The Yale Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS) invites postdoctoral students and junior scholars to apply for its Democratic Innovations Fellowship. Democratic Innovations is an interdisciplinary ISPS program that encourages social scientists from a variety of fields to think about the factors that affect government policy and decision-making and to analyze novel democratic institutions that might support improvements in representation, citizen inclusion, and government performance. To further the study and dissemination of novel ideas, the program will aim to answer questions such as:

• What changes to our political institutions will promote efficient, evidence-based decisions?
• What changes to our political institutions can make them more representative, inclusive, deliberative, and participatory?
• How do ideas and knowledge spread and what institutions can catalyze faster social learning and elevate fact over misinformation?
• How can we build democratic political institutions founded on a realistic view of citizen engagement?
• How can we attract dedicated and talented people to government and promote public engagement that contributes high-quality participation to the political system?
• What new possibilities for government, representation, and citizen participation are introduced by modern technologies, including artificial intelligence?
• What lessons can we learn about factors affecting government performance from history and social science?
• How can we test our ideas scientifically and how can we work to put proven good ideas into practice?

We are interested in theoretical and empirical scholars doing basic or applied research on these and related questions. We are also interested in scholars who are experts in novel systems of representation and decision making, especially any innovations in voting, citizens? assemblies, or other political reforms that have been introduced recently and take advantage of advances in communication or computation. 

Please send cover letter, research statement, current C.V., one writing sample, and two letters of recommendation. A copy of graduate transcripts is also required for postdoctoral applicants not currently holding a faculty position.

The review process will begin on January 15, 2026.  Please submit your application by that date to receive full consideration.

About Yale University

Yale University is an American private Ivy League research university located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States.

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