Visiting Fellows Information

The Boston Fed’s Regional & Community Outreach (RCO) Visiting Fellows program is designed to advance scholarly and policy-relevant research in areas related to RCO’s work through engagement with early/mid-career and established scholars who work in a similar topical area. These paid positions offer scholars the opportunity to join a research community, broaden their network, build a topical field, and inform policy.

The 2024 fellowship explores three topics of importance that can pose serious barriers to work and have broader implications for equity: housing, child care, and transportation. Learn about this year’s fellows and their studies here.

The fellowship creates a yearlong communal environment intended to foster intellectual stimulation and improve the rigor and quality of the work produced. We invite proposals for research projects that will result in an original issue brief (see examples here) to be published on the Boston Fed’s website and disseminated through our channels. Many of our issue briefs are cited in the academic literature, covered by national press outlets, and have crossover appeal to both academic and general audiences. Fellows may also be invited to contribute insights from their research findings to be published as a short  feature in our community development magazine, Invested.

Through the course of the year, fellows give an initial and a final presentation on their work to the department (in person if possible), engage in regular meetings with RCO research partners (in person or virtual) to workshop their projects, and produce an issue brief. Each fellow is assigned a staff liaison from the RCO research team, who facilitates the process. Fed publications can require several rounds of internal and external review; fellows should be prepared for multiple revisions. Boston Fed communications staff coordinate dissemination of the research and any requested follow-up.

To express interest in next year’s fellowship or for any questions, contact Sarah Savage with the subject line, “Interest in Visiting Fellows Program.”

View past Visiting Scholar/Fellow publications here.