Feeding America Equity Research Fellow

Feeding America is excited to invite applications for the Equity Research Fellow program for the 2024-2025 academic year. This program provides a unique opportunity for scholars in the social, economic, ​health/nutrition ​and behavioral sciences to pursue equity-related research and scholarship while being integrated into the research and work of the largest hunger relief organization in the United States.  

The Feeding America Equity Research Fellow (formerly known as Equity Visiting Scholar) began in 2022. Dr. Angela Odoms-Young has served in this position from 2022-2024 supporting the Feeding America network on projects and research related to health equity, community-based equity initiatives and evaluation, and creating an equity self-assessment for the charitable food system.

FELLOWSHIP DETAILS

Key elements of the fellowship are briefly described below. Please review the program's full description for additional information.

• Duration: One-year appointment with potential for a second-year, contingent on funding.
• Award amount: $150,000 to be used for research activities, travel, fellowship activities, and salary support
• Responsibilities:

1. Consult with and support Feeding America’s Research and Innovation team by:
   • Serve as a member of the Feeding America Technical Advisory Group (TAG).  
   • Dedicate 3-5 hours/month on consulting or workshops with Feeding America’s equity initiatives, as time and capacity allows.
2. Complete a research project with either original data collection and/or data analysis. (See below for more information) 

RESEARCH PROJECT  

The Equity Research Fellow will conduct a research project that should be achievable in approximately 12 months (from project design to presenting results) and it should relate to issues of equity within food security and/or charitable food assistance. In consultation and partnership with Feeding America, the fellow may use existing data held by Feeding America (grant reporting, surveys, evaluations, etc.) and/or external datasets. 

Feeding America has identified key priority projects that will help enhance our ability to center equity in our work and support the network in its progress to be more equitable and anti-racist. Fellows can choose among these projects, suggest alterations in their application, or propose their own research project that furthers the same goals. Applications will be evaluated based on whose proposed projects will best further Feeding America’s strategic equity goals and initiatives.

REQUIREMENTS  

• ​​Applicants must have a doctorate degree, comparable terminal degree, or career background that shows their ability to conduct high-level, peer-reviewed scholarly research. ​Preference will be given to early- or mid​​-​​career scholars.
• Applicants do not need to be experts in food insecurity/charitable food assistance system, but they should have a demonstrated record of scholarly activity in equity. 
• The fellow will not need to be “in residence” at Feeding America’s headquarters (Chicago) but should be prepared to collaborate virtually. 

APPLICATION PROCESS  

​​​All applications undergo an initial internal screening for relevance to Feeding America’s priority areas and the strength of the application. Strong applicants will be reviewed by a team of Feeding America employees and external experts. A set of finalists will be invited to an interview with the recruitment team.

To Apply  

1. Please review the position description and needed application materials thoroughly.
2. Click here to submit your application. In this form, you will be asked for your contact details, basic information, and the following application documents:
   1. Cover Letter: Highlighting scholarly/research commitment to understanding equity, how this fellowship aligns with your work, and your interest in working with Feeding America.
   2. Research Project Submission: After reviewing the potential research projects and deciding on a project that best matches your expertise and interests, fill out this submission document. 2 notes:
      1. If you are suggesting a project beyond those we provided, you may add up to 2 pages outlining a potential project. This should describe a potential plan to collect or analyze data, how it would fulfill similar goals as listed in the potential projects document, and how it relates to your prior work on equity. Please still answer the questions in the submission document. 
      2. We recognize that the Fellow’s project is unlikely to be conducted exactly as outlined in our project list or in the proposal. The selected Fellow will work with Feeding America staff to refine and ensure research projects advance Feeding America’s equity priorities as well as advance scholarly or policy research.  
   3. CV: Up-to-date abbreviated CV (5 pages maximum)  
   4. Optional exemplary work: Up to 2 supplementary materials that provide a demonstration of your work are welcome
3. Applicants who proceed past the initial screen may be asked to provide two professional references.

If you have any questions, please email Erik Lovell, Sr. Manager, Research: [email protected]