Aspen Tech Policy Hub Fellowship

A full-time program that takes STEM experts and teaches them the policy process through an in-residence fellowship in the Bay Area

The Aspen Tech Policy Hub Fellowship is a 10-week, full-time, paid, in-residence program in the Bay Area that teaches STEM experts the policy process. We currently offer fellowship programs along two policy tracks: technology and climate. The program is ideal for people with scientific or technical backgrounds who are interested in building better policy, whether that be within government or more broadly as an external advocate or from within industry. It is particularly well-suited to applicants who have existing policy ideas they wish to refine and press forward. Admitted applicants receive an $18,000 stipend to enable their participation. While the Hub fellowship is normally full-time and in-person, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, any Fellowship program we hold is likely to be a mix of in-person and online programming for the foreseeable future.

We have run four cohorts of the Aspen Tech Policy Hub fellowship thus far, one in 2019, one in 2020, one in 2021, and one in 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Curriculum

Our Fellowship program consists of two blocks: (1) a policy bootcamp that teaches fellows the basics of policymaking within the government or within industry; and (2) a final project where fellows are required to create at least one practical policy output—for instance, mock legislation, toolkits for policymakers, white papers, op-eds, or an app. 

Programming to support the development of policy outputs during the fellowship will include:

  • An orientation introducing fellows to the fellowship, to the other fellows, and to the policymaking process;
  • Regular classes exploring what policy is, how to identify problems, defining alternatives, developing relevant outputs, and communicating to stakeholders;
  • Action-oriented practical exercises, such as ‘how to write a policy memo’ or ‘how to give an elevator pitch’, founded on real world problems provided by our partners;
  • Mandatory morning pitch meetings for sharing ideas in progress;
  • Partnerships with experienced policy mentors who can help provide project guidance;
  • Practical resources, including designers, copy editors, legal experts, and communications specialists to facilitate projects; and
  • Evening dinners with top corporate and government policy experts, sharing off the record experiences about how things get done.

To ‘exit’ the program at the conclusion of the fellowship, Hub fellows share their outputs during a meeting with a relevant stakeholder, which could be a federal or state government employee, company employee, standards body, or other stakeholders relevant to the issue.

Our Fellows

Our fellows represent a diverse set of STEM experts across industry, government, and nonprofits.

Meet the Fellows

Application

Applications are currently closed for the Summer 2024 Science & Technology Policy Fellowship. If you are interested in this program, please reach out to us at aspentechpolicyhub@aspeninstitute.org. To stay updated on our other programming, join our mailing list here.

Applicants to the Hub Fellowship are also automatically considered for the Savilla Pitt Memorial Fellowship, awarded to one member of each incoming Aspen Tech Policy Hub cohort. Please see here to learn more about the Memorial Fellowship.