Call for 2026-2027 Policy Research Applications
2026-2027 Policy Research Applications
The +Policy Network solicits applications from Virginia Tech faculty who wish to pursue research projects with policy relevance. The overarching goal of the +PN is to connect, expand and integrate policy knowledge—broadly defined—across disciplines. This call supports two initiatives: the +Policy Fellows program, now in its 9th year; and the Policy Scholars program, in its third iteration.
Two tracks are available:
*Applicants can only apply to ONE program*
The +Policy Fellows Program:
This program is aimed at helping researchers with policy expertise (a) join or collaborate with an extant or newly forming interdisciplinary research team that otherwise lacks a member with policy knowledge; or (b) to extend a policy scholar’s expertise into a new area. Accordingly, the award will support either collaboration between a policy researcher (the Fellow) and members of a research team, or an individual policy scholar collaborating with a content expert to develop his/her expertise in that individual’s area. The selection committee will give priority to applications from interdisciplinary teams or, if a single scholar, interdisciplinary research, a collaboration plan and clear plans for future inquiry.
All +Policy Fellow proposals are expected to result in external funding proposals within three years post-award. Other deliverables may include team publication(s) or presentations, a policy brief and/or extensive or high-impact public dissemination of research findings. We ask that the Fellow provide the +PN with a brief written progress report at the end of the first year and -- by 2028 or project completion, whichever occurs first -- a 3-5 page policy brief or summary of the project with an outline of its policy implications, suitable for website posting.
The Policy Scholar Professional Development Program:
This professional development program facilitates developing policy research with a mentor. It is aimed at faculty with less policy experience who are interested in ways their research could become more policy relevant. The +Policy Network can suggest mentors or facilitate faculty-mentor matching.
- Collaborating on a joint article or grant proposal that has policy relevance.
- Collaborating on developing and disseminating a policy brief or research tool.
- Engaging in regular coaching/mentoring sessions that lead to a Scholar-authored article or grant proposal.
- Conducting policy-oriented research that goes beyond traditional text-based outputs by developing creative forms of dissemination, such as multimedia storytelling, interactive data visualizations, and design-driven prototypes. These formats may translate complex policy insights into accessible, engaging, and actionable resources for policymakers, practitioners, and the broader public.
The Virginia Tech faculty member serving as policy collaborator or mentor can be someone the Scholar has worked with before or may represent a new relationship. If the applicant does not have a policy colleague in mind, applicants may contact Isabel Bradburn, the +Policy Network director, for a list of faculty members who have agreed to mentor or for other suggestions.