Summer 2026 - CUNY Summer 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 Summer Fellows who will be based in Vera’s New York City office. These $4,000 fellowships 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 primary responsibilities of the award winners will be to collaborate with researchers in one of Vera’s initiatives on research relating to a specific project, including but not limited to data collection, analysis, fieldwork, report writing, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination.  

 While Vera’s initiatives span the criminal legal system, Vera is offering CUNY Fellows projects in select areas. Please see the list of potential projects below. 

 Fellowship recipients will work with their assigned initiative for 120 hours over the summer of 2026. While there is some flexibility in remote working, fellows will be expected to work onsite at Vera’s offices in Industry City, Brooklyn for at least 60 hours over the course of 10 weeks in the summer in line with Vera’s hybrid schedule. In addition, recipients will be required to attend a welcome session at the beginning of the fellowship, to do a brief presentation on their work at the end of the summer and write a blog post about their experiences before the end of the Fall 2026 semester.  

Summer Fellowship Initiatives

Beyond Jails Initiative

The Beyond Jails Initiative (BJI) works at the local and state level to improve policies and practices that reduce the use of county jail incarceration and that build alternatives that keep people safe, healthy, and connected to their communities. From drafting legislation and campaigns to protect pretrial fairness from harmful rollbacks and reduce the use of money bail to working with community-based organizations to strengthen defense counsel in initial arraignments and for funding for key social services, the BJI team combines research, technical assistance, and advocacy. The CUNY Summer Fellow in 2026 would work with the BJI research team on both quantitative and qualitative projects. Quantitative work will involve cleaning and analyzing administrative data from county or state agencies – such as jail admissions or court hearings – to help stakeholders understand patterns and track changes. On the qualitative side, the BJI team will be interviewing stakeholders and/or directly impacted people in selected jurisdictions to understand the implementation and effects of new policies/practices. Fellows also contribute to team-wide writeups of key ideas, presentations to external groups, and supporting cross-team learning across Vera. 

Greater Justice New York

Vera’s Greater Justice New York (GJNY) initiative uses data analysis, research, strategic communications, policy, and advocacy to advance pretrial justice reform, reduce reliance on jails and prisons, minimize the harms of criminal-legal system involvement, and support reinvestment in strategies that build truly safe and thriving communities