The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Congressional Fellowship Program allows researchers to learn firsthand about the federal policy process and enhance their understanding of how different kinds of research may contribute to policy. It also provides policymakers with a resource for considering research. SRCD Congressional Fellows are members of the Science and Technology Fellowship Programs of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Fellows participate in training sessions run by AAAS and SRCD and are then assigned to 12-month staff positions in either the Senate or House, where they learn about factors that facilitate or impede the use of research and how to communicate effectively with non-researchers. Fellows are often early-career scholars who have doctoral degrees in psychology, human development, education, or a similar field. Many Fellows have become leaders in their fields and influence both research production and how people think about research use. The William T. Grant Foundation and the Foundation for Child Development first funded the SRCD Fellowship when it was initiated in 1978. Since that time, the Foundation has co-funded the program for various periods and supported the placement of nearly 75 Fellows.
This grant will expand the pool of leaders who understand how research can contribute to the policy process.
