The SRCD U.S. Policy Fellowship Program offers an immersive opportunity for postdoctoral researchers to work within U.S. federal agencies, Congress, or state agencies, where they actively influence child and family policy development. Fellows work full-time on child development issues and gain hands-on experience advising policymakers on timely issues within the field. It’s an experience that most of our alum tell us they’ve never had before or since their fellowship.  

In their supported programming, fellows learn how to communicate with policymakers, how to ask policy-relevant research questions, how policy is formed, and how to integrate issues of equity and inclusion in the nexus of policy decision making.   

With almost 250 alumni over 30+ years, SRCD has been instrumental in placing fellows throughout the United States. Our alumni have become influential researchers in developmental science, senior staff at federal and state agencies, and leaders in philanthropic organizations.