Sydney Policy Lab Policy Fellowship Program

The University of Sydney recognises that world-class research is increasingly conducted in collaboration between academic and non-academic partners. The Policy Fellowship program is designed to support the Sydney Policy Lab in its responses to the biggest public policy challenges of our time.  

The Policy Fellowship provides the opportunity for people with a track record of shaping public and policy debates in the media and public fora to join the Lab for a period of six months. Through this program, Policy Fellows contribute to the Lab’s mission to connect practitioners and the academic community, generate new thinking and transform society for the better. 

The Sydney Policy Lab is a multidisciplinary initiative at the University of Sydney. We are a nonpartisan space where people from all walks of life can meet and develop plans collectively for the future. We exist to forge collaborative relationships between researchers, civil society, policymakers and industry that create new knowledge and drive social change.  We believe such work can contribute to an Australia which is more equal, where power is in the hands of everyday people and where more people feel a secure sense of belonging in their own society.

Policy Fellows have a six-month affiliation with the Lab. During this time, Policy Fellows pursue an agreed program of work that aligns with one or more of the Lab’s priority areas for research and engagement.  

During this six-month period, Policy Fellows contribute one to two days per week to engage in a combination of the following indicative activities: 

• provoke and contribute to public debate in their areas of interest (e.g., producing opinion pieces or a short report);
• contribute to the Lab’s existing policy work, projects and engagements;
• deliver a public talk designed to share the Policy Fellow’s contribution to one or more of the Lab’s priorities;
• deliver at least one lecture, research seminar or masterclass for University staff and/or students; and
• mentor a junior University academic or professional staff member with shared interests. 

Policy Fellows are entitled to:

• an affiliation with the Sydney Policy Lab;
• access to academics across the University of Sydney and the Sydney Policy Lab community more broadly; 
• access to the University of Sydney Library and resources;
• access to a working space at the Sydney Policy Lab;
• the ability to audit select University classes and participate in masterclasses; and
• a one-off stipend of $25,000.

The Policy Fellowship program is a pilot initiative for 2022, with the possibility of further rounds subject to the Lab’s future program of work.

The Lab will update this page with any future call for expressions of interest.

To learn more about the Policy Fellowship program, please contact policy.lab@sydney.edu.au.