Hopelab is a nonprofit social innovation lab and impact investment organization supported by The Omidyar Group, founded by philanthropists and entrepreneurs Pierre and Pam Omidyar. Working across sectors and geographies, the Omidyars have contributed more than $3 billion to causes ranging from financial inclusion, to human rights, to government accountability, and press freedom initiatives.

Hopelab strives to help create a world in which young people, in particular BIPOC and LGBTQ+ teens and young adults, are thriving, free from barriers to their mental health and wellbeing. We take a systems approach by using our unique research and youth-centered design capabilities, our financial capital, and our networks to positively shift the systems impacting the mental health and well being of all young people - especially those from historically underinvested communities like BIPOC and LGBTQ+. Hopelab does this through a model of: impact investing; advisory services to investees, grantees, and other partner companies and organizations; and development of applied research to innovate in the fields of youth wellbeing and digital engagement.

Hopelab is seeking two Health Equity Fellows (a Translational Science Fellow and a Community-Based Tech Fellow) to explore opportunities related to unmet needs in the wellbeing of young people. The two fellows will be in a cohort together and have the opportunity to support and learn from each other throughout a 6 month fellowship.

In our translational science work at Hopelab, we are seeking to tackle the current and unrealized opportunities that exist in the field of adolescent wellbeing by supporting new collaborations to help bridge the gap between research and opportunities for meaningful action. In our work on health equity, we are seeking to deepen our learning and connections with researchers focused on Black youth mental health and wellbeing in service to creating more opportunities for translation and application of this work.

We are seeking a Translational Science Fellow whose work focuses on asset- and equity- based approaches to support and promote social and emotional wellbeing and positive development among Black youth, and who has an idea for a project to translate and apply that research into innovative solutions in ways that advance equity in adolescent development and mental health. An ideal candidate is coming to the fellowship with an existing translational research idea, and with a desire and need to broaden their aperture through expanding their networks in adjacent sectors, e.g. digital/social innovation, youth-serving organizations, philanthropy, and/or policy.

The Translational Science Fellowship is designed to bridge the gap between research and opportunities for application through cross-sector collaboration. The Fellow will be “in residence” at Hopelab for six months, where they will work on an independent project/study focused on supporting the well-being of Black adolescents. During this time, the Fellow will be directly advised by the Chief Science Officer and have access to input from our team of behavioral scientists, designers, and strategists, as well as Hopelab’s wider networks.

Application deadline: May 29, 2023

Application requirements:

In addition to a CV/Resume, we request <250-word responses to each of the following questions:

(1) Why do you want to be a Hopelab Black youth wellbeing Research Fellow?

(2) Describe your long- and short-term professional goals.

(3) Describe an area of unrealized opportunity to better support equity in the wellbeing and positive development of Black teens/young adults that you’d like to focus your Fellowship on. Please describe both the opportunity and your initial thinking on how research might be translated into action to bridge the existing gap.

(4) Where do you see opportunities for cross-sector collaboration to reduce the gap between academic science and areas of application?

Frequently Asked Questions about the Fellowship program.