The Louis Stokes Urban Health Policy Fellowship Program

Application
Please download a copy of the Louis Stokes Fellows Urban Health Policy Program
Application deadline is May 12, 2008.

Mission
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) Louis Stokes Urban Health Policy Fellowship Program (LSUHPFP) was created in 2003 as an educational, leadership development program for minority health policy professionals. The primary aims of the LSUHPFP are to: 1) increase the pool of qualified ethnic health policy professionals by targeting the next generation of leaders, 2) facilitate the collaboration of health organizations and governmental agencies to develop health policy and legislation designed to eliminate health disparities, and 3) inform the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and United States House of Representatives Health Agenda about issues related to and ways to address health disparities. The CBCF, in consultation with the CBC Health Braintrust, administers the LSUHPFP.

Program Description
The LSUHPFP is designed around three components: public policy training, educational enrichment, and leadership development.

The centerpiece of the public policy training component is a twelve month Congressional office / committee placement. Fellows are assigned to the office of CBC Members who sit on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for a period of two months at the beginning of the Fellowship year. This initial placement is designed to allow the Fellows to acclimate to the Congressional work environment and obtain a general understanding of the legislative process and minority health policy issues. Following the office placement, Fellows are assigned to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce where they stay for the remainder of the program. Fellows work 40 hours per week on a range of staff assignments, including conducting research and analysis, drafting legislation, and coordinating logistics and public testimony for Congressional hearings. Additionally, Fellows are required to write a public policy research paper, legislative briefing paper, and op-ed article on a matter of mutual interest to themselves and the Member for whom they work.

During the fall and summer recesses, Fellows leave Capitol Hill to conduct site visits at national public and private health-related organizations. The site visits are designed to expose Fellows to the inner workings of the institutions that influence Congress during the policymaking process and / or execute the will of Congress. These site visits will last for one week each.

Fellows also participate in a rigorous educational program centered around monthly seminars on policy and politics. These seminars explore topics such as African Americans’ relationship with the two major parties, the history of the CBC, and relevant policy issues. The seminars are supplemented by a series of lectures and briefings by Members of the CBC and other Congressional leaders, federal government officials, and public policy experts.

Last, the LSUHPFP includes a leadership development component. During the Congressional placement, Fellows participate in a series of leadership development retreats and a community service project. The purpose of these activities is to help Fellows acquire the tools necessary for leadership positions and to gain practical experience in working with others to serve the African American community. The program also includes a professional development component that provides Fellows with career counseling and a network of valuable contacts in public policy, education, government, and business.

Participation in all program components is required. The intensity of the program is comparable to working in a full-time position while completing 6-9 graduate credit hours.


Selection Criteria and Process
Applicants for the LSUHPFP must possess the equivalent of a master’s degree in a health-related field (behavioral science, social sciences, biological sciences, and health professions) from an accredited institution and a minimum of a 3.5 GPA. It is preferred that applicants have academic training / experience in minority HIV/AIDS issues, the Healthy Peoples 2010 Initiative, health insurance coverage, the health professions training industry, and international experience and / or foreign language fluency. One to four health policy professionals will be selected to serve as Fellows for a period of one year. Fellows must be able to participate in the full twelve-month program. Applications are submitted to CBCF and reviewed by a selection committee.

Additional Information
Participants in the LSUHPFP must reside in or relocate to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Fellows receive health and dental insurance and a stipend totaling $35,000 for the twelve-month Fellowship period (this is comparable to the salary for most first-year Congressional staff). Fellows are responsible for all relocation, housing and transportation costs.