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US Google Public Policy Fellowship

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Written by a former Google Public Policy Fellow unaffiliated with this website.

The US Google Public Policy Fellowship is a fully funded summer- or semester-long fellowship for ~20 US college and graduate students. It offers both part-time and full-time work opportunities in the summer, fall, and spring at a tech policy-related host organization in Washington, DC (a mix of nonprofits, think tanks, and industry groups). Fellows perform duties that can include policy research, writing memos, assisting with events, attending meetings with stakeholders, and presenting on tech policy topics.

Applications open every year around March for the Summer period, around July for the Fall period, and around November for the Winter period.

Why you should consider the Google Public Policy Fellowship

The fellowship is a prestigious, flexible, and well-paid opportunity to test your fit for technology policy work and advance your professional development. It’s available year-round, has broad eligibility criteria, offers both full-time and part-time work, has remote work opportunities, and includes diverse host organizations representing different ideological positions.

There are several ways in which the fellowship can boost your policy career:

  1. It’s an excellent way to develop expertise on technology policy and related issues. Host organizations work on issues such as AI, innovation policy, antitrust, tax policy, and many others.
  2. It provides solid networking opportunities in the tech and policy worlds, especially if your fellowship is in person. There are numerous opportunities to meet and network with staff at host institutions, Google employees, and other fellows.
  3. The fellowship helps you build credibility in the tech policy world. It’s decently well-known in Washington, DC, and in policy-related circles in Silicon Valley. As a fellow, you get to add both “Google” and the name of your host institution to your resume.
  4. It can also lead to further professional opportunities. Some fellows stay at their host organization beyond the fellowship, while others can benefit from referrals and letters of recommendation to find opportunities elsewhere.

Eligibility

The fellowship is open to current part-time or full-time undergraduate, graduate, or PhD students. Applicants must be eligible to work in the US and be at least 18 years old. The fellowship location is generally Washington, DC, though many host organizations allow (or require) remote work, varying by organization. More information is available on Google’s website here.

For non-US applicants, see Google’s Europe Policy Fellowship and the Rest of the World Policy Fellowship.

Fellowship structure and experience

What is the time commitment?

Full-time fellows are expected to work 40 hours/week, and part-time fellows 20 hours/week. But the actual work hours week-by-week can vary significantly and are at the discretion of the host organization—organizations are generally willing to accommodate school schedules, for example.

Where can you work as a fellow?

The fellowship currently partners with 17 host organizations in Washington, DC (some have a DC office but are headquartered in California), including some nonprofits and advocacy groups, think tanks, and industry associations. The exact list of organizations is subject to change year-by-year, but it generally includes diverse ideological viewpoints (e.g. both left- and right-leaning organizations). Within their host organization, fellows are assigned to a specific tech policy-related office (some host organizations also work on many issues besides tech policy). 

Day-to-day, fellows work entirely for their host organization and have relatively little interaction with Google (though Google does host professional development opportunities, which are described below).

As of May 2024, the host organizations are (more information on the fellowship website):

There’s a list of links here, which are omitted from this narration.

What type of work do you do during your placement?

During the fellowship, you can do widely varying types of work. Many fellows get to perform policy research independently and through their teams. This can include writing or drafting internal memos, blogs, and other published content, public comments, and similar work. For example, one fellow we spoke to produced five-page reports on US-China competition in different emerging technologies such as quantum computing, leading-edge semiconductors, and 5G for a broader report on global technology mapping. 

Many think tanks and nonprofits organize events, which fellows commonly help support. This can include researching speakers and panelists, researching venues, planning logistical details like travel information or setting up Zoom links, taking notes during events, sending follow-ups to panelists and attendees, or other logistical tasks. Some fellows have also gotten the opportunity to speak at events.

Depending on the fellow’s experience and their host organization, the fellowship tasks and responsibilities resemble those of a junior staff member (i.e. typically a bit higher than those of an intern).

What are the salary and benefits?

Fellows are paid a stipend ($12,000 per semester for full-time work or $6,000 per semester for part-time work). Stipends are funded by Google but processed through the host organization. More information is available on the website.

What are the options after the fellowship? Can I stay at the host organization?

Some fellows stay at their host organization, though this is down to the host organization’s discretion. To support this process, fellows are assigned a mentor who works at Google, who can assist in finding other roles (at Google or elsewhere).

What are professional development opportunities?

During the fellowship, Google hosts regular “brown bag” sessions, in which they invite Google employees who work on tech policy to speak on topics of interest. During past cycles, these have included AI, trust and safety, state and local policy, and other topics.

Google also assigns each fellow a mentor—typically a current Google staff member—to help them set goals for the program and consider job opportunities. In some cases, mentors can help fellows find relevant work at Google.

Can I do work that is relevant to emerging technology policy?

Yes. Many of the organizations focus explicitly on AI, and all focus on technology policy in some form.

Becoming a Google Public Policy Fellow

How selective is the fellowship

While Google doesn’t publish official data, the fellowship is known to be very selective. Some fellows have applied multiple times before receiving an offer.

While full-time fellowships are more common during the summer, part-time fellowships are very common during the winter and spring semesters; indeed, some organizations prefer having two part-time fellows during the school year to accommodate school schedules.

What does the application process involve?

While Google handles the administrative side of applications, host organizations handle the selection of fellows. Applicants can select up to two host organizations and must submit a resume, a statement of purpose, and answers to a few questions. At their discretion, host organizations select which and how many applicants to interview, and whether to require work samples.

The application process can be very competitive. Since host institutions are responsible for reviewing applications and deciding who gets accepted, it can be helpful to talk to someone at the host institution before applying if possible.

What qualities does the fellowship look for?

The fellowship has both graduate and undergraduate students (typically around 2/3rds graduate students). Fellows can come from any academic background, though having a STEM and/or a policy background is advantageous.

Beyond these factors, the fellowship looks for knowledge of technology and policy. Applicants can demonstrate this knowledge through their school work, previous internships and work experiences, or personal interest. 

Organizations are most interested in fellows who show a commitment to their mission. Applicants should research their host organizations before applying, taking care to note their political affiliation, the topics they work on, etc. and then prioritize accordingly. 

Finally, many organizations are interested in hiring fellows with a breadth of experience. Fellows aren’t always the people with the most tech policy experience—many organizations are interested in hiring fellows with relevant experience in other sectors (like health policy, economic policy, or other issue areas), who seek to learn about tech policy.

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