Kendall Fellow, Science of Fair Representation

Union of Concerned Scientists

9d•Remote

About The Position

The Kendall Fellow for the Science of Fair Representation will work with UCS staff from the Center for Science and Democracy (CSD) to develop and undertake a two-year research portfolio leading a body of work to advance state and local policy and advocacy efforts around proportional representation (PR) to achieve a multiracial multiparty democracy. The fellow will design an original study proposal in collaboration with CSD leadership to drive PR campaign goals and support the community-driven work of a strong network of our partners. The fellow’s work will build on CSD’s existing efforts on election administration and PR, and it will directly support communities that use CSD’s research and strategic support to advance PR.

Requirements

Ph.D in a relevant field must be awarded before September 1, 2026.
The candidate should have a significant amount of coursework in the social sciences (political science, public policy, sociology, etc.) and expertise in the science of elections.
Candidates should have strong quantitative research skills (e.g., VoteKit/elections modeling techniques, machine learning, etc.), be able to identify key policy-relevant questions, and write and speak equally clearly for technical, policy, and non-technical audiences.
All candidates should have a demonstrated interest in Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, especially as it relates to science and advocacy.

Nice To Haves

Experience with rapid response communications, messaging, and/or community organizing is strongly preferred.
An understanding of the inequities inherent in the scientific and policy fields is needed for this work.

Responsibilities

Build evidence for PR: Develop a suite of comparative models based on computational social choice methods, including simulations using local data, that help local communities understand how election outcomes, representation, and policy priorities would differ under PR, offering evidence of the benefits for community representation through the selection of specific PR systems.
Support the adoption of PR in local jurisdictions: Develop evidence-based, audience-targeted policy outputs, working in partnership with our Election Science Task Force, and national and community coalitions to support local and state efforts to advance PR.
Ensure equitable implementation of PR systems: When jurisdictions move to PR, provide research-supported resources for election administrators and partners implementing systems that are accessible, understandable, and transparent for voters. This includes advancing equitable ballot designs and related guidance to ensure larger voter slates are clear.
Improve confidence in election results under PR: Strengthen research and publish guidance for election results communication and public education in PR systems, particularly vote tabulation. This work applies and expands our Election Science Recommendations (ESRs) to support public trust in new electoral systems.
Serve as a spokesperson and technical expert representing UCS in public forums and with media, policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders.