JOB OPPORTUNITY: CIENCIAPR CIVIC SCIENCE FELLOW, 2024-2025

Application Deadline EXTENDED to: Friday, January 26, 2024

Join Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR) as a Civic Science Fellow (CSF) to support the assessment of CienciaCoLab, a collaborative and participatory program that provides tools, workshops, mentoring, and seed funding for leaders in Puerto Rico to design and implement community science projects.  

Role summary

The Civic Science Fellow will help advance understanding of how to build strong and inclusive civic science partnerships, particularly with marginalized communities, and ensure this knowledge is broadly shared across networks. Specifically, the Fellow will (1) develop qualitative and quantitative tools to assess how CienciaCoLab builds and sustains trusting relationships to engage communities with science, co-create projects, and share power with community partners and (2) document CienciaCoLab's processes and strategies and how they can be a civic science model. The Fellow will help us build upon what we have accomplished and learned during CienciaCoLab’s pilot and help us establish a program that can be expanded to additional communities and their leaders throughout Puerto Rico.

The CienciaPR Civic Science Fellow is an excellent position for someone with experience and interests in evaluation, citizen science, public engagement, science communication, outreach, and other aspects of civic science. The Fellow will have the opportunity to work with diverse partners, including scientists, communicators, community and organizational leaders, among others, and help advance justice, equity, and inclusion in science. In addition to joining CienciaPR, the individual will be part of the Civic Science Fellows program, led by the Rita Allen Foundation. Civic Science Fellows benefit from a network of Fellows at other institutions, civic science professional development, as well as leadership skills, and mentoring.

Responsibilities and Requirements

CienciaPR’s Civic Science Fellow will strengthen our capacity for cross-sectional collaborations, further our understanding of how to create strong and inclusive connections between science and society, and communicate the broader applicability of our work.

Responsibilities include:

• Working effectively and respectfully with people from communities that have traditionally been underrepresented in scientific fields, with a commitment to broadening the benefits of science

• Developing qualitative and quantitative evaluation tools and metrics to measure the impact of the CienciaCoLab project, with a greater focus on qualitative assessments

• Conducting visits with CienciaCoLab participants

• Conducting qualitative interviews and surveys with participants and staff to assess program impact and identify areas for growth and next steps

• Documenting CienciaCoLab processes and strategies and how they can serve as a model for civic science

• Participating in conferences and workshops to present their work as Civic Science Fellow

• Contribute to publications related to their work as Civic Science Fellow

• Write a public report (potentially a peer-reviewed manuscript) of the findings of their work to contribute to the advancement of civic science scholarship

• Participating in monthly meetings with CienciaPR staff and weekly meetings with staff of CienciaPR’s Division of Public Engagement with Science 

• Willingness to integrate research and practice, e.g., the science of engagement, collaboration, and related areas of exploration

Position requirements:

• Master's degree or higher (or a similar level of experience) in a field relevant to civic science, including but not limited to public health, community or social psychology, evaluation, social work, social sciences, community education, community or public engagement with science, formal or informal science learning.

• Native Spanish speaker and writer (or similar proficiency; the fellow’s work will predominantly be conducted in Spanish)

• Advanced English speaker and writer (the Civic Science Fellows Program is conducted in English).

• At least 2 years of experience in community engagement, preferably working with Latinx or other minoritized or marginalized communities.

• At least 2 years of experience in civic science (e.g., science outreach, public engagement, science communication, participatory-based science research)

• Experience or knowledge in documenting program or project strategies and processes

• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills

• Ability to work independently as well as being part of an existing team juggling multiple deadlines and responsibilities

• Comfortable working with different individuals, including scientists, communicators, and community and organizational leaders, among others.

• Experience developing reports and case studies

Additional Preferences:

• Experience combining quantitative and qualitative evaluation measures to assess a project, program, or research question 

• Residence in Puerto Rico  or willingness to relocate to Puerto Rico is strongly preferred. Residents from other US locations may apply but salary, payment structure, benefits, and professional development budget may be different.

Fellowship Terms

This is an 18-month contracted position, with a start date no later than March 1, 2024 and a planned end date of September 30, 2025. The contract amount for this fellowship is between $80K to $90K per year depending on experience and place of residence. Limited funds available for travel and professional development.

The Civic Science Fellow will work closely with CienciaPR’s Director of Public Engagement with Science, Dr. Mónica Feliú Mójer, and join a dedicated team of science engagement and science education professionals. The Civic Science Fellow will have the chance to engage and connect with scientists, students, and educators from the vibrant Ciencia Puerto Rico community (>17K global members), as well as with the public, members of the media, and some of the many civic society and community leaders that are among the organization’s collaborators.

To Apply

Application materials must be submitted via the following form. The application includes (1) responding to the three questions below; (2) links to two examples that demonstrate your civic science experience or expertise, in English or Spanish, with a brief contextual explanation for each (examples can include but are not limited to digital video, articles, podcasts, public presentations, reports, curricula, research product, etc.); and (3) a two-page resume (in English). 

Application Questions:

Please respond to the following three questions in 300 words or less, each. You are welcome to respond to these questions in Spanish or English.

1. As a Civic Science Fellow, you’ll be primarily working with CienciaCoLab, a program that centers marginalized communities in Puerto Rico and their leaders. Please give us a specific example of how you have built sustainable and equitable relationships with community partners. Describe key strategies you have used, lessons learned, and how you overcame challenges.

2. CienciaPR conceptualizes assessment of impact and success holistically (beyond just quantitative measures). As a Civic Science Fellow you will help us develop qualitative tools to measure the impact of our community engagement and the relationships established through CienciaCoLab. Please provide an example of an impact assessment you have conducted and how you incorporated different methods and strategies. 

3. Civic science emphasizes meaningful collaborations between scientists conducting research and the people whose lives could be impacted by it. Please provide a concrete example of how your work and experiences help advance civic science.

Submit a two-page resume (PDF format) in English that highlights your civic science, program management, and/or leadership experience. Please label your resume file “LastName(s)_FirstInitial_Resume_CienciaPRCivicScience”

Please submit your application through this link by January 19, 2024, 11:59pm PST. If you have any questions about the application or the fellowship, email Dr. Mónica Feliú-Mójer at comunicaciones@cienciapr.org.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

About Ciencia Puerto Rico

Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR, www.cienciapr.org) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides a meeting point for a global community of more than 17,000 scientists, students, educators, and allies who understand that science can empower people with the knowledge, ability and agency to improve their lives and society. The organization leverages this rich and diverse community—the largest collective of people interested in science and Puerto Rico in the world—to democratize science and transform science education and careers. Since 2006, CienciaPR has increased and improved science communication in Puerto Rico, created culturally relevant educational resources and experiences that enhance students' attitudes and interests toward science, and developed training and opportunities to empower members of its community to be agents of change. 

CienciaPR is an equal opportunity employer. We have policies against discrimination, including for in hiring, employment or promotion, on the basis of race, religion, color, sex/gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, handicap or disability, veteran or military status, political belief, pregnancy, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.

​​About the Civic Science Fellows Program

The Civic Science Fellows program is building a network of leaders committed to ensuring that all people shape and benefit from science, technology, and innovation. The program brings together scientists, scholars, community leaders, journalists, educators, media producers, public-interest organizations, and funders to seed new collaborations between science, diverse communities, and civil society. Envisioned as a Civic Science Lab, Fellows and the organizations that host them carry out pioneering work to co-create pilots, partnerships, knowledge, models, and new ways of working. Fellows and partners engage as part of a network of learning and action that spans organizations, disciplines, and communities—a growing effort to catalyze civic science culture change.