Fall 2026/Spring 2027 - CUNY Applied Justice Research Fellow

About the team:

Vera’s research is an essential component of our work to deliver justice and end mass incarceration. Our research is founded on social science principles of independence and methodological rigor and designed to deliver the knowledge that will lead to real world impact. Vera researchers generate and interpret the evidence required to understand problems, develop solutions, shift policies, and change beliefs and norms that perpetuate inequity and impede justice.

Vera researchers work as part of inter-disciplinary teams to develop and implement theories of change that weave together research, advocacy, communications, and site-based technical assistance (TA). We conceptualize issues and collect the evidence that is needed to understand problems, highlight inequities, design interventions, and advocate for transformative change. With impact at the fore, we work with our teammates and allies to ensure that the knowledge we produce reaches decision-makers in a format that is designed to spur action.

About the role:

The Vera Institute of Justice and CUNY Graduate Center invite applications for the Applied Justice Research Fellow, for Academic Year 2026-2027, who will be based in Vera’s New York City (Brooklyn) office. This fellowship is an opportunity to spend a full academic year at the Vera Institute, working with Vera research staff on ongoing projects related to the institute’s core areas of focus. This will be offered to Graduate Center Ph.D. students from any program with research interests in criminal or immigration justice and the work of the Vera Institute.

The AJR fellow will work with the central research department at Vera for a full academic year, under the supervision of Dr. Nina Siulc, managing director of research, who oversees research and data science across Vera’s initiatives. The fellow will support applied research that crosscuts Vera’s priority areas in support of our mission to end mass incarceration. The fellow will be responsible for at least one original research product to be co-authored with the managing director of research or other research leadership staff and may be involved in an annual review of detention and incarceration trends. This year we are especially interested in candidates who can support us in developing creative approaches to measuring the social and economic impact of various policy proposals in the criminal legal and immigration systems.

AJR Fellowship Details:

The Fellow will be expected to spend 21 hours per week working with Vera (with 1-2 days per week in person at Vera’s offices) during the 2026-2027 academic year. Fellows must currently hold a Graduate Center Fellowship (GCF). The student will continue to receive the GCF funding, but they will be permitted to substitute the work at Vera for their normal GCF service. Vacation and time off will be discussed with each applicant but will not follow the academic calendar. 

How to apply:

To apply please submit a letter of interest describing your research interests and related experience, a C.V., a current Graduate Center transcript (you may submit the unofficial student copy that can be printed from banner), and a letter of support from your primary advisor.

Instructions for submitting your application on Greenhouse:
Please prepare and submit the below materials (saved as either a Word or PDF file) alongside your application submission

• Letter of interest addressing your interest in the fellowship, being sure to describe the area of research of your PhD and/or your dissertation topic, an overview of methodological expertise and projects that you have utilized this research expertise. (not to exceed 2 pages)

• Resume/ CV

• Current Graduate Center transcript (you may submit the unofficial student copy that can be printed from banner)

• Letter of support from your primary advisor

Application Deadline: EOD Saturday, January 31, 2026.

Questions? Please reach out!

• Jennifer Peirce, [email protected].

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / CUNY Applied Justice Fellow
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.