The Hunger Center is pleased to announce the policy placements for the 27th Class Emerson National Hunger Fellows. From March 10th to July 29th, each fellow will work with one of sixteen host organizations, ranging from U.S. federal agencies to advocacy campaigns, think tanks, national nonprofits, and research institutes.

"The policy placement is at the heart of the fellowship's design," said Tony Jackson, Director of the Emerson Hunger Fellowship. "Too often, federal policy is designed without input from the people who will be most affected by it. Through their combination of field and policy experience, Emerson Fellows bridge the gaps in understanding and implementation, getting a richer and fuller perspective on how they can be most effective in the movement to end hunger in the United States."

Organizations apply to host a fellow through a competitive process, and fellows are matched to their policy placements taking into account the fellows' interests, experiences, and career goals, as well as the host organizations' needs and other factors. Since 1994, Emerson Fellows have worked with over 100 policy-focused host organizations.

This year's roster of host organizations features two first-time partners, as well as some familiar hosts from previous classes. The fellows' work plans, determined in advance by the host organizations, include research, writing, strategy development, analysis, and communication; some work plans continue projects begun by fellows in previous years.

The 27th Class of Emerson National Hunger Fellows began their fellowship in August 2020, with seven-month field placements with community-based organizations across the country. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most fellows have completed their field placements through remote work; while fellows would normally return to Washington, D.C., in February for a policy training, this year's training and placements will also be conducted remotely.