Resource State Science Policy Fellowship Planning Grant Initiative 

NCSL expects to award five grants in 2024. However, the final number of awards will depend on the number of qualified proposals and budgets.

Yes. State policymakers routinely face science and technology policy challenges as they work to make informed decisions on important and complex issues. Nonpartisan science and technology policy fellowship programs provide policymakers with direct access to researchers and their networks. These programs also allow scientists and engineers to learn from and contribute to science and technology policy discussions.

No.

No. While some recipients may be prepared to launch at the conclusion of the planning year, others may not. There is no expectation that grantees will launch a program at the end of the grant year.

Costs vary by state depending on the cost of living and the program’s compensation plan, program goals and structure, number of fellows in each cohort, fellowship duration, administrative costs associated with the host institution, and other variables. More details on program costs are available in Elements of a Successful Science and Technology Policy Fellows Program for State Government.

Indirect costs are not allowed. NCSL will subcontract with awardees using a fixed cost agreement.

Please email crdg-info@ncsl.org.

Eligibility criteria are listed below and in the call for proposals. To request a copy of the grant materials, including the call for proposals and grant application, register here.

• Applicants will explore planning, developing or implementing a full-time, conferred doctoral or terminal-degree-level science policy fellowship program that could serve the state legislature. Applicants wishing to explore programs that serve both the legislative and executive branches are also eligible.

• Applicants from part-time and/or early-career programs who wish to explore development of a full-time terminal-degree model that could serve the state legislature are eligible.

• Grants will be awarded to organizations. Individuals are eligible if partnered with a host organization or fiscal host to receive and manage grant funds.

• Applicants, host organizations and fiscal hosts must be based in the U.S. or its territories.

Applicants will explore planning, developing or implementing a full-time, conferred doctoral or terminal-degree-level science policy fellowship program that could serve the state legislature. Applicants will plan to recruit fellows who have already earned terminal degrees.

Applicants will explore planning, developing or implementing a full-time, conferred doctoral or terminal-degree-level science policy fellowship program that could serve the state legislature. In cases where applicants plan to recruit terminal-degree-level fellows who do not have doctoral degrees, include in the proposal the areas of study in which a master’s would be accepted as a terminal degree and an explanation for the decision.

In states with part-time legislatures, applicants will explore planning, developing or implementing a full-time, conferred doctoral or terminal-degree-level science policy fellowship program that could serve the state legislature, envisioning what fellows will do both during and outside of the legislative session. Examples of such programs are available in Elements of a Successful Science and Technology Policy Fellows Program for State Government. We look forward to your creative ideas for how a full-time program could strengthen the work of your state’s policymakers.

Yes. Applicants from part-time and/or early-career programs who wish to explore development of a full-time terminal-degree model that could serve the state legislature are eligible.

Funding may not be used to explore plans for a fellowship program that only serves the state executive branch. The purpose of this grant opportunity is to support state efforts to explore planning, developing or implementing programs that could serve the state legislature. Applicants wishing to explore programs that serve both the legislative and executive branches are also eligible.

Yes. In these cases, designate a lead applicant and provide the information requested in the executive summary for that organization. Use the narrative prompts to explain your collaborative approach.

• Applicant: An applicant prepares the grant application and completes the work outlined in the proposal—the work plan, deliverables, goals and objectives. The applicant may also be the host organization and fiscal manager of the grant funds.

• Host organization: A host organization raises funds for, launches and manages the fellowship program (e.g., identifying program champions, negotiating agreements with placement offices, managing the fellow application and selection process, organizing fellow placements, planning orientation and professional development). The host organization may also be the applicant or work closely with the applicant on the exploration and planning efforts as part of this grant. In other cases, the applicant will use the planning process to research and select a host organization.

• Fiscal host: A fiscal host provides fiscal management of grant funds to applicants who may not have capacity to do so. For example, a coalition of university students might form an informal organization to explore a science policy fellowship program and apply for the grant, but the coalition might not have fiscal structures in place to receive or manage funds. In this case, the coalition could partner with a fiscal host (e.g., university, local nonprofit organization), an entity that will receive and disburse the grant funds and provide fiscal management.

Program champions are people interested in promoting the use of science and technology in state policymaking. They may support, promote and market the development and operation of your science policy fellowship program. Potential champions could include legislators, legislative staff, governors, other elected officials, state government agencies, universities, science or science policy organizations, community leaders, philanthropists, and business or technology leaders.

SMART objectives are milestones that describe steps the applicant will take to meet project goals. SMART objectives are written to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. More information and tips for writing SMART objectives are available here.

Registration is a required step for parties interested in applying. To receive the application and call for proposals when released in May 2024, please register as an applicant.

Dates and Deadlines, 2024

• May: Applicant registration opens.

• May 15: NCSL releases RFP.

• July 1: Applications due by 7 p.m. ET.

• July-August: NCSL science policy fellowship advisory group reviews applications and convenes to make funding recommendations.

• July-September: NCSL reviews applications.

• September: NCSL selects and notifies grant recipients.

• September-October: NCSL finalizes subcontracts with grant recipients.

• November 2024-October 2025: Planning grant period of performance.

Successful proposals will include responses to all questions or narrative prompts.

In this case, designate a lead applicant and provide the information requested in the executive summary for that organization or partner. Use the narrative prompts to explain your collaborative approach.

Yes. The report Elements of a Successful Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Program for State Legislatures (2022) is available online.

NCSL provided an optional Microsoft Word template for documenting goals and objectives with the grant application. If you have registered as an applicant and did not receive the template, contact crdg-info@ncsl.org to request a copy.

NCSL provided a required Microsoft Word template to summarize the proposed budget items with the grant application. If you have registered as an applicant and did not receive the template, contact crdg-info@ncsl.org to request a copy.

• Proposals should also include a brief narrative for each budget category in which funds are requested, including a justification for expenses and, if needed, further explanation of how costs were calculated. More details are available in the grant application.

The applicant must provide one letter of support from legislative leadership, legislators, legislative staff, a host organization or funders. Two additional letters of support may be submitted but are not required. Letters of support may be provided as PDF or Word documents and should be included as part of the application submission. Prior successful applicants have included bipartisan letters of support from both chambers.

Submit all grant application materials, including the executive summary, narrative, budget narrative and summary table, and letters of support, as PDFs to crdg-info@ncsl.org by 7 p.m. ET on July 1, 2024.