Call for Spring 2026 Graduate Student Applicants

We seek graduate student applicants for the spring 2026 Panetta Institute Policy Research Fellows Program. Application materials must be submitted by January 2, 2026.

Several UCSC graduate students will be selected to participate in the 14 week program (Jan 16^th to April 17, 2026), with in-person once weekly attendance at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, located on the California State University Monterey Bay campus. The goal of The Panetta Institute for Public Policy Fellows Research Program is to provide students with an educational and experiential opportunity to study public policy, engage in strategic planning and build consensus through negotiations. The program will introduce fellows to a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of public policy which allows fellows to gain a sophisticated understanding of the nuances behind policy making; develop policy discourse skills; and strengthen their analytical judgment and evaluation of key policy issues.

Application Materials

To apply, please provide the following information via email to Don Smith (drsmith@ucsc.edu) by
January 2, 2026. Direct any questions to Don Smith at the email address above:

• Name
• Graduate degree and program/department
• Year in program and expected graduation date
  And the following as email attachments:
• Updated CV
• Brief description of your graduate research/area of study (not to exceed 250 words)
• Brief statement of how participation in the Panetta Institute Policy Research Fellows program will
  contribute to/enhance your graduate research and/or post-graduation career goals (not to exceed
  250 words)
• A brief statement from your graduate advisor endorsing your participation in the Policy Research
  Fellows program (not to exceed 250 words)

Overview

The Panetta Institute created the Policy Research Fellows Program in the spring of 2006. For over 10 years, the program has served small cohorts (6–8 students) of qualified law school students from Santa Clara University. As of fall 2024, UC Santa Cruz has been invited to select two-three graduate student participants for the program.

The purpose of The Panetta Institute for Public Policy Fellows Research Program is to provide students with an educational and experiential opportunity to study public policy, engage in strategic planning, and build consensus through negotiations. The overall goal of the program is to introduce fellows to a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of public policy, which allows fellows to gain a sophisticated understanding of the nuances behind policymaking, develop policy discourse skills, and strengthen their analytical judgment and evaluation of key policy issues.

Throughout the academic term, fellows will explore the diverse political, social, and economic contexts within which public policy is developed. Fellows examine the history, foundations, and theories of public policy and gain real-world insight into the field. They examine demographic data, budget concerns, and current social trends and themes to understand, analyze, and address selected current policy issues that face the nation. Through weekly seminars, fellows will gain an understanding of the salience and significance of historical and contemporary lessons learned and the resulting policy experiences. Seminars are regularly complemented with targeted discussions on putting policy into practice. In this approach, the institute’s professors guide fellows in the techniques of policy analysis and advocacy and the application of these techniques to recent and current public policy issues.

Students complete a final project where they engage in an in-depth assessment of an emerging or persistent policy issue, through which they demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired through this program and their ability to make recommendations for improvement or change. Successful completion of the program is focused on the practical application of professional writing, verbal and analytical skills, and the promotion of professional and academic excellence and integrity.

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