Democracy Policy Fellowship

Each year, a cohort of community leaders from across California joins UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) for a year of collaboration. Fellows bring their expertise to Goldman, and they take Goldman’s resources back to their organizations. Practitioners and scholars learn from each other, and that exchange multiplies what each can do alone. The result is policy research that is actionable and built for public impact.

Fellows are nominated as catalysts for change. They are trusted leaders working in journalism, education, racial justice, civic innovation, community organizing, public health, climate and beyond.

The Fellowship Year

At the heart of the fellowship is a policy project tailored to each fellow’s organization and the community it serves. Fellows develop the project with a team of GSPP graduate students and faculty advisors. The year unfolds in four phases:

Onboarding and orientation. In the fall, fellows meet one another and attend GSPP’s Berkeley Public Policy Conference.
Research development. Fellows shape their project proposals with input from their cohort.
Collaborative research. Fellows’ GSPP research teams help bring the projects to life.
Presentation and dissemination. Fellows share their work publicly, culminating in the Democracy in Action Impact Showcase.

Beyond the Project

The Center also runs workshops, guest-speaker panels and networking sessions that push fellows to think expansively about democracy itself.

For many fellows, the most rewarding part of the year is the cross-pollination. Fellows build relationships with GSPP students and faculty, and just as importantly, with each other. Several collaborations have already grown out of connections formed in our inaugural cohort. DPF is as much a peer community as it is a fellowship.

Fellowship Benefits

Fellows receive:

A $7,500 stipend, plus $2,500 in travel support for in-person events at UC Berkeley
Support in drafting their project proposal and working with their student team
Tailored workshops on civic engagement, democracy policy and research development
Access to a mentorship network, research support, and professional development and networking opportunities
Opportunities to audit UC Berkeley courses
Invitations to UC Berkeley events, workshops and speaking engagements
Opportunities to help organize and host democracy policy events and convenings
Opportunities to share their expertise in public seminars and in undergraduate and graduate courses

Nominate a Democracy Fellow

The Democracy Policy Fellows bring deep expertise to UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP). Over the course of the year, they will partner with faculty, students, and practitioners across the GSPP community to translate their insights into bold, high-impact policy ideas.

The Center is currently not accepting nominations for Democracy Policy Fellows.

Nominate a fellow