WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Day One Project announces the launch of the “Day One  Talent Hub,” an initiative that aims to uncover pathways for scientists and technologists to serve in the federal government to work on critical policy priorities including COVID-19, economic recovery, climate, and racial equity.  The Day One Talent Hub works to help federal agencies identify and access world-class technical talent for “tours of duty” to advance progress on priorities where science and technology can make a dramatic impact. 

 

"As the nation seeks to recover from a global pandemic and rebuild the economy, scientific and technical expertise across government can make a real difference to advance policy and better our society. While many experts are motivated by the idea of public service, navigating federal hiring pathways is difficult. The Talent Hub seeks to build on the Day One Project’s efforts to democratize the policymaking process by connecting experts with opportunities to serve,” Daniel Correa, Director of the Day One Project said. 

"Fresh thinking is vital for today's challenges. And for many talented people, a period of public service can be the most impactful and satisfying part of their career. This is a much-needed project,” Arati Prabhakar, former Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Day One Project Leadership Council member said.

 

"Bringing the right technical talent into government — and supporting those already in government — is hard. Harder than it should be. The Day One Talent Hub enables federal agency partners to build a clear path into government for technical and scientific expertise. One important avenue to securing this kind of talent is flexible hiring authorities like the Intergovernmental Personnel Act. Yet, options like the IPA remain underutilized despite the immense value it offers government agencies," Jennifer Anastasoff, Executive Director of the Tech Talent Project said.

 

The Day One Talent Hub works in two ways:

 

• Talent Brokering: Identifying federal priority opportunities and recommending experts for “tours of duty,” while helping agencies and individuals navigate pathways such as the underutilized  Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Mobility Program. Currently, the IPA program is dramatically underutilized because of a lack of coordination: too few agencies have the capacity to navigate its requirements without assistance and many of the experts most qualified to serve are unaware such a program even exists. 

• Impactful Fellowships in Priority Domains: External funding can unlock progress on key policy priorities by providing an on-ramp for world-class experts to embed within government for a 1-2 year term where they can drive the greatest impact. The Talent Hub seeks to onboard 3 cohorts of fellows in 2021 focused on supporting federal agencies build capacity on critical priorities, potentially including:

  • COVID-19 response and long-term pandemic resilience; 

  • Decarbonization and climate response; and

  • Investing in R&D and technology modernization.

 

The Day One Talent Hub builds on the work of the Project over the past year and half to develop a portfolio of more than 130 actionable proposals sourced from over 150 S&T experts on pressing S&T policy opportunities aimed at the new Administration and Congress.  For more information on the Day One Project, visit https://www.dayoneproject.org/. Follow the Project on Twitter and LinkedIn.