Apply to the Writing for Policy Short Course

Great question, and one we will overview during the short course. In general, policy is defined as a “course or principle of action adopted or proposed by an organization or individual.” It is a set of rules that an organization or individual agrees to follow. Both governments and companies (and many other actors) set policies, and those policies have the potential to affect all of our lives. The goal of this short course will be to equip participants to communicate effectively in the policy world so you can impact policy.

We will cover this topic in-depth during the short course. Policy writing is all about successfully convincing a stakeholder to adopt a solution that you propose. In general, policy writing includes an argument and gets to the point faster than academic or creative writing. Policy writing also occurs in unique formats, such as memos and public comments. Policy writing follows a unique set of norms; for example, emails written in the policy world follow different norms than emails written in other professional contexts.

Writing is the currency of policy communication, so strong writing skills are essential to impacting policy. This short course will provide participants with a toolkit for effectively communicating with decisionmakers in writing, along with opportunities to practice.

At the Hub, we have encountered many passionate subject-matter experts who have the expertise to design solutions to society’s problems, but lack the writing skills to pitch those solutions in policy contexts. We hope to fill this gap through the Writing For Policy Short Course.

This program is especially designed for science & tech professionals interested in applying to future full-time Hub fellowship programs and who are interested in improving their writing skills, though if space permits we will also consider admitting applicants without a science or tech background.

For instance, applicants might work as an engineer or computer scientist at a public interest organization; might work as a business executive at a science or technology company; might work at a university or at a think tank studying a STEM field; or might serve as an environmental lawyer. Please note these are just illustrative examples; they are not intended to limit eligibility to these categories.

Applicants need to also meet the following eligibility requirements for the program:

• Applicant(s) must be at least 21 years of age by the start of the program.
• Applicant(s) must be fluent in English.
• Applicant(s) must be able to commit to 5 daily 2-hour virtual sessions from April 29 to May 3, 2024.
• Applicant(s) must either live in the United States or must be a US citizen or permanent resident living abroad.

See our eligibility requirements above. Moreover, since this program is run free-of-change, we are requiring that participants abide by our attendance policy to miss no more than 1 hour of programming over the course of the week barring an emergency or medical illness. Participants will also be required to complete assignments outside of class hours.

If participants miss more than 1 hour of programming or do not complete required assignments, they will be required to pay a $500 fee to cover staff time for running this program.

The short course will take place from April 29 to May 3, 2024. It will involve required daily two-hour sessions from 11:30am-1:30pm ET/8:30-10:30am PT. The program will require participants to complete assignments outside of the daily sessions. An optional session will be held on May 15 to provide feedback on the policy writing submissions participants will workshop during the short course.

The short course will be run fully remotely.

The short course will be run free-of-charge for all participants. However, if you enroll in the program and miss more than the required time or fail to complete required assignments, you will be required to pay a $500 fee to cover staff time for running this program.

The short course is part-time (daily 2 hour sessions). We expect your full attention and attendance during the daily sessions, and you will be required to complete assignments outside of class. As long as you are able to fulfill these obligations, we welcome your participation while continuing to work.

Yes. Because this program is for people who want to impact US policymaking, you must either live in the United States now or be a US citizen or permanent resident living abroad. If you are a US citizen or permanent resident and will be abroad during the course, you are eligible to apply if you are available to attend the course daily from 11:30am-1:30pm ET/8:30-10:30am PT.

You are able to apply to the Fellowship program so long as you are 21 and meet all the other criteria listed in the eligibility section.

Yes, you can still apply. The policy writing techniques we teach are especially relevant to STEM experts, but can be used by anyone looking to write effectively for policy. However, please note we will prioritize admitting applicants with science and technology experience.

This is an introductory short course to the policy writing process. Applicants who have significant previous policy experience (e.g., past experience working in a government policy role) may already use many of the writing techniques we teach in this short course. If you already have significant policy background, we encourage you to explain in your application how you will benefit from this program. Please note that we may prioritize applicants with less policy experience if the course is oversubscribed.

If you still feel the short course would be too basic for your background, we may have opportunities to engage you as a policy mentor or on future in-house projects. Please email aspentechpolicyhub@aspeninstitute.org or sign up for our listserv.

Applications are due on Monday, March 11th at 9am PT. We plan to admit applicants by the end of March.