Summer Research Fellow (PhD or Postdoctoral Summer Fellow Role) – Youth Mental Health Tracker

Application Deadline: 20 April 2026

Department: Professional Client Services

Employment Type: Contract / Temp

Location: Remote - US Based Role

Description

Surgo Health is a Public Benefit Corporation building the world’s most comprehensive and insightful AI-powered data platform that reveals the why behind people’s behaviors. We uncover the unseen drivers of health - people’s beliefs, barriers, and behaviors - and transform that intelligence into scalable products that enable healthcare organizations to drive impact, reduce costs, and advance inclusion. From improving clinical trial design to optimizing care delivery and public health strategies, our solutions help decision-makers act on what truly shapes health outcomes. By revealing the human side of healthcare, we’re making it more personal, precise, and effective - for everyone.
Role Summary:

We are inviting applications for a Summer Research Fellow to join Surgo Health’s Youth Mental Health Tracker Initiative.
This role is ideal for researchers who are excited to go beyond descriptive analysis and generate novel, high-impact, and actionable insights into the drivers of youth mental health.
As a Fellow, you will design and execute an independent research project using Surgo’s proprietary data and analytic infrastructure, with the goal of producing work that is policy-relevant, intervention-oriented, fundable, and publication-ready. You will work in close collaboration with Surgo’s research team, while maintaining academic independence in your work.

 Applications must include a short concept note (3–5 pages) outlining your proposed research question, methods, and expected impact. Applications submitted without a proposal will not be considered. 

What you’ll achieve:

• Develop a novel research study identifying actionable drivers of youth mental health
• Produce publication-quality research suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal
• Generate funder-ready and policy-relevant outputs that inform real-world decision-making
• Translate complex data into clear insights for policymakers, healthcare systems, and community organizations
• Contribute to Surgo Health’s growing portfolio of intervention-oriented research and thought leadership

We are particularly interested in proposals that explore:

• Policy and public systems (e.g., Medicaid, school-based services, telehealth, crisis systems)
• Social connectedness and community-level risk and protective factors
• Digital environments and their impact on youth mental health
• Structural drivers (e.g., economic insecurity, access to care, service deserts)
• Political and civic climate effects
• Targeted subgroup vulnerability (e.g., rural youth, boys/young men, marginalized communities)
• Early-warning signals and prevention opportunities
  
  

• Design and execute a research project using the Youth Mental Health Tracker dataset and, where relevant, external datasets (e.g., NSDUH, ACS, policy datasets)
• Identify novel mechanisms, risk levers, or protective factors that can inform intervention
• Articulate clear intervention pathways and decision-making use cases
• Develop outputs tailored to multiple audiences, including academic, policy, and funder stakeholders
• Collaborate with Surgo’s research scientists for methodological guidance and translational framing
  
  

• One submission-ready manuscript for a peer-reviewed journal
• One funder-ready research brief or concept memo
• One policy-facing summary or insight brief
• Clear, actionable recommendations for decision-makers
  
  

Selected Fellows will receive:

• Access to Surgo Health’s Youth Mental Health Tracker dataset and analytic infrastructure
• Methodological and analytic support from Surgo’s research team
• Guidance on funder positioning and grant development
• Support for publication and co-authorship (where applicable)
  
  

Fellows will retain academic independence while benefiting from Surgo’s translational and strategic support.

• Start Date: May 2026
• Project Duration: ~3–4 months
• Draft manuscript: August 2026
• Final submission to peer-reviewed journal: September 2026

About you:

• PhD candidate, postdoctoral researcher, or early-career researcher in a relevant field (e.g., public health, economics, sociology, psychology, data science)
• Strong experience in quantitative analysis and working with complex datasets
• Demonstra