Full-Time Humanities Policy Fellow
Job Description
The Humanities Policy Fellowship provides an opportunity for recent PhDs with training in the humanities or humanistic social sciences to learn about a career in public policy and administration. While in residence, the Humanities Policy Fellow serves as a full-time member of the staff, contributing to ongoing Academy projects in the Humanities, Arts, and Culture program area. Work for the fellow will include data analysis and interpretation for the Humanities Indicators. which tracks and reports information about the health of the field, as well as development of new activities, including a forthcoming project on cultural institutions and their communities.
Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences honors excellence and convenes leaders from every field of human endeavor to examine new ideas, address issues of importance to the nation and the world, and work together “to cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.” Academy projects bring together elected members and subject matter experts in cross-disciplinary efforts to produce reflective, independent, and pragmatic studies that inform public policy and advance the public good.
The Humanities Policy Fellowship program has three objectives:
- To support and guide an early-career PhD who wants to develop expertise on policy issues related to humanities and the humanistic social sciences;
- To increase the number of humanities PhDs engaged in substantive discussions about policy who can also demonstrate the applied value of advanced training in the field; and
- To expand the scale of Academy projects and studies focused on challenges facing the humanities and American society.
Major Areas of Responsibility:
- Work with Academy Fellows and staff to carry out policy and academic studies;
- Draft and edit reports for internal use and external audiences, including reports, white papers, policy briefs, and online content;
- Gather, synthesize, and edit research findings and technical data for a wide range of audiences;
- Perform basic analyses of data using Excel (or similar) and visualize results;
- Assemble committees of experts from inside and outside the Academy’s membership and provide guidance and support to those committees and advisory groups in the conduct of their work;
- Develop agendas and multimedia presentations for meetings with committees and external stakeholders;
- Work with the program staff to prepare and distribute conference materials and provide on-site staff support at meetings with stakeholder groups and other audiences;
- Design and organize outreach activities to communicate the findings and recommendations from Academy studies to external audiences; and
- Draft and edit grant proposals and progress reports.
- Work with Academy program staff to identify professional development opportunities that will advance the candidate’s knowledge of cultural and social policy.
- Help expand the profile of the Academy and its audiences within the academic and policy communities;
- Assist in the development and implementation of member engagement initiatives as requested;
- Assist with executive briefings and remarks;
- Other duties as assigned.
Fellowship Eligibility:
- Applicants must have a Ph.D. in an area of the humanities, humanistic social sciences, or the arts and have some experience or a demonstrated interest in an area related to public policy. The Ph.D. must be conferred prior to starting the position.
- Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States without Academy sponsorship.
Qualifications:
- Excellent written and oral communications skills, including an ability to synthesize and summarize the results of qualitative and quantitative research for a variety of audiences;
- Strong attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.
- Ability to display initiative and follow-through skills
- Ability to work well in a highly collaborative team structure
- Ability to comfortably and professionally interface with a wide range of constituents, including Academy members, staff, and the public at large.
- Ability to learn quickly, prioritize tasks, and work accurately under pressure.
- Ability to creatively problem-solve and be flexible to work in a changing environment.
Terms: The appointment is for a two-year term, starting September 2024 and continuing through August of 2026.
Application: Applications for the 2024–2026 Fellowship due by January 31, 2024 and should include a brief (maximum 2 pages) cover letter and resume or CV.
How to Apply
Please apply directly through the Academy's website.190 total views, 0 today