Integrated Research & Policy Fellowship

Program Overview

Program Overview

The National ECE Workforce Center is recruiting two research fellows and two policy fellows for the second year of our Integrated Research & Policy Fellowship, which runs from February 2025—January 2026. Register for our informational webinar on October 21, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET to learn more. If you are interested in applying but unable to attend, please register; all registrants will receive the webinar recording and slides.  

The fellowship is designed to achieve two primary goals:  

1. Support the leadership development of individual fellows, and 

2. Help fellows build their expertise about the ECE workforce while gaining skills to effectively bridge research and policy/practice. 

To facilitate participation, participants will receive a stipend of $12,500, which fellows must report as income on their taxes. The program, which includes 15-20 hours per month of program activities, is structured to allow employed individuals to continue their employment and students to maintain full-time status. 

At the conclusion of the fellowship year, fellows will: 

• Understand the history underlying the current ECE system and the key issues impacting the ECE workforce.  
• Develop skills in communication and translating research to policy/practice and produce a capstone project that bridges research and policy/practice.
• Gain skills in research and conduct research with relevant datasets and/or original research, if on the research track. 
• Gain insights into the policy process and identify opportunities to use data and research to influence policy/practice, if on the policy track. 
• Have an opportunity to build and expand networks and develop leadership skills. 

Who Should Apply

There are two tracks, each with two fellows. Candidates for the research track must be currently enrolled graduate students in fields related to ECE, while policy track applicants must be current professionals such as early educators or others active in the ECE sector.

Disruption of historical patterns of exclusion in the ECE field is a guiding principle of the National ECE Workforce Center. As such, the selection committee will prioritize candidates who are either:  

• emerging scholars and leaders with expertise in Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) communities,  
• from an historically under-resourced community, 
• first-generation college student (at either the undergraduate or graduate level), 
• living in areas with limited access to decision-making systems (e.g., ECE boards, local or state government agencies, policy councils), or 
• have limited access to institutions of higher education. 

Additional eligibility criteria are explained below. 

Structure and Activities

Policy fellows and research fellows will participate in all fellowship activities together. The fellowship is designed to integrate research and practice, offering shared learning opportunities across the two tracks to build capacity in the field for applied, policy-relevant research and research-based policy analysis and implementation.  

Fellows will: 

• Dedicate approximately 15-20 hours per month to fellowship activities between February 2025—January 2026, including time spent at in-person and virtual meetings, on individual capstone projects, supervision sessions, and work with mentors.  
• Participate in one half-day virtual kick-off event to connect with fellow cohort members and outline the program’s expectations and goals. 
• Attend one two-hour virtual session during which the first cohort of fellows will present their capstone projects. 
• Attend one full-day in-person meeting and an optional dinner the night before, with travel expenses provided. This gathering is an opportunity for immersive learning and networking. 
• Conduct a capstone project that effectively bridges research and practice, demonstrating the integration of fellowship learning into a tangible product, under the guidance of a capstone supervisor. 
• Present capstone projects to peers within the fellowship and potentially at other relevant forums to share insights and outcomes. 
• Participate in eight 90-minute virtual learning sessions. Attendance is crucial for continuous development, and fellows are expected to miss no more than one session throughout the program. 
• Meet with a designated field mentor four times to receive guidance, discuss progress, and gain insights applicable to their capstone project and professional growth. 
• Participate in one half-day virtual session to present capstone projects and conclude the program. 
• Engage with current, past, and future fellows, fostering a network that supports professional development and collaboration beyond the fellowship term. 

Eligibility Criteria

Policy Track Applicants:  

• Must be currently employed as an early educator or employed in an organization working on early care and education, education or public policy, labor/employment, or a closely related field.  
• At least one policy fellowship will be designated for a candidate who is currently working as an early educator (e.g., center-based classroom teacher or assistant, family child care provider or assistant, preschool teacher or assistant) or is in a related role (e.g., director, instructional coach) but has been an educator within the past three years.   
• There is no specific education requirement for policy track applicants and applicants need not be enrolled in graduate school.  
• While preference will be given to applicants who are currently early educators or in a related role, individuals currently employed in ECE-related organizations are also eligible, regardless of whether they work directly with children. 

Research Track Applicants:  

• Must be currently enrolled in some level of graduate study (master’s or doctoral), at the time of the application and throughout the duration of the fellowship, in the field of early care and education, education or public policy, labor/employment, or a closely related field. If you plan to graduate in December 2025, you are eligible to apply.
• Must demonstrate foundational research skills via completion of at least one graduate-level class in research methods or statistics. 
• Individuals currently residing in the United States on F1, J1, M1, or similar student visas are welcome to apply. However, this fellowship opportunity does not provide sponsorship. 

While applicants may find themselves eligible for both tracks, we strongly discourage submitting applications for both. We recommend that you carefully consider which track aligns more closely with your expertise, experience, and skills, as well as which will best support your professional aspirations. 

Capstone Project

Fellows will individually conduct a capstone project to explore a question, topic, or policy related to the National ECE Workforce Center’s key topics of career pathways, compensation, and work environments. Capstone supervisors will co-design capstones with fellows and guide project work. Fellows will develop a product that includes a series of recommendations for policy, practice, and future research and give a presentation on their project. Products may include a brief report, a series of infographics, or other visual representation of their work.  

Commitment and Activity Calendar 

Fellows must be able to commit to all fellowship activities, including the virtual kick-off meeting, one in-person convening, eight virtual learning sessions, the virtual wrap-up session, and the completion of a capstone project. Fellows must also have the full support of their research or academic supervisor or their organization’s leadership and are required to provide a letter of support from this individual.  

Q1 2025 

• February 12 (12 p.m.-2 p.m. ET): Join capstone presentations by cohort 1 fellows 
• March 19 (12 p.m.-4 p.m. ET): Virtual kick-off gathering 

Q2 2025 

• April 22: In-person convening in Chapel Hill, NC, with optional dinner April 21 (expenses paid) 
• May 21, June 18 (3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. ET): Virtual learning sessions 

Q3 2025 

• July 16, August 20, September 17 (3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. ET): Virtual learning sessions 

Q4 2025: 

• October 15, November 19, December 10 (3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. ET): Virtual learning sessions 

Q1 2026 

• January 21, 2026 (12 p.m.-4 p.m. ET): Half-day session: capstone project presentations & program conclusion 

Apply

Interested candidates must complete the application and provide all materials by November 6, 2024. We are hosting an informational webinar on October 21, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET. If you are interested in applying but unable to attend, please register; all registrants will receive the webinar recording and slides. 

Application materials include:  

• Application (including two short-answer questions) 
• Resume/CV (two pages maximum) 
• A letter of support from employer/advisor
  • Policy Track Support Letter (click to download template)
  • Research Track Support Letter (click to download template)
• For research track applicants only, a transcript showing completion of at least one graduate-level research/methodology course  

Please note: Applications will not be considered if any materials are missing or if applicant exceeds the word or page limit of requested materials.  

Recruitment timeline: 

• Informational webinar: October 21, 2024 
• Application deadline: November 6, 2024 
• Interviews held: December 16-18, 2024, and January 6-13, 2025 
• Fellows notified: January 29, 2025 

Questions? Email [email protected] 

2024-2025 Policy Fellows

2024-2025 Research Fellows