Call for Applications:
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Evaluation Fellowship Program
Deadline: June 30, 2008
As a young professional from communities traditionally underserved or
under-represented preparing to launch a career, you may be wondering how you
can be of service to your community and the wider society. There are many
avenues through which you can make a difference. As an exciting option, the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Evaluation Fellowship Program offers you the
opportunity to explore the field of evaluation and research as a possible
career path in public service. Evaluators and researchers play an important
role in the non-profit sector. They advance effective service delivery by
studying grounded theory, how it is carried out through practice strategies,
and the impacts of these on populations and communities, especially in
traditionally underserved and under-represented groups. As applied
researchers, evaluators help foundations, government agencies and
non-profits to advance effective practice by providing important evidence
through diverse research and evaluation approaches.
Bringing together evaluation academic and practice oriented skill sets of a
unique partnership of Duquesne University and the OMG Center for
Collaborative Learning, the RWJF Evaluation Fellowship Program is a
deliberate step to bolster a continuum of evaluation career building and
retention opportunities for people of color and under-represented groups.
This call for applications invites recently graduated students in various
fields of expertise to submit applications for the first year cohort,
beginning January, 2009 through December, 2009.
What are the expectations and requirements of RWJF Evaluation Fellows?
The RWJF Fellow will receive a year-long, full-time, paid placement in an
organization where he or she will work on projects that will build his or
her skills in evaluation and research. The Fellows program will attempt to
place the Fellow in a locality of his or her choice, but the Fellow must
express a willingness to relocate, as necessary. Along with a paid
placement, fellows will receive travel support to attend the four training
seminars including the American Evaluation Association annual meeting during
the course of the year.
During the time of the fellowship, the RWJF Fellow will assist with and be
part of teams engaged in program or project research and evaluation. Primary
responsibilities are to participate in assigned research projects, assist in
the development and conduct of surveys, questionnaires, and interview
protocols, to collect, analyze, and interpret findings, and to write and
produce written reports and other documents. The RWJF fellow will report to
a supervisor assigned by the placement organization.
Who can be a RWJF Evaluation Fellow?
The RWJF Evaluation Fellow will have at least a Masters degree in health and
healthcare, urban planning, education, non-profit management, public policy,
or other social sciences fields. He or she will have some experience,
knowledge, and problem-solving capability in one or more substantive areas,
including but not limited to social change, advocacy, education reform, arts
and culture, environment, health, and human service systems. The RWJF
Evaluation Fellow will have strong written and oral communication skills, be
familiar with qualitative and/or quantitative data collection methods and
analysis, and demonstrate knowledge of word processing and other software or
database programs. In addition, he or she will be willing to travel, as
required by the placement firm.
What is the timeline for the placement of RWJF Evaluation Fellows?
Announcement of selected RWJF Evaluation Fellows for January, 2009 will be
mid-October, 2008 to follow review of application materials and interviews.
To request an application, contact:
Rosemary Rynn
Department of Foundations and Leadership
School of Education
Duquesne University
600 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15282-0540
(412) 396-5568: voice
(412) 396-1681: fax
rynn@duq.edu: email
For further information about the program, contact:
Rodney Hopson (412) 396-4034
hopson@duq.edu, or
Gerri Spilka (215) 732-2200 x232
gerri@omgcenter.org, or
Vivian Figueredo (215) 732-2200 x233
vivian@omgcenter.org.
