Funder: Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
Due Dates: January 4, 2027 (2027–2028 fellowship application)
Funding Amounts: $60,000 for one year, plus $350/month for health coverage and covered SPSSI Conference attendance
Summary: Supports early career scientists in a yearlong congressional placement applying psychological research to federal social policy.
Key Information: SPSSI membership and U.S. work authorization without current or future employer sponsorship are required.
Description
The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) runs this postdoctoral fellowship to help early career scientists bring research on social issues into federal policymaking. Supported in part by an endowment from the James Marshall Fund, the fellowship places a scientist full-time in a congressional office in Washington, DC, for one year. Fellows apply psychological research to analyze social policies and develop science-informed policy, with the focus determined by their congressional placement.
Activities may include drafting legislation, planning hearings, writing speeches and talking points, meeting with constituents and outside groups, and conducting background research. The program also aims to educate scientists about research’s contribution to public policy and strengthen connections between social scientists and policymakers. Its affiliation with the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships provides orientation, congressional placement assistance, and professional development.
