Government offices, councils, elected officials, nonprofit organizations, and public-sector consulting organizations may submit project proposals to Fels Lab. Our Master 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.

All projects must focus on a clearly defined problem or need. As a clearinghouse of opportunities for collaboration with community organizations, Fels Lab welcomes a diverse set of projects. Projects can touch upon any area of public policy, such as criminal justice, education, energy, international relations, or social policy. Some projects involve providing targeted, practical assistance through strategic plans or fundraising support. Other projects involve quantitative analysis, process tracing, or program evaluation. Our students are also taking classes while completing their capstone projects, so the project should be narrow enough in scope that it can be completed in about six months by a single student working about five hours per week.

Organizations are welcome to submit up to five project proposals for each submission cycle.

We encourage all nonprofit organizations, elected officials, and government agencies to submit proposals. We welcome submissions from across the US and across the world.

Fels Lab seeks out a diverse set of projects, but since unique student interests drive the project matching process, some projects may be more likely to “match” than others. Typically, Fels Lab projects involving policy analysis, strategic planning, program evaluation, and data analysis have the highest likelihood of student selection.

Many students complete their work entirely remotely. Students will keep in touch with community partners via at least once-a-month phone/Zoom conversations and email exchanges. It is important that all capstone students have reliable and consistent access to information and contacts at the organization to ensure that the student can complete their project on time. If the project is based locally, students may also attend in-person meetings and participate in fieldwork or site visits as their class schedule allows and as relevant to their particular project.

Community partners can best support students by clearly identifying a need, setting expectations regarding project deliverables, giving access to all relevant information or data, being responsive throughout the project, and offering feedback on interim or final products. Community partners should help the student understand their perspective and meet their goals without closing themselves off to external, objective review. Students engaging with community partners through the Fels Lab will be doing so as a part of their final capstone project. Students completing the project as a capstone project should not be paid for their efforts.

Most Fels Lab projects are completed in fulfillment of students’ capstone requirement. Capstone projects are due in either late April or late July, depending on whether your project matches with a student in the summer match cycle or fall match cycle. Partner organizations are encouraged and invited to come to campus to hear their student’s capstone presentations on the last day of class or attend virtually.

If your organization needs support, but those needs are not as focused on a singular project as a Fels Lab project should be, you may simply benefit from a Fels intern. We are always looking for internship opportunities to share with our students. Please send your internship job description to felsinstitute@sas.upenn.edu.

Yes, you can still submit this type of proposal.