The deadline for the 2021 Fellowship has passed. 

Do you want to share your research with audiences beyond the academy, write an effective op-ed or policy brief, testify before Congress, or work with community and professional groups?

The Public Engagement Project invites applications from UMass research active faculty and lecturers for the Spring 2021 Public Engagement Faculty Fellowship.

As a Public Engagement Faculty Fellow, you’ll develop a fellowship plan tailored to your expertise and aspirations for reaching broader publics. You will receive technical training in communicating with non-academic audiences, cultivate networks to reach those publics, and workshop your policy brief, blog, op-ed piece, or other public engagement product(s). 

Faculty Fellows will meet twice per month during the 2021 spring semester, attending panels and skill-building workshops offered by faculty, communications experts from University Relations, and others experienced with public engagement. Fellows will also have the opportunity to work in small groups and receive peer mentoring tailored to their engagement plan, as well as to present their research to Massachusetts lawmakers. An initial meeting for accepted applicants will take place in late January 2021.

In addition to opportunities for skill development, networking, and outreach, Public Engagement Faculty Fellows will receive a $1,000 stipend for their research account.

Selection criteria include:

• Substantial research record as a research active faculty member or lecturer
• Research with the potential for significant public impact
• Commitment to developing materials for non-academic audiences during the fellowship period and beyond

“Potential for significant public impact” recognizes the many forms that public engagement can take—e.g., working with media, policy makers, the courts, advocacy groups, or professional and practitioner organizations.

Applications will be reviewed and selected by the program steering committee, and applicants will be informed about final selections in December 2019.

For questions about the Fellowship, please contact PEP Fellowship Director, Lisa Troy at pep@umass.edu

Feedback from former PEP Faculty Fellows:

“The training I received through the Fellowship was probably the most effective professional development I have experienced since coming to UMass 20 years ago…I believe I am now better prepared to respond to media requests and talk to media, and policy makers, about important issues and research in educational assessment.”  

-Stephen Sireci, Professor of Psychometrics and Director of the Center for Educational Assessment, 2016 Faculty Fellow

“Every faculty member who wants their research to get out to audiences beyond their area of academic specialty would benefit from the Public Engagement Project at UMass. It was invaluable to me. PEP helped me develop a broad strategic plan identifying who I wanted to disseminate my research to; why (my goals); and clarify how public engagement activities would feed back and enrich my research…I strongly urge UMass to continue funding this program. It increases the profile of UMass faculty and research at the university.”  

–Nilanjana DasGupta, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Director of Faculty Equity and Inclusion, CNS, 2015 Faculty Fellow