Fels Lab at the University of Pennsylvania: A Resource to Advance Your Critical Initiatives

Posted by University of Pennsylvania Fels Institute of Government on September 20, 2022

How Fels Lab Works

Government offices, councils, elected officials, non-profit organizations, and public-sector consulting organizations may submit project proposals to Fels Lab. Our Masters of Public Administration students review the proposals and select one to complete as their capstone project. Our students will then work as pro-bono external consultants to complete their chosen project for you according to the timeline listed here.

How Your Organization Benefits

Your organization receives professional advice, recommendations, or research at no cost.

Project Requirements

• Organizations are welcome to submit any type of project proposal that
  
• Focuses on a clearly defined problem or need
  
• Involves strategic, critical, or higher-level thinking or analysis
  
• Can be completed over the course of about six months by a Master of Public Administration student working independently an average of 5 hours per week
  
• Has a well-defined endpoint and deliverable
  

We commonly receive proposals for program evaluations, data analysis projects, strategic planning, program development work, and policy research. Past project proposals can be found here.

Your organization will need to designate one contact person for the student who can answer questions that arise as he or she completes the project. You do not need to provide a workspace for the student, and all the work may be done remotely.

How to Submit a Proposal

Fill out the proposal submission form on the Fels Institute of Government website. Note that we typically receive more proposals than we have students, so we cannot guarantee your project will match. We will notify you once the match process is complete to let you know if we were able to pair you with a student.