Beyond Good Data.
Impact That Persists.
Whether modernizing a legacy public agency, scaling a new social venture, or leading a nonprofit, we provide the capacity to move your work forward. We work with partners with compelling goals who can leverage the ADF model to turn their strategies into operational reality.
Who Are ADF Fellows?
ADF Fellows come from leading graduate programs in public policy, data science, economics, statistics, computer science, and related fields. These are young professionals ready to join your teams as full-time-staff equivalents. This specialized capacity includes:
Data Analysts
Performing advanced statistical analysis, diagnostic modeling, and trend forecasting to turn complex datasets into actionable insights.
Data Visualizers
Translating complex datasets into insights, executive dashboards and geospatial visualizations using tools like R, Tableau, and PowerBI.
Data Engineers
Building high-integrity architecture, automated ETL pipelines, and robust data warehouses using Python, SQL, and cloud infrastructure.
AI/ML Ops Specialists
Deploying scalable machine learning models and large language model (LLM) integrations to automate complex workflows and provide predictive intelligence.
Data Shamans
Translational leads who possess advanced organizational fluency and technical breadth to navigate complexity and connect analysis to action.
Policy Implementation Analysts
Bridging the gap between legislative requirements and service delivery through rigorous econometric modeling, impact evaluation, and program design.
Project Managers & Coordinators
Driving digital transformations and technical migrations using organizational methods to ensure high-stakes milestones are met on schedule.
Fellows In Action
See how our Fellows are driving results across the social sector.
Predictive models, BI governance, and nursing quality dashboards at Cook County Health.
Clean energy dashboards, environmental justice corrections, and agricultural data intelligence.
The fellowship provided a unique opportunity to apply the conceptual knowledge I'd gained in the Harris program to do hands-on analysis. Harris gave me the training to add that data component to my skill set, and the fellowship provided me an opportunity to put that into practice.
Cook County has benefited tremendously from having four Applied Data Fellows work on data-driven projects within individual departments and combine their efforts for cross-departmental initiatives in 2018-19. They collated and analyzed data, generated actionable insights and visualizations, disseminated those insights, and set a strong foundation for the County to build on the work they undertook. In 2019-20, the County chose to continue to partner with the Applied Data Fellows program as a testament to the value these young professionals brought to the County.
How Do ADF Fellows Solve Your Problems?
Launching a New Initiative
You have a program or policy ready to launch but need a skilled lead to design workflows and manage the rollout.
Modernizing Operations
Your team is slowed down by manual processes. We help build the systems and habits that give your staff their time back.
Translating Strategy to Action
You have the vision and the data, but they aren't talking to each other. We provide the connective tissue.
Innovation & Emerging Tech
We help you identify responsible AI use cases and pilot new technologies while maintaining data integrity and safety.
Scaling Impact
We help establish the metrics, the story and reporting structures required to secure funding and expand your reach.
ADF Partner FAQ
Is this an internship?
No. ADF Fellows are post-graduate professionals, often from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, who possess sophisticated technical, operational and analytical skills.
Who owns the work products?
The partner organization maintains full ownership of all work products, data, and intellectual property developed during the fellowship.
What is required from the partner?
Success requires a high-intent partnership. Partners should provide an internal champion to work alongside the ADF Fellow and clear organizational hurdles.
What sort of partners do you prefer?
We do not discriminate based on institution type. We partner with any organization—public, private, philanthropic or nonprofit— that has a clear social impact mission and an interesting challenge that would benefit from partnering with the ADF.
When can we start?
ADF runs on a rolling basis. We work with your timelines, priorities and preferences. We are currently building our 2026-2027 portfolio. Get in touch!
Is there a fee?
Yes. Partners pay a participation fee that helps co-fund ADF Fellow stipends, benefits, recruitment, technical training, and the ongoing mentorship provided by the ADF team. This fee includes year-long professional mentorship and management oversight, providing a cost-effective alternative to traditional hiring. By consolidating HR and professional development under ADF, we allow partners to deploy elite capacity without the typical administrative friction or market-rate search costs.
Can a fellow have a term shorter than one year?
While the ADF model is built around a standard 12-month commitment to ensure deep institutional impact, we understand that organizational needs vary. We are open to discussing alternative timelines to ensure your team can access the specialized capacity required for your specific project.
Why It Works:
ADF Co-Managed Model
Vetted Elite Talent
We filter 1,400+ applicants. Our Fellows pass rigorous technical and analytical assessments before they are surfaced to you.
The UChicago Safety Net
Every placement is backed by continual managerial oversight and technical mentorship. You do not need to be a technical expert to manage a Fellow.
A Full-Time Member of Your Team
Fellows are 12-month full-time staff equivalents who embed deep in your mission and institutional context.
A Permanent Talent Pipeline
A low-risk trial for long-term talent. 70% of our partners retain their Fellows as permanent staff.
Ready to add expert capacity
to your team?
Start the conversation for our 2026-27 cohort.
Inquire About Partnerships