Applications Open for New Civic Science Fellowship at UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics

The UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP) is thrilled to announce its selection to host a new Civic Science Fellowship as part of a groundbreaking initiative funded by the Dana Foundation. BCSP is participating in the Civic Science Fellows Program, led by the Rita Allen Foundation, for the first time. 

As a new hire for BCSP supported by the initiative, the Civic Science Fellow will play a crucial role bridging the gap between academic and civic stakeholders within the realm of psychedelic science. Their goal is to create a civic science project in psychedelic research at the BCSP. The Civic Science Fellowship will join a portfolio of BCSP programs aimed at cultivating accessible and thoughtful engagement in the psychedelics field. 

The Civic Science Fellow position is now open for applications, and BCSP encourages individuals passionate about engaging the public with psychedelic science to apply. The fellowship, part of a cohort working with scientific institutions across the U.S., marks an exciting collaboration for BCSP, contributing to the exploration of the resurgent field of psychedelic science.

“We know from the Berkeley Psychedelics Survey that people are searching for more information on psychedelics, support therapeutic access, and want fewer barriers to research in psychedelic science. Clearly, the public is hungry for the kind of engagement that our new Civic Science Fellow will help lead,” said Imran Khan, BCSP executive director. “We’re very grateful to the Dana Foundation for their commitment to this project.”

Social and political stigma has suppressed research into psychedelics for many decades, but the academic and public context is rapidly changing. This Civic Science Fellow will research and develop new opportunities for civic science engagement, drawing from a BCSP long-list of topics that include mental health paradigms, research ethics, racial equity, harm reduction, dealing with misinformation, and partnering with underground or alternative knowledge systems.

The Civic Science Fellows Program, envisioned as a Civic Science Lab, aims to build a network of leaders committed to ensuring that all people shape and benefit from science, technology, and innovation. The program brings together a diverse group of individuals, including scientists, scholars, community leaders, journalists, educators, media producers, public-interest organizations, and funders. Together, they will collaborate to seed new initiatives that bridge science, diverse communities, and civil society. This is essential for the fast growing field of psychedelic science. 

Applications open January 29 with a first review on February 12, and close February 29.