Policy Fellowship

Overview

The Stanford Biodesign Policy Fellowship seeks to develop the next generation of health policy leaders capable of leveraging transformative new technologies to materially impact patient outcomes while democratizing access to care.

Policy Fellows come to Stanford with backgrounds in law, government, regulation, reimbursement, health systems management, and health technology start-ups or corporate leadership. They are selected via a competitive application process to embark on a two-year journey that takes them from Stanford campus to Washington, DC.

In year 1, as fulltime members of the Stanford Biodesign community, the fellows initiate their training by delving deep into the fundamentals of the Biodesign approach to need-driven health technology innovation. They also become immersed in all aspects of the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem to gain an understanding of diverse stakeholder perspectives related to health technology, including those of patients, providers, innovators, investors, payers, regulators, and government leaders. With this unique background and context, the fellows conduct important and impactful health policy research on topics ranging from intellectual property to health equity to healthcare financing and payment. They also receive tactical training in the fundamentals of healthcare policy making and begin network-building in national and state policy circles.

In their second year, the Policy Fellows relocate to Washington, DC (or another policy hub) to gain real-world experience working in the White House, on Capitol Hill in Congressional offices, or in agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration, or the Department of Health and Human Services. By adding an active role in policymaking to their Stanford experience, our fellows are able to immediately launch into advanced careers in health policy upon completion of the program.