Mid-Career Research–Practice Partnership Fellows Program

Eligibility: Applicants must hold a terminal degree in a relevant field, received the terminal degree within 8– 20 years, and hold a faculty or researcher appointment at Penn State.
Financial support range: up to 50% FTE effort for 12–24 months
Deadline: Rolling

The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at The Pennsylvania State University (“Penn State”) invites applications for the 2026–2027 Mid-Career Research-Practice Partnership Fellows Program. This Program is supported, in part, by a William T. Grant–Institutional Challenge Grant (ICG) awarded to Penn State. The ICG is designed to strengthen an existing research–practice partnership between Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network (CMSN) and the Pennsylvania Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF). A primary goal of the initiative is to enhance the capacity of Penn State and OCYF to collaboratively produce and use timely, relevant research evidence to improve postsecondary outcomes for transition-age youth in foster care. Fellows will serve as key partners in this work, contributing specialized expertise, strengthening cross-sector collaboration, and supporting the development and application of actionable research to inform policy and practice.

A major focus of the Penn State ICG is to build capacity to generate and make better use of research evidence at Penn State and the OCYF by engaging mid-career researchers with expertise in child welfare or education policy and equity. The Fellows Program is intended to support the career development of researchers as they work with the OCYF to pursue a shared research agenda. It will provide experienced researchers an opportunity to engage in collaborative, applied, and policy-relevant research. At the same time, the Fellows Program will give researchers an opportunity to foster a culture of research collaboration and support evidence-based practice within OCYF, ensuring that interventions and policymaking are grounded in rigorous research.

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Funding Contact :

Contact Dr. Deborah Ehrenthal, SSRI Director for more information.