Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to ask your help in recruiting applicants for the 2009
Rappaport Summer Public Policy Fellows Program.
As I hope you are aware, the program provides a paid ($7,000) summer
fellowship to 12 graduate students at local colleges and universities
who will be continuing their studies in the 2009-2010 academic year in
policy-related fields. While the Institute pays the students, they
actually work on specific projects for state and local officials in
the region. The Institute's staff helps arrange placements and
provides ongoing guidance and supervision throughout the summer.
Students also participate in - and help design - a weekly seminar
series that features expert practitioners and scholars discussing
important issues in the region. Many former fellows have gone to work
for state and local governments in the region as well as for non-
profit entities that work closely with state and local governments.
I am attaching some additional information on the program and some
general information about the Rappaport Institute. A full listing of
information sessions is at http://www.hks.harvard.edu/rappaport/service/fellows/schedule.htm
. Students may attend any of the information sessions, but I will be
on the Tufts campus on Wednesday, October 15 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00
p.m.
Wednesday, October 15
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Brown House
97 Talbot Avenue
Tufts University
If you have any questions, please call me at 617-495-5091 or email me
at paulina_obrien@ksg.harvard.edu. Thank you for your time.
Attachments 1 & 2 listed below.
1. Overview
The Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston strives to improve the
governance of Greater Boston by strengthening connections between the
region's scholars, students, and civic leaders. A university-wide
entity housed at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, the
Institute pursues this mission by:
Promoting Emerging Leaders: The Institute encourages graduate and
professional students to spend at least part of their professional
careers in state or local government in Greater Boston. The primary
means for doing so is the Rappaport Summer Public Policy Fellows
Program, which provides 12 graduate students from local universities
with paid 10-week public-sector internships in Greater Boston. The
Institute also supports courses and the development of teaching
materials about issues of importance to Greater Boston.
Producing New Ideas The Institute encourages faculty and students to
conduct high quality, policy-relevant research into issues of
importance for Greater Boston. To do so, it provides seed and start-
up funding for new projects, helps identify other funding sources for
that research, helps scholars connect with local officials and leaders
who can help scholars with their projects, and works with scholars to
disseminate their findings to practitioners in timely and accessible
ways.
Stimulating Informed Discussion The Institute sponsors public events
where scholars, policymakers, and civic leaders discuss key issues,
organizes training programs for local officials, maintains an online
database on scholarly research about the region, and produces
publications that summarize new scholarly research in timely and
accessible ways. Members of the Institute's staff also serve on civic
advisory committees, help local officials and civic leaders access
scholarly expertise, and work with the media to improve coverage of
key issues. The Institute also houses the Rappaport-Boston Urban
Fellows program, which since 1981 has provided local elected and
appointed officials with scholarships to the Kennedy School's mid-
career master's degree program.
2. Call for Applications
Rappaport Institute Public Policy Fellowship
Harvard University's Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston is now
accepting applications for its summer 2009 Public Policy Fellowships.
The fellowships offer 12 graduate students paid, 10-week summer
internships in key state and local agencies in the Greater Boston
area. Fellows also participate in a weekly seminar series with leading
practitioners and scholars and are required to write a short essay
related to their experiences. Fellows receive a $7000 stipend.
The fellowship program is a key component of The Rappaport Institute,
which aims to improve the governance of Greater Boston by promoting
emerging leaders, producing new ideas, and stimulating informed
discussion. In addition to the Public Policy Program, the Institute
develops and disseminates policy-relevant research in timely and
accessible ways; fosters conversations between researchers and
practitioners; hosts public events on regional issues; and offers
training for local officials.
In previous years, fellows have worked on a diverse range of projects
that include: school reform plans, environmental risk assessment,
public-private partnerships, community development projects,
performance-management systems, racial bias in the juvenile justice
system, health coverage for foster children, and reduction plans for
greenhouse gases.
Applying for the Rappaport Public Policy Fellowships
Eligibility: Graduate students at local universities, including
Harvard University, MIT, Boston University, Suffolk University,
Northeastern University, Brandeis, UMass Boston and Tufts University,
who are enrolled in programs with public-policy implications for the
Greater Boston metropolitan area or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
and who will continue their studies in the 2009-10 academic year are
eligible for the Rappaport Public Policy Fellow program. (Law students
are eligible for a separate Rappaport fellowship program coordinated
by Suffolk University's School of Law. For more information, contact
Susan Prosnitz, Executive Director of the Rappaport Center for Law and
Public Service at Suffolk University Law School, at sprosnitz@suffolk.edu
.)
Applications: Students should submit:
• A cover letter that includes a list of issues and public agencies
that interest you;
• A resume;
• A statement of 500 to 1,000 words that describes an issue or issues
you would be interested in working on during the summer, why the issue
interests you and some preliminary thoughts on a project for the
summer; and
• A writing sample, two to five pages in length, from any work that
represents your ability to explore complex policy issues.
Please submit your application on single-sided paper, with a footer in
the lower right corner of each page that states your name and
"Fellowship Program."
Send applications to:
Fellowship Application
Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston
Kennedy School of Government
79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Applications are due by January 30, 2009.
Applicants identified as finalists will be required to submit two
letters of reference. Finalists will be notified on February 6, 2009.
Letters of reference must be received by February 12, 2009. Applicants
will be notified of their status by mail on March 13, 2009.
For more information: To learn more about the Rappaport Institute
Public Service Fellowship Program, please contact Polly O'Brien at
(617) 495-5091 or polly@rappaportinstitute.org. Information sessions
are scheduled at eligible schools, please check the Rappaport
Institute Website at http://www.rappaportinstitute.org for a complete
schedule of information sessions.