Subject Matter Expert on Credible Information

Location: Remote with one possible in-person workshop

Contractor Timeframe:

Phase I: April 2026-September 2026, (15-20 hrs/mo) with the possibility to continue to Phase II

Phase II: October 2026-June 2027, (5-10 hrs/mo) with the possibility to extend

Compensation: $150 per hour, with flexibility to negotiate based on experience and scope

Introduction:

The Subject Matter Expert (SME) on Credible Information will partner with Citizens & Scholars' Campuswide Immersion (CWI) team to strengthen and advance its Credible Information initiatives. Working as part of a collaborative CWI team, the SME will bring strategic insight, national field awareness, and a record of recognized contributions to the field, along with thought partnership, to inform pilot development, resource creation, and cohort support efforts aligned with CWI’s broader strategic priorities.

In this advisory capacity, the SME will contribute expertise that enhances program design, engagement, and field relevance. External representation of CWI’s Credible Information initiatives will be coordinated with CWI leadership, with the SME participating as appropriate.

The SME’s contributions will strengthen and extend CWI’s strategic priorities under the direction of CWI leadership. This work is planned in two phases, with continuation determined through ongoing assessment and mutual agreement.

Timeline

• RFP Release Date: February 20, 2026
• Deadline to submit proposals: March 2, 2026
• Proposal Review Begins: March 2, 2026
• Anticipated Start Date: Beginning of April 2026, potential for earlier start date if mutually amenable

Key Responsibilities:

Phase I: April 2026-September 2026, (15-20 hrs/mo) with the possibility to continue to Phase II

• • Collaborate with CWI to inform and strengthen a landscape review of the current approaches to navigating credible information within higher ed.
  • Partner with CWI Program Officer to support the development, refinement, and assessment of a cross-campus initiative advancing students' capacity to use credible information in evidence-based civic problem-solving .
  • Provide recommendations to CWI regarding resources and approaches for potential campus distribution.

Phase II: October 2026-June 2027, (5-10 hrs/mo) with the possibility to extend

• • Review campus action plans and provide feedback to inform CWI’s cohort support on a semi-annual basis.
  • Lead a workshop, in person or virtual (TBD), for staff and/or faculty at CWI schools.
  • Provide subject-matter input into the development of strategies and resources for expanding, enhancing, and measuring this work across campuses.

Ideal characteristics:

• • Actively track/know the evolving nationwide higher education landscape to understand emerging ideas, concerns, and cultural shifts among students, staff, and faculty
  • Offer evidence-based insight into student interest, motivation, and skill levels to inform credible information initiatives that resonate
  • Demonstrate understanding of emerging technologies (including AI) and their implications for credible information, student learning, and campus culture.
  • Identify and synthesize emerging models and effective practices across institutions nationwide and translate insights for CWI’s work with campuses
  • Collaborate with CWI staff to build peer review processes and shared resource collections review processes and shared resource collections ‑review processes and shared resource collections
  • Demonstrated expertise and contribution to the field through scholarship, public engagement, or field-shaping initiatives in credible information or closely related fields

Budget:

Compensation is $150 per hour, with flexibility to negotiate based on experience and scope. The number of hours will vary by phase, as outlined above. The SME will collaborate closely with the CWI team, with contracting and administrative oversight managed by Cathy Copeland, Director of CWI.

Proposal Requirements:

Proposal submission is due on Idealist by March 2nd.

Proposals should include in pdf format:

• • resume/CV, including a list of relevant publications, public engagement, or field-shaping initiatives
  • one page statement outlining relevant experience and evidence of influence in the field
  • one page statement outlining your professional approach to credible information and civic learning within higher education

About the Institute for Citizens & Scholars

Since our founding in 1945 originally as the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, the Institute for Citizens & Scholars has prepared new generations of American citizenry by opening doors to higher education, supporting visionary thinkers, scholars, and teachers, and creating the thoughtful space for innovation. In 2020, we changed our name to the Institute for Citizens & Scholars and declared an expanded mission to cultivate a critical mass of young people who are civically well-informed, productively engaged for the common good, and committed to democracy.

WHAT WE DO

Today’s divisions in American society are a stress test for our democracy. They threaten our ability to meet a range of challenges: rising economic insecurity, accelerating climate crises, the transformation of industries by artificial intelligence, and many others. The forces reshaping our society demand new approaches to leadership.

What America needs most right now is a new generation of problem-solvers. Gen Z is ready to step up, but they need support to engage effectively in their schools, workplaces, and communities.

Citizens & Scholars helps young people build the civic skills they need to work across divides on complex issues like climate change, global conflicts, reproductive rights, and economic inequality.

We focus on three real-world civic skills needed to thrive in today’s polarized America:

• • Have difficult conversations across divides
  • Access diverse sources of reliable information
  • Use collaborative problem-solving to tackle community issues

How we do it: We build authentic partnerships with leaders in higher education and workplaces to co-design programs and tools that can rapidly accelerate the civic preparedness of millions of young people. We also invest directly in the next generation of civic leaders, supporting their bold projects to drive change in their communities.

We work in three areas: higher education, workplaces, and community:

Higher Education

Facing growing skepticism from large segments of the public, colleges and universities—viewed by many primarily as pathways to employment—must rise to a greater purpose. This broader mission is rooted in the original promise of higher education: to foster critical thinking, free inquiry, and the ability to engage constructively with those who see the world differently.

• • College Presidents for Civic Preparedness is a coalition of over 125 campus leaders from diverse ideologies, backgrounds, and institutions nationwide, all dedicated to preparing students for active civic engagement in a complex and divided country.
  • The Faculty Institute has helped dozens of interdisciplinary educators nationwide gain the skills and confidence to redesign or create new courses that promote civil discourse and become champions of this work on their campuses.
  • The Mellon Fellowships broaden the range of perspectives and understandings offered on college campuses and create opportunities for crucial new scholarly voices to be heard in disciplines and institutions.

Community

We’re equipping young leaders with funding, mentorship, and resources to tackle urgent challenges in their communities.

• • Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness recruits 100 corps leaders annually, who will lead teams of peers in addressing community challenges they have identified. We equip these leaders with real-world civic skills and dispositions through an immersive yearlong experience as they implement their community projects.
  • The Youth Civic Solutions Competition invites young adults to present innovative ideas to boost civic knowledge, engagement, and trust in their communities, with winners receiving $1,000 for their projects and opportunities to connect with civic leaders.
  • The Our Voices Summit empowers emerging youth leaders to present bold, youth-driven solutions for local challenges to seasoned civic leaders. The summit amplifies youth voices, positioning them as equal partners and problem-solvers in the civic field.

Workplaces

Division doesn’t end at the office. In collaboration with the nation’s largest business association, we’re piloting a groundbreaking program to train emerging professionals in civic skills that benefit both organizations and democracy.

This is an independent contractor role and will not include benefits.