The Center for Social & Behavioral Science (CSBS) Policy & Research Legislative Fellows program matches graduate students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with state legislators representing Champaign-Urbana or a neighboring district to collaborate on a policy research project that can inform public policy and help make Illinois a better place to live. This non-partisan initiative is supported by the Office of Public Engagement.

The PRLF application for 2024-25 is now closed. An information session, was held on December 7 from 12-1pm over Zoom, please view the slides and the recording below.

Prior areas of research projects include, but are not limited to::

Housing Blight
Child Welfare
Energy Pricing
Police Retention
Higher Education Funding
Illinois Jobs
Teacher Shortage
Solar Energy Incentives
Parole
Disability

For more information about the PRLF program, contact Elsa Augustine at elsaa@illinois.edu.

Goals and Expectations

Student researchers use their expertise to contribute toward developing a policy agenda in a state legislator’s office, thereby gaining hands-on experience in bridging the gap between theory and practice at the state level. Students attend policy meetings with legislators and policy directors, watch legislative sessions and track bills to frame research activities that will assist in developing legislation from the ground up. In addition to research support and supervision from state policymakers, student researchers take part in seminars and professional development activities at UIUC.

The aim of the Policy & Research Legislative Fellows Program is to provide graduate students with:

First-hand experience and insight into the fast-paced legislative environment and law-making process
An understanding of how to connect research to real-world policy applications
Legislative and policy writing skills
Exposure to different policy and research areas that will help students evaluate their career interests and plans

Advisory Board

A team of interdisciplinary faculty with policy expertise, along with a former PRLF participant, guide the design and implementation of the Policy & Research Legislative Fellows Program: