Fellowship
Through our flagship Horizon Fellowship, we place fellows at host organizations to help tackle policy challenges related to artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies.
Fellows selected for our program receive policy-focused training, mentorship, and support in matching with a host organization for a full-time, fully-funded fellowship based in the Washington, DC area. Potential host organizations include executive branch offices, congressional offices, and think tanks.​
The fellowship program has three core components:
Training
Through our part-time 10-week training program, fellows gain critical skills, subject-matter expertise, and policy process knowledge.
We teach applied skills such as memo writing, policy research, and briefing through interactive exercises, allowing fellows to practice the type of work they’ll be doing during their placements. Exercises are flexibly structured so that fellows can choose the areas in which they build further subject-matter expertise, and include input and feedback from senior experts, policymakers, and mentors with decades of experience in technology and policy. Fellows also learn about the key players in the policy world, how they interact, and what their histories and cultures are. Fellows come out of the training program set up to do high-quality work during their placements and prepared to effectively navigate the matching process.
Matching
Once fellows complete their training, they have matching conversations with potential host organizations within their track (executive branch, congressional offices, or think tanks).
During training, fellows think deeply about what they want to get out of their placement experience and where they can best contribute. During the matching process, they learn more about different potential host offices, and host offices can screen the fellows to ensure they have the requisite skills and subject-matter expertise. Fellows often receive multiple offers for placements, after which they decide which offer to accept. Horizon’s main role during the matching phase is to facilitate introductions and handle the administrative side of the placement process.
Placement
During their placements, fellows work full-time for their host offices, who manage their work.
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Initial placement terms are 12 months for fellows and 6 months for junior think tank fellows. Fellows also have access to a second term of funding, which they can use to renew at their initial host office or to gain experience in a different part of the policy world, for example by doing their first year at a think tank and second year in Congress. Fellows are required to be based in the Washington, DC area during their placements. Horizon’s primary role during the placement is organizing events for the fellowship community and providing additional professional development and coaching to fellows where needed; Horizon has no involvement in fellows' day-to-day work.
After the fellowship
The Horizon Fellowship aims to foster the next generation of public servants and policymakers with expertise in emerging technologies. We pursue this goal by screening applicants for serious interest in policy careers and by exposing fellows to inspiring examples of public service throughout their placements. For those who decide they want to stay in the policy world after their fellowship term, we provide extensive resources to facilitate a transition to post-fellowship public service positions, including application coaching, personalized job recommendations, and introductions through the Horizon network.