Civic Science Fellow, Evidence & Creator Partnerships

AcademyHealth offers a collegial environment, challenging work that makes an impact, paid leave, and a competitive salary. Because we offer remote and hybrid work arrangements, candidates do not need to be physically located in the Washington, DC area.

Us: The professional home and leading national organization for health services researchers, policymakers, and health care practitioners and stakeholders. AcademyHealth — together with its members and partners — increases the understanding of methods and data used in the field, enhances the professional skills of a vibrant and diverse community of researchers and research users, supports the implementation of evidence to improve policy and practice, and advocates for the use of evidence to improve health and health care for all.

Over the past year, AcademyHealth has become a leading nonpartisan national voice defending scientific integrity, restoring access to federal data, and elevating the role of evidence in public debate. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment for all and transforming our field to achieve higher impact, more equitable research.

You: You are energized by complex, ambiguous challenges and comfortable taking an idea from concept to execution. You can work independently, build trust with people whose perspectives and expertise differ from your own, and translate complex evidence into compelling ideas and experiences for public audiences. You are curious about how people encounter, interpret, and share information — and excited by the opportunity to test new approaches to connecting evidence with civic dialogue. AcademyHealth's Civic Science Fellow will lead “Bridging Science and Social Media for Better Health Policy,” an 18-month initiative to build an Evidence Creator Pipeline connecting health policy research with the social media creators, community communicators, and other trusted messengers who shape civic dialogue for millions of Americans. The successful candidate will be an emerging leader with the initiative, judgment, and creativity to build something new.

We believe that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills. You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply — applications are welcomed from a broad range of candidates.

About the Role:

As part of the Civic Science Fellows program (details below), AcademyHealth's Civic Science Fellow will lead "Bridging Science and Social Media for Better Health Policy." The project will combine landscape research, relationship-building, and real-world experimentation to understand who can effectively carry evidence into new audiences, what makes those partnerships work, and how organizations can build sustainable networks of trusted evidence creators. The Fellow will pay particular attention to cross-partisan and nontraditional audiences, exploring how evidence-based health policy information can travel through networks that extend beyond traditional scientific, academic, and health policy institutions. The Fellow will apply this work in live AcademyHealth communications and engagement initiatives, using organizational priorities as opportunities to test, learn from, and refine the Evidence Creator model.

The Fellow will:

• Lead a landscape assessment of social media creators and community communicators working at the intersection of health, policy, and evidence — including a survey and rapid network analysis to understand trust drivers, audience dynamics, and preferred models of partnership
• Develop and execute a strategy to identify and recruit a cohort of 5–10 emerging evidence creators from diverse backgrounds, platforms, and communities
• Pilot partnership models — which may include compensation, skill-building, content co-creation, or some combination — co-designed with the creators themselves
• Oversee the development and production of pilot content pieces across at least three platforms, co-created with the cohort
• Develop protocols and a publicly available toolkit that any scientific society can use to build similar evidence creator networks
• Present findings at AcademyHealth's Annual Research Meeting and contribute to a final report for broad dissemination
• Develop a sustainability plan for the Evidence Creator Network beyond the fellowship period
• As part of the project, the Fellow will establish and manage a project advisory group drawing on AcademyHealth staff, members, and external experts in network analysis, policy influence, and health communications.

How You'll Be Supported:

The Fellow will report to the Senior Director of Communications and Marketing, and will be an integral part of AcademyHealth's Communications team. The Fellow will have the opportunity to work across AcademyHealth's communications, policy, membership, and programmatic teams, bringing the fellowship's research and experimentation into active organizational priorities while maintaining primary responsibility for the fellowship's project goals and deliverables.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required; Master's degree preferred
• 3–5 years of substantive professional experience in health communications, science communications, health policy, journalism, community engagement, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience managing or leading a complex project with multiple stakeholders and moving parts
• Experience developing or executing influencer, creator, audience-development, or partnership strategies, particularly for public-interest, scientific, health, or policy organizations
• Demonstrated understanding of social and digital platforms as ecosystems for audience development, relationship-building, and civic engagement, including experience with creator partnerships, community engagement, content strategy, or audience growth.
• Demonstrated ability to identify potential partners and build credible, authentic, and productive relationships across sectors, communities, and professional networks, including with researchers, policymakers, community organizations, and content creators
• Experience experimenting with new communications or engagement approaches and using audience insights, partner feedback, or other evidence to refine strategy
• Highly developed written and oral communications skills, including the ability to translate complex or technical subject matter into compelling narratives, content, or engagement strategies for non-specialist audiences
• Demonstrated curiosity about how different communities form opinions, establish trust, and engage with information across ideological and cultural differences
• Demonstrated knowledge of health policy issues preferred
• Self-motivated with strong project management skills and the ability to manage an evolving, 18-month initiative with limited supervision
• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to inclusive working and learning environments

What You Should Know:

• This is an 18-month fellowship position running September 2026 – March 2028
• Fellows spend approximately 75% of their time (~30 hours/week) with their host organization, AcademyHealth, and 25% of their time (~10 hours/week) on shared learning and networking activities as part of the Fellows cohort, including weekly virtual sessions and an in-person convening in February 2027.
• From September 2026 through September 2027, the Fellow will participate in weekly virtual Fellows Labs on Tuesdays from 12-2 pm ET. These sessions are designed to support shared learning, peer exchange, and professional development across the Fellows cohort.
• The fellowship stipend, as set by the Civic Science Fellows program, is $85,000 per year. This position includes paid leave. Please note that health insurance and other benefits are not provided as part of this fellowship position.
• AcademyHealth is a hybrid work environment, with options for remote and office work; candidates outside the Washington, DC area are encouraged to apply
• Some travel is required as part of the fellowship, including attendance at the Civic Science Fellows and Partners Convening in February 2027 and AcademyHealth's Annual Research Meeting in Boston in 2027. Travel costs associated with required fellowship activities are covered by the fellowship grant.

Applications:

Qualified applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to Human Resources via email: jobs@academyhealth.org. We will conduct our hiring process virtually, with interviews via phone or video. For more information, please visit www.academyhealth.org.