Pennsylvania Legislative Science & Technology Policy Fellow (Center for Rural Pennsylvania)

The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, FL

17h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Science and Technology Policy (COPA-STEP) Program, part of the Law, Policy and Engineering (LPE) Initiative in the College of Engineering, serves as the applied practice branch of LPE’s interdisciplinary mission. COPA-STEP specializes in real-world policy engagement and professional development, reinforcing LPE's mission to produce actionable knowledge that supports public, environmental, and scientific welfare. COPA-STEP aims to strengthen ties between the scientific community and the General Assembly in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, while encouraging and equipping more scientists and engineers with the skills for effective careers in government and public service. The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the largest full-time legislature in the nation and regularly deals with science or technology-related issues. Legislators and staff, as well as advisory bodies could utilize science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) expertise to keep up with increasing science and technology issues facing the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania Science and Technology Policy Fellows help bridge this gap to provide science and technical expertise to lawmakers. COPA-STEP is recruiting for a one-year Legislative Science & Technology Policy Fellow embedded in the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania (CRP) is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. CRP’s work affects approximately 3.4 million residents who live in Pennsylvania’s rural communities. The nonpartisan Fellow will embed with the staff of CRP in Harrisburg, PA, for twelve months starting Fall 2026. The Fellow will equip CRP with the expert knowledge and advanced research, analysis, and writing skills needed to meaningfully contribute to research-grounded policy work within the center and enable the Pennsylvania General Assembly to make sound, data-driven policy and decisions. The agency has set three research themes for the 2026-2027 year including health and wellness, economic and workforce development, and agriculture and the environment. It is anticipated that the Fellow would contribute to one or more of these areas. To ensure a successful fellowship year, the Fellow will receive training from LPE/COPA-STEP in Pennsylvania state government, the Pennsylvania policy process, applied research and policy writing instruction, communicating science and technology to non-scientific audiences, and on how to be an “honest broker”, i.e., providing evidence-based, objective, and nonpartisan research that helps expand or clarify the choices for decision-making in an unbiased way. CRP staff will manage the day-to-day work of the fellow.

Requirements

• Eligible candidates must have a Ph.D. or terminal degree in a relevant field (e.g., M.D., D.V.M., M.P.H., M.Eng., or equivalent).
• The Fellow is expected to take initiative and manage their time well.

Nice To Haves

• Preferred candidates will have strong quantitative empirical research and experience with inferential statistics with proficiency in statistical software such as SPSS, Stata, and R.
• In addition, preferred candidates will have exceptional data visualization and writing skills, the ability to communicate with nontechnical audiences, and translate complex ideas into easily digestible information particularly around the research themes that have been adopted by the agency.

Responsibilities

• Conduct and synthesize research, write and edit reports or fact sheets, and create policy recommendations as assigned by the host office.
• Meet both in-person and virtually with experts and stakeholders who have experience in the topic areas being studied.
• Support the review and administration of the CRP grant program, which includes a number of external research projects on a variety of topics.
• Assist in preparing meeting materials, including presentations.
• Attend legislative committee meetings, Board of Directors meetings, seminars, conferences, and other events at the direction of the host office.
• Manage schedule and workflow to ensure reports are completed in a timely manner.
• Work in team settings.
• Perform other office and administrative functions as needed.
• Attend trainings and weekly or bi-weekly check-ins with LPE/COPA-STEP and provide feedback, as requested.
• Support occasional LPE/COPA-STEP programming.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Robust retirement plans
• 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree