Maine Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) Graduate Legislative Fellowship

The Maine Chapter of the Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) seeks a graduate legislative fellow
for the 2024-2025 academic school year. The Scholars Strategy Network is a national organization
seeking to improve public policy and strengthen democracy by organizing scholars in American
colleges and universities and connecting scholars and their research to policymakers, civic
organizations, and the media. The Maine chapter is among the most active chapters in the country
and includes highly respected scholars from throughout the state.

What does the Maine chapter do?

We train and support our members to utilize their expertise to influence public policy, public
discourse, and journalism. We have regular media slots in Maine-based outlets to which our members
contribute. The Maine chapter has organized events that brought together scholars with local advocates,
policymakers, and journalists. We also frequently field requests from lawmakers, organizations, and
advocates looking for expertise related to timely issues and important policy issues. The chapter is
co-led by Professors Rob Glover, Jordan LaBouff, and Karyn Sporer of the University of Maine.

What would the Graduate Fellow do?

The SSN Graduate Fellow will be a full member of SSN who will help track the Maine legislative session,
bills, and any additional information regarding public comment and testimonies. Whoever is chosen
as the Fellow will help inform SSN members if a bill is being proposed in their area of expertise.
Other activities may be included depending on what activities the chapter pursues. This should
be a roughly 2-3 hour/week commitment.

What about compensation?

The Fellow will receive a $1000 honorarium in two installments (January 2025 and June 2025).
Additional funds may be available for additional chapter initiatives. Graduate fellows will also be
eligible to apply for periodic opportunities available to chapter members to support public
engagement efforts.

Who is eligible, and how can one apply?

Graduate students who will be enrolled in their program throughout the 2024-2025 academic
year in any field are eligible. We are especially seeking an energetic and organized person interested in connecting scholarly research to people outside the academy.

All members, including the Graduate Fellow, join SSN by completing a member profile and writing a
brief summarizing one’s work or some body of literature with a discussion of its implications for
public policy. Thus, we would like an idea for your initial brief. These are written in plain English for a
general reader with limited jargon. Please note that you will have plenty of assistance while drafting the final brief should you become our graduate fellow. For examples, see https://scholars.org/briefs.

Application

To apply, please fill out this form to tell us what interests you about the position and the skills you
possess that would enable you to succeed in this role. Feel free to send any questions to SSN
Maine Co-Director Rob Glover at robert.glover@maine.edu. The deadline for submission of
applications is Tuesday, March 19th.