The Connecticut Governor's Fellowship
Governor Ned Lamont is seeking talented individuals to serve as fellows to support Connecticut’s executive agencies. The Connecticut Governor’s Fellowship Program offers a unique opportunity to serve at the forefront of public innovation. Fellows work side-by-side with senior leaders in the Governor’s Office and executive agencies to tackle pressing challenges—from modernizing civic technology to shaping education, health, and workforce policy. This immersive, yearlong experience is designed for individuals eager to make an impact through cross-agency collaboration, data-driven solutions, and a commitment to public service. Please see the fellowship website to learn more.
The Connecticut Governor's Fellowship is supported by the Tobin Center for Economic Policy at Yale University and Social Impact Partners Connecticut. This collaboration helps deliver real-world solutions to Connecticut’s most important policy challenges by building a bridge between the Yale community—its staff, faculty, and other resources—and state government leaders. The fellowship is a proven initiative through which Yale brings value to its home state, providing talent and technical support of Connecticut priorities. All program objectives and policy efforts are defined and set exclusively by the state.
Activities and Responsibilities
Roles will be aligned with candidates’ skills and interests. Opportunities across Connecticut’s executive branch agencies include roles and projects in economic and community development, education technology, early childhood, artificial intelligence, and health and human services. Potential projects include (but are not limited to):
• Integrated Service Delivery via Opportunity Centers: Support the Department of Social Services in scaling Opportunity Centers to coordinate care for high-need residents, using MyCT as a centralized platform for service navigation, data integration, and outcome evaluation.
• AI Governance & Use Case Implementation: Collaborate with the Bureau of Information Technology Solutions (BITS) to identify and evaluate artificial intelligence use cases in state government, assessing cost, policy, and workforce implications as part of a broader AI governance strategy.
• Enterprise Data Infrastructure & Sharing: Partner with BITS and the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) to develop a cloud-based, cross-agency data sharing model—defining access policies, tagging protocols, and tools to support secure, centralized data use.
• Data Systems Financing & Integration: Support OPM’s Data and Policy Analytics Division in identifying sustainable financing strategies—federal and philanthropic—for integrated data systems to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and service delivery.
• Data Science for Public Policy: Apply data science techniques to analyze administrative datasets across domains such as education, housing, and workforce. Support policy evaluation and program improvement using tools like R and Python.
• Higher Education Policy & Dual Credit System: Support the Governor’s Office and OPM to design a statewide dual credit system and analyze higher education funding models, collaborating with legislative leaders and academic institutions to shape next-generation affordability strategies.
• Digital Government Impact & User Experience: Collaborate with BITS to evaluate the effectiveness of Connecticut’s digital government initiatives, measuring user outcomes such as time savings and service efficiency, and develop a framework to guide future civic tech investments.
• Carceral Health Care Reform: Partner with the Office of Policy and Management to analyze Connecticut’s correctional health system and develop a transformative care model using national research, outcomes data, and cost analysis—potentially the first initiative of its kind in the U.S.
• Connecticut Children’s Opportunity Index: Assist the Office of Early Childhood in creating a comprehensive childcare needs index by consolidating state and national data into a public-facing portal to inform family decisions, resource allocation, and legislative planning.
While the individual nature of each position will vary, general responsibilities include:
• Crafting and refining policies through research and stakeholder engagement.
• Coordinating cross-agency efforts and resources.
• Developing strategic plans for program implementation.
• Collecting and analyzing data to inform decision-making.
Skills and Experience
• 3-8 years of work experience, with a track record of achievement and ability to work independently in fast-paced work environments and lead projects from start to finish.
• Proven ability to work comfortably across teams and among a diversity of stakeholders.
• Relevant subject matter and/or functional expertise.
• Passion for public service and willingness to learn.
• Strong written and verbal communication.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in civic technology domains (e.g., data science, analytics, technical project management, UI/UX design) is a plus.
• Advanced degree or equivalent experience preferred.
Application Requirements
If you are interested in participating in the Governor’s Fellowship Program, please see the “Submission Instructions” listed within the Request for Qualifications.
Timeline
• Fellows will be contracted for one year starting in late summer to early Fall 2025 for a total compensation not to exceed $110,000.
• Fellows may have the potential to extend beyond their initial contract period.
This is a competitive opportunity, with a limited number of fellow placements. The application deadline is 11:59 PM (EST), on May 23, 2025. To be considered, please complete the “Submission Instructions” found within the 2025 Request for Qualifications. Please contact melissa.conway@ct.gov with any questions.