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We are not currently accepting applications for the EPI Fellows Program.  Please check back next winter 2027.

The Education Policy Initiative (EPI) at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy is offering an EPI Fellows program to students interested in learning to evaluate educational policies and practices spanning early childhood to the labor market. The program builds on the University of Michigan's strengths in education policy and social sciences. It also contributes to the University's emphasis on interdisciplinary research and programs that make critical contributions to society.

We are actively seeking U-M doctoral students with diverse backgrounds and life experiences who are interested in using data, quantitative, and qualitative methods and tools to answer questions related to education policy. Doctoral students across the social sciences at U-M are welcome to apply. The program seeks to build a community of fellows that honors and learns from the unique experiences and perspectives brought by each of its students. The EPI Fellows program builds from the strengths of our IES Predoctoral Fellows program. 

Eligibility

Students must be enrolled full-time in a U-M doctoral program in the social sciences. Renewal of funding in subsequent years is conditional on meeting annual training program requirements.

Selection Criteria

The main criteria for selection is a passion for education policy and an interest in learning the methods of policy evaluation. Admissions decisions will be based on the candidates' demonstrated interest in the content of the training program, academic performance, and faculty recommendations. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to attend CIERS to evaluate their personal interest in the training program and, if interested, demonstrate this interest to program staff. While successful candidates generally have a basic familiarity with statistics and data analysis, prospective fellows need not already be experts; the purpose of the fellowship is to train students in these skills. A fellowship committee will review applications and select the fellows.

Offers of fellowships will typically be made in the spring of candidates' first or second year of doctoral studies. Students typically enter the training program in their second or third year of doctoral studies. This fellowship is open to both U.S. citizens and international students.

Benefits

Fellows supported by the program receive a small annual research allowance to support their research, conference attendance, or professional development in their first year of $1,000.  Funding may continue beyond the first year but is not guaranteed. Fellows will receive mentorship, hone their presentation skills, participate in community-building events, attend writing retreats, and connect with EPI alumni to grow their networks.

Graduates of the IES Predoctoral Fellowship program have gone on to successful careers in academia and other research organizations; some now serve in leadership positions within local and state education agencies. We expect the same will be the case for our EPI Fellows.

Courses

Required coursework will provide formal training in quantitative methods and contextual knowledge about education policy, institutions and practice. Students will select courses based on their research interests and in consultation with the program director; many courses will satisfy both degree and training program requirements. The sequence of required courses includes:

Two courses in Quantitative Methods required:
Two (2) courses in statistics beyond the introductory level.

One course in Causal Inference in Education Policy Research:
Education 712 / Public Policy 712 - Causal Inference in Education Policy Research I: ​Preschool, ​Elementary and Secondary​
Education 714 / Public Policy 713 - Causal Inference in Education Policy Research II: Postsecondary​

​These causal inference courses introduce students to education research that employs causal methods, and provides institutional, historical and theoretical context for the questions addressed in this research. Each course will focus, not just on identifying average causal effects, but also on determining the mechanisms by which effects were obtained, measuring intervention fidelity, and detecting heterogeneity in treatment effects. Economics students can choose either 712 or 713. Students from other disciplines should take 712, though exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. For all students, we recommend taking both courses.

One course in Education Policy, Institutions or Practice

EPI Fellows: Course Pathways for Economics PhD Students
EPI Fellows: Course Pathways for Education PhD Students
EPI Fellows: Course Pathways for Sociology PhD Students

For more information, please email [email protected]. Please contact us with questions about your interest in the program, fit with your current studies, and other opportunities to get involved.

Summary

The Education Policy Initiative (EPI) seeks candidates interested in deepening their knowledge of education research, policy topics, data, and quantitative methods for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship. EPI will hire up to two postdoctoral fellows to begin as soon as possible, in the summer or fall 2026.

EPI is composed of researchers engaged in understanding and evaluating education policies at the local, state, and national level. Additionally, EPI conducts much of its research in partnership with education agencies. For example, EPI operates the Michigan Education Data Center (MEDC), a secure data clearinghouse that helps researchers to use Michigan's administrative education data to answer critical questions and improve outcomes for students. Moreover, EPI is beginning a large-scale federally-funded evaluation of Michigan's universal school meals program. This fellowship will build upon the training of the postdoctoral researcher in the use of rigorous statistical and econometric methods, as well as sophisticated coding and data science techniques to build, document, disseminate, and analyze large administrative data sets. The postdoctoral fellow will train under cross-disciplinary faculty in the use of quantitative methods to evaluate important educational outcomes

Prospective fellows should be interested and have experience in applied education research. Fellows will work in the context of state research practice partnerships (RPP), utilize various programming languages to build and enhance administrative data sources, and conduct quantitative research in collaboration with scholars at EPI. Depending on the interests of those hired, fellows will receive close mentorship from professors Kevin Stange, Katherine Michelmore, and Natasha Pilkauskas. Fellows will also have the opportunity to work with and learn from other Ford School faculty, such as Brian Jacob, Christina Weiland, Sarah Cohodes, full-time EPI staff, and other EPI affiliate faculty.

The focus of one postdoctoral fellow will be to work with EPI researchers in partnership with the Michigan Department of Education's (MDE) Office of Nutrition Services. This fellow will help to assess the impact of a statewide school meals program on student achievement, attainment, and social well-being outcomes. Under the supervision of faculty mentors, the fellow will clean, merge, and assemble large administrative K-12 data sets, which they will use to conduct quasi-experimental analyses of the impacts of statewide free meals, using techniques such as difference-in-differences and student fixed effects models. This fellow will have an opportunity to write and present results to state partners, as well as in academic venues. The fellow will also contribute to the broader mission of the MEDC by cleaning, documenting, and proposing enhancements to the state's education data.

The focus of the other postdoctoral fellow will be to utilize various data science and coding techniques to work with the MEDC team and (i) enhance statewide data sets, (ii) enhance documentation available to researchers across the country, and( iii) propose and contribute to new data dissemination tools. The postdoctoral fellow will clean, explore, and analyze data related to topics of high interest to the state, such as higher education (affordability, student success, transfer, workforce alignment), early childhood education, and/or K-12 literacy. The fellow will work regularly with partners from the State of Michigan's Department of Education (MDE), Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI), and Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) to understand their research priorities and ways in which statewide education data can be used to answer policy relevant research questions. The fellow will, therefore, have ample opportunity to develop relationships with education partners to support their specific research interests.

The fellowship is designed to last up to two years. The postdoctoral fellowship may be renewed after the first year, contingent upon strong fellow performance and available funding.

The University of Michigan (U-M) is home to a dynamic community of researchers, with ample opportunity for professional development—via participation in seminars and trainings, as well as through exposure to high-profile speakers. Moreover, EPI strives to foster an inclusive work environment that is home to scholars with a wide range of backgrounds and research interests. We do so by bringing in a diverse set of speakers who do research directly on inequality in education, encouraging trainings and collaborations across campus, surveying community members about our seminar culture, and self-evaluating ways to make our research⁠—from start to finish⁠—more equitable. We are interested in recruiting applicants with diverse backgrounds and life experiences and from a diverse pool of academic disciplines and PhD institutions.

This is a two-year postdoctoral fellowship beginning in the summer or fall of 2026 with a competitive salary. EPI strongly prefers to hire a candidate who is willing to work from U-M's Ann Arbor campus, but is potentially open to exceptional remote candidates.

Qualifications

Applicants must have completed their PhD in a relevant social science discipline prior to beginning the fellowship, have an interest in researching education and receiving further mentorship and training in quantitative methods, and have academic research experience in public policy, education, economics, sociology, public health, or other similar social science fields. The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Application Process and Deadline

EPI will accept applications submitted online using this form. Complete applications include a 2-3 page statement of interest, writing sample (job market paper or recent publication authored / co-authored by the applicant), CV, and two letters of recommendation (sent directly from recommenders to [email protected]). EPI will begin reviewing applications on July 27th, 2026, and will continue to review applications until the position(s) is/are filled. EPI anticipates starting screening interviews in the first week of August. EPI would like the fellow(s) to begin as soon as possible.