Breadcrumb

Fellowship Program 

 

Fellowships
Danielle Delaney (top left) reports her findings from her fellowship in the Office of Congressman Mark Takano (bottom right).

 

UCR Ph.D. students that have completed the S2P certificate course are placed in local policy makers' offices, government agencies, NGOs, non-profits, or other organizations on timely issues which would benefit from scientific expertise. This fellowship program is funded by S2P as a professional development opportunity. 

In preparation for the fellowship, S2P leadership and student fellows will discuss potential research topics, mentors from the host office, and logistics, which will be codified in a fellowship agreement signed by both parties. Over 2-3 months, S2P Fellows will compile and analyze data and information to complete a report, presentation, or other deliverable to be presented at the conclusion of the fellowship. The types of projects and the data and research methods employed vary based on the host’s needs and the student’s interests and expertise. Previous fellowships have investigated veteran’s access to healthcare, constituent opinions on systemic racism, childcare during the COVID pandemic, a report on the state of the Salton Sea, and the ecological effects of illegal cannabis growth operations.

Currently, fellowships are remote, though can involve site visits and in-person meetings. Fellows receive mentorship from S2P professional leadership throughout the duration of the fellowship and have a dedicated mentor in their host office. Typically, fellowships last about 3 months, however they can extend beyond the 2-3 month time frame with agreement from the fellow and host office. If you want to learn more about the science to policy fellows click here. If you want to learn more about their final products, click here.

 

Past Fellowship Placements and Outcomes 

Name

UCR Department

Office of Placement

Year

Title of Project

Outcome

Derreck Carter-
House

Microbiology and Plant Pathology

Congressman Mark Takano, 41st District

2019

Report on Capacity, Quality, Accessibility of Veteran Affairs Clinics in Southern California

Written Report

Danielle Delany

Psychology

Congressman Mark Takano, 41st District

2020

The Impact of COVID-19 on Early Care and Education in Congressional District 41

Written Report and Presentation

Agnes Varghese

Developmental Psychology

Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes, 47th District

2020

The Importance of Implementing Online Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in California Schools Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Policy memo, Legislative proposal

Gabriel Ortiz

Plant Pathology and Microbiology

Assemblyman Thurston Smith, 33rd District

2021

Report on Environmental Impacts of Illegal Cannabis grows in San Bernardino County

Written Report and Presentation

William Ota

Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology

Oswit Land Trust

2021

Conversion of Golf Course to Desert Preserve

Research packet

Stephanie Piper

Botany and Plant Sciences

CA Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife

2021

Community Engagement and the Future of the Salton Sea

Written report

Stephanie Piper

Botany and Plant Sciences

Oswit Land Trust

2021

Conversion of Golf Course to Desert Preserve

Research packet

Chris
Rudnicki

Mechanical Engineering

Coachella Valley Mountain Conservancy

2022

Recommendations for Conservation Education

Written report