Overview
SPPGA recognizes that to have a transformative impact on society, academic excellence and policy practice must be integrated throughout the School’s research, teaching and community engagement.
In the spirit of facilitating knowledge exchange, strengthening community ties, and building an ethos of practice into our professional graduate programs, the SPPGA offers a Practitioner Fellowship program, which will host 2-4 practitioners in residence per year for periods of 4 or 8 months with start dates in September and January. While at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia, Practitioner Fellows will be appointed as Adjunct Professors (domestic) or visiting researchers (international).
SPPGA Practitioner fellows should be professionals with leadership experience in public policy, international development, global affairs and/or government, across a variety of issue areas and sectors. Policy Practitioner fellows typically work in civil society, various levels of government, think tanks etc. but should not be employed as an academic at another institution.
Eligibility
- Open individuals with a minimum of 10 years of experience in a broad range of backgrounds, who have demonstrated experience with public policy and/or global affairs.
- Preference will be given to mid-career professionals; however, senior career professionals are also welcome to apply. All candidates are expected to articulate how this fellowship would inform current or planned work/research/priorities in the workplace or sector they are coming from.
- Citizenship or visa requirements. Open to applicants from any country but applicants must be able to obtain the appropriate Canadian visa as residency is required for the fellowship.
- The successful applicant will be invited to UBC for a residency lasting 4-8 months. The duration will align with IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) guidelines, allowing Canadian citizens to stay for up to 8 months and non-Canadians for up to 120 days. International applicants will need to apply for a temporary resident visa once selected – please review the visa processing times for the country you will be applying from to ensure that you will have enough time to receive the visa before your intended arrival date. We will be unable to defer offers due to visa processing delays so please plan accordingly.
Compensation
The Practitioner Fellow will be appointed as an Adjunct Professor (domestic) or Visiting Researcher (international).
Financial compensation package includes:
- Up to $2.5k relocation reimbursement for out-of-province/country fellows
- $10k per month salary
- Up to $2k per month to support living arrangements if temporary relocation is required.
- Shared office space in SPPGA buildings and access to the UBC library system.
Excluded:
- This package does not include extended healthcare benefits. International candidates must purchase health insurance in advance for the duration of their stay in Canada.
- While applicants are welcome to arrange for family members to join them, please note UBC is unable to support with immigration and settlement questions and arrangements for family members (ie. School enrollment/international student fees, additional relocation allowance, etc).
Responsibilities
- Fellows must reside full-time in the Vancouver area for the duration of their fellowship.
- Fellows who have full-time employment are expected to refrain from significant roles and employment responsibilities unless granted permission from the SPPGA Director.
- Vancouver is a city with low occupancy rates and high housing costs. SPPGA can recommend some ways to search for housing, but securing housing is the responsibility of the Fellow.
- Fellows are expected to meaningfully undertake at least one activity from each of the three program activity categories below.
- Fellows are expected to develop a new area of expertise for themselves and in doing so, perform research on a topic of interest related to their professional practice. Fellows will develop a work plan for the duration of the fellowship and meet monthly with the SPPGA Director or designate. The outcome of their research will be a written product such as a peer-reviewed journal article, magazine article, opinion piece, or podcast on the topic of interest.
- Fellows will be invited to stay connected to the school through the Practitioner Fellow alumni network at SPPGA.
Program Activities
In addition to advancing an individual professional project, fellows can expect to undertake at least one activity from each of the following three categories per term:
Student and Community Engagement
- Individually mentor 1-2 MPPGA students
- Lead a student-oriented workshop on a career-related topic of your choice
- Participate in workshops and/or community engagement events/lectures
- Provide a public lecture on a topic of policy, practice and/or research
Research
- Collaborate with SPPGA faculty or researchers on a topic of shared interest
- Organize a workshop on the Fellow’s topic of interest
Teaching and Learning
- Serve as a resource for a GP2 team
- Deliver guest lectures/co-teach an existing PPGA course
- Develop and deliver/facilitate a series of workshops on a topic related to PPGA
Commitment & Resources
Fellowships are considered to be a full-time commitment for the duration of the contract. Hours on campus may vary per week, however, all fellows are expected to hold regular on-campus office hours. Fellows will be provided with shared office space at SPPGA and will have full access to UBC resources.
Application & Criteria
The program seeks distinguished practitioners with 10+ years of leadership experience in public policy, international development, global affairs and/or government, across a variety of issue areas and sectors.
- Statement of Interest including a professional autobiography (500 words)
- Research/professional project proposal (500 words)
- CV
- Contact information for 3 references
Now accepting applications for fellowship positions beginning in September 2025. Application materials should be submitted online through the link below by January 17, 2025, at 4 PM PST