Paragon Policy Fellowship places university students and recent graduates on technology-policy projects with US state and local government partners. Fellows work remotely for 8–10 hours a week in teams supported by Paragon staff.
Over three months, teams use applied research, stakeholder interviews and feasibility assessment to produce literature reviews, demographic analyses, presentations, final deliverables and a public project brief. The program runs Spring, Summer and Fall cohorts each year; Fall 2026 applications are closed.
Benefits & funding
- The fellowship is an unpaid volunteer program with no award or stipend stated.
- Fellows receive policy bootcamps, four project workshops, roundtables, guest-speaker sessions and networking events.
- Teams work directly on a defined technology-governance problem for a state or local government partner.
- Alumni gain access to mentorship resources and alumni-only professional-development and publication opportunities.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, JD, PhD or other degree program, or have graduated from a degree program within the previous year.
- Applicants must primarily reside in the United States and be authorized to work there.
- Applicants must be able to commit 8–10 hours each week, including required synchronous meetings and asynchronous project work.
- Interest in technology policy and civic innovation is required, but prior technology-policy experience is not.
- No nationality, age, gender or stated minimum work-experience requirement is published.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Residence required
USA
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor · Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled · PhD
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Application process
- 1Monitor the official Students page for the next cohort window; Fall 2026 applications are currently closed.
- 2Apply through the official cohort application when Paragon reopens it; no live fellowship application form is presently linked.
Program timeline
Most recent application deadline
Aug 23, 2026
Fall cohort begins
Sep 16, 2026
Fall cohort ends
Dec 11, 2026
Roughly two months before each cohort
Applications usually open
Spring cohort
Late January to early May
Summer cohort
Late May to late August