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A cohort of 44 Civic Science Fellows supported by more than 60 funding and host partners will work together to advance systemic change so all people can shape and benefit from science

The Civic Science Fellows program, a collaborative effort among philanthropic partners, scientific and civic organizations, and emerging leaders, announces its 2026–28 cohort. Launched with a coalition of partners in 2020, the program brings together a growing network of boundary-spanning individuals, organizations, and communities working to deepen the relationship between science and society.

“The Civic Science Fellows program is investing in the people, practices, and partnerships needed to strengthen the ecosystem of discovery and innovation alongside our democracy and communities,” said Elizabeth Good Christopherson, Chair of the Civic Science Funders Collaborative and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Rita Allen Foundation. “By cultivating a new generation of boundary-spanning leaders, we are initiating the long-term changes needed to ensure science achieves its full promise for all.”

The fourth and largest cohort of Civic Science Fellows will begin their work as scientific institutions are navigating a changing landscape and declining trust; as communities are seeking greater authority in decisions that affect their health, livelihoods, and environments; and as artificial intelligence is reshaping how knowledge is produced and governed.

“The pace of science is accelerating. We are learning, discovering, and advancing the frontiers of knowledge faster than ever,” said Brooke Smith, Vice Chair of the Civic Science Funders Collaborative and Senior Director of Science and Society at The Kavli Foundation. “Our challenges are big, and making sure people are part of the fabric of science—including who does science, the process of science, and the products of science—is more important than ever.”

In response to growing interest, this cohort of Civic Science Fellows is the largest to date. More than 160 organizations applied to host a Civic Science Fellow in the fourth cohort. Host partner organizations span 20 states, as well as local and global partners. The program welcomes 19 returning host partners and 30 new host partners, including academic, health, communication, policy, and community organizations. More than 15 philanthropic partners support the 2026–28 program, with leadership support from the Civic Science Funders Collaborative.

The Fellows will collaborate on projects, research, and dialogues aimed at driving systems change across multiple fronts, including change rooted in science, change rooted in communities, and change rooted in policy. Throughout the program, they will connect across institutions to learn from each other, explore questions no organization can answer alone, and build the relationships needed for longer-term change.

As the program enters its seventh year, the model brings Fellows, host organizations, and funders together to test new approaches and learn across institutions. Fellows and host partners are piloting new approaches to strengthen discovery that benefits humanity, relevant science communication, community engagement and agency in science, and evidence-informed policymaking. Funders are gaining insights into the structural changes needed to sustain greater connection between science and society. And a network of civic science champions is emerging across fields and sectors.

To learn more about the Civic Science Fellows program and sign up for the monthly Civic Science Series newsletter, visit civicsciencefellows.org. To learn more about the Civic Science Funders Collaborative, visit civicsciencefunders.org.

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MEET THE 2026–28 CIVIC SCIENCE FELLOWS

2026-28 CIVIC SCIENCE FELLOWS PROGRAM—FUNDING PARTNERS

• Rita Allen Foundation
• Burroughs Wellcome Fund
• Civic Science Funders Collaborative
• Dana Foundation
• Doris Duke Foundation
• Feld Family Initiative for Civic Science Communication at the Boston University College of Communication
• Freedom Together Foundation
• William T. Grant Foundation
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• The Kavli Foundation
• Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
• Morgridge Institute for Research
• Stavros Niarchos Foundation
• The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
• The Pew Charitable Trusts
• John Templeton Foundation

2026-28 CIVIC SCIENCE FELLOWS PROGRAM—HOST PARTNERS

• AcademyHealth
• AI Research Institute on Interaction for AI Assistants – Brown University
• Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science – Stony Brook University
• American Brain Coalition
• American Institute of Physics
• American Museum of Natural History
• American Physical Society and American Astronomical Society
• Association of Science and Technology Centers
• Baker Institute for Public Policy – Rice University
• Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics – University of California, Berkeley
• Center for Black Excellence and Culture and Center for Healthy Minds – University of Wisconsin–Madison 
• Center for Clinical and Translational Science – The Rockefeller University and Clinical Directors Network
• Center for Conflict and Collaboration – New York University
• Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation and Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Learning and Development Office – Virginia Tech
• Center for Health Communication – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• The Center for Justice – Columbia University
• Center for Media Innovation and Social Impact – Boston University
• Climate Central, Inc
• Climate Communication Division – Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania
• Community Engaged Research and Impact Office – Office of Research, The University of Chicago
• Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) Program – American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Eagleton Science and Politics Program – Rutgers University
• George Mason University and University of California, Riverside
• Human Cell Atlas, Inc.
• Institute For Advanced Study
• International Science Council
• Kavli Center for Ethics, Science, and the Public – University of California, Berkeley
• Media Impact Funders
• Morgridge Institute for Research
• Open Environmental Data Project
• Research!America
• Rural Health Equity Hub – Duke University
• Science Communication Initiative – School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University
• Science, Engineering, and Technology Program – American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Science Philanthropy Alliance
• Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program – Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan
• Scientific Advancement – The Pew Charitable Trusts
• Seattle Children’s Research Institute – University of Washington and Public Health – Seattle and King County
• Stavros Niarchos Foundation Institute for Global Infectious Disease Research – The Rockefeller University
• The University of Alabama and The University of Utah
• West Virginia Science and Technology Policy Initiative
• World Resources Institute