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Public Innovation Fellowship Program

Where evidence meets the street, change begins.
Our fellows turn noise into knowledge and knowledge into public goods that last.

The Public Innovation Fellowship is a year-long program for researchers and practitioners who design, test, and evaluate solutions to public problems across PII’s six focus areas: Global and Public Health; Education and Workforce Innovation; Climate and Environment; Economic Transformation; Civic and Digital Infrastructure; and Data and Responsible AI. Fellows work in close collaboration with faculty, municipal, community, and industry partners to translate rigorous research into deployable policy and technology.

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Over one academic year, fellows build a clear problem definition, assemble the relevant datasets and evidence base, and develop implementable interventions with defined equity and performance metrics. The program combines a methods studio (causal inference, geospatial analysis, standards, and responsible AI) and a practice seminar with city and agency mentors. Each fellow produces a Public Innovation Dossier consisting of a policy brief, implementation plan, open methods, and an evaluation framework, culminating in a pilot or decision-ready proposal for a partner organization.

 

We invite applicants from diverse disciplines, including public health, economics, computer science, urban planning, law, design, and operations, who are motivated to turn analysis into durable institutional change.

Applications  for the 2026-2027 Academic Year will open in November

Who Should Apply?

The Public Innovation Fellowship is designed for individuals who:

  • Come from interdisciplinary backgrounds such as public health, economics, computer science, urban planning, law, design, policy, and operations.

  • Are practitioners or researchers who want to move beyond theory into real-world implementation, engaging directly with communities, agencies, and partner organizations.

  • Have an interest in applying rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods—e.g. causal inference, geospatial analysis, data science, responsible AI—to tackle public problems.

  • Are passionate about equity, social justice, and designing interventions that are inclusive, measurable, and tailored to underserved or marginalized populations.

  • Can commit to a year-long fellowship, including seminar work, collaboration with faculty and city/agency mentors, data gathering, evaluation, and producing a decision-ready proposal or pilot.

Why Apply

By participating in the Public Innovation Fellowship, you will:

  • Work on translating evidence into policy and practice, not just studying public problems but designing and piloting solutions with partner organizations.

  • Build mastery of advanced methods of causal inference, geospatial analysis, responsible AI, within a supportive studio environment.

  • Work closely with mentors (academic, municipal, community, industry) who can help ensure your work is relevant, grounded, and actionable.

  • Produce a Public Innovation Dossier: including a policy brief or research paper, implementation plan, evaluation framework, and decision-ready proposal or pilot. This becomes a real portfolio item you can share with employers, funders, or partner agencies.

  • Join a community of fellows and collaborators across six focus areas (Global and Public Health; Education & Workforce; Climate & Environment; Economic Transformation; Civic & Digital Infrastructure; Data & Responsible AI) enabling peer learning, networking, and cross-cutting innovation.

  • Contribute to durable institutional change: your work is meant to be used by real policy makers, agencies, or organizations—designed to have impact beyond the fellowship period.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the time commitment?
The fellowship runs for one academic year. Fellows are expected to engage in seminars, methods studios, mentorship meetings, data collection/design, and the drafting of the Public Innovation Dossier.

 

Are there prerequisites or required skills?
Applicants should have some training or experience in research/design/analysis relevant to public problem solving. Familiarity with quantitative or qualitative methods, or willingness to learn them, is important. Prior policy or field experience is a plus but not strictly required.

 

Do I need to be based in a specific region?
While many partners are in U.S. urban settings, the fellowship welcomes applicants whose work may have national or global relevance. Some fieldwork or coordination with local partners may be required depending on project scope.

 

Is the fellowship paid?
Information about stipends or compensation is provided in the application materials. We aim to ensure fellows are supported financially to carry out the work.

 

What kind of projects are suitable?
Projects that address public problems in one or more of the six PII focus areas. They should combine rigorous analysis with feasibility: i.e. defined problem statements, available or collectible data, equity and performance metrics, and potential for pilot or scale.

 

What does the deliverable look like?
Each fellow produces a Public Innovation Dossier, which includes:

  • A policy brief stating the problem and recommended intervention

  • A research paper or article

  • An implementation plan

  • Open methods (documenting data sources, analytical approach)

  • Evaluation framework (how to measure impact)

  • A pilot or decision-ready proposal for a partner organization

 

When does the application open / how competitive is it?
The application period for the next academic year is announced ahead of time. For 2026-2027, Applications will open in mid November). Selection is competitive: we look for strength of idea, clarity of approach, feasibility, equity focus, methodological rigor, and alignment with PII’s domains.

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