverse backgrounds.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including demonstrated ability to write for policy audiences (particularly on technical and complex topics).
• Ability to work independently and as a team member.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Desired Qualifications

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including effective networking experience to build and sustain relationships with diverse partners.
• Familiarity with academic research process.
• Entrepreneurial approach focused on identifying and delivering impact and strategic output with minimal oversight.

What’s in it for you

• Full benefits, including medical and dental insurance, and retirement plan.
• Paid vacation and sick leave, as well as 10 paid holidays a year and one personal day.
• Fully-subsidized transit pass.
• Work for an exciting, cutting-edge research center within the University of Washington.
• In-person or hybrid work arrangement.

Conditions of Employment

• Travel between Seattle and Washington, D.C. at least once per quarter is expected.
• Hybrid work arrangement.