The Secular Policy Institute

By becoming a fellow at the Secular Policy Institute (SPI), you will be joining the worldÔÇÖs largest think tank and world’s largest secular coalition, dedicated to bringing science and reason into the public policy sphere.

We are different from other secular groups!

  • Mainstream impact. Most secular groups measure themselves against other secular groups and don’t have much impact on the wider world. At the SPI, we aim to run with the world’s largest advocacy groups, think tanks, and non-profits such as the Brookings Institute and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Led by Edwina Rogers, the two-time White House staffer and 4-time US Senate staffer, we have the clout to make a real difference.
  • Powerful resources. Our connections to government, media, donors, and business make us a player in the same public discourse that is accessed by major think tanks such as the CATO Institute and Heritage Foundation.
  • Focused projects. We don’t raise money vaguely. We “talent scout” the best ideas submitted by┬áour 300 coalition members and then accelerate them to the next level, inspiring donors and volunteers with crisply planned out concepts with high impact.
  • Not antagonistic towards religion. There’s so much more power in partnerships than hostility. We work across the aisle. We don’t publicly attack religion, because this would ostracize us from decision-makers in government and media. Instead we seek to partner with any organization that supports one of our goals:
    • To separate church and state
    • To end discrimination towards those who embrace secular values
    • To get government to use more science and reason in public policy

SPI is dedicated to creating new partnerships and alliances across all facets of society. Though dialogue, cooperation and a unified vision, SPI aims to unite the voices reason to create sustained and meaningful change.

Our Fellows

The Fellows and Advocates are the core of the Secular Policy Institute. Each team has brilliant ideas and each team does public outreach, but the Fellows are more likely to be professors and the Advocates more likely to be managers and communicators.

Our Fellows are distinguished scientists and scholars who are dedicated to the idea that policymaking should be informed by scientific evidence. They represent the worldÔÇÖs leading thinkers, as measured by research and peer-reviewed journal publications, national and international awards, prestige of keynote lectures and books, affiliation with highly ranked institutions. They are typically professors with a Ph.D., MD, or JD.

Distinguished thought leaders who happen to not be professors can apply to be SPI Advocates or special advisors.

What Do I Get from SPI?

Do you have a pet project that you just don’t have the funding or administrative staff for? Let us organize it for you. We play the role of “administrative layer” so that you can helicopter in, accomplish something amazing, and get out again without a drain on your resources — and with complete peace of mind.

In addition to supporting your projects, we’ll also invite you to the best opportunities, talent scouted from our pool of 300 coalition members and from the other SPI Fellows and Advocates. Don’t miss out on some of these planet-changing speaking opportunities, research collaborations, political briefings, celebrity functions, book projects, and advocacy campaigns! It is simply the world’s highest impact stream of secular opportunities for you to either join or pass on as you wish.

Think-Tank.final-logo1Once you become a fellow at the SPI, you are part of a support network that includes:

  • Funding and grant opportunities, from $1,000 to $250,000
  • Administrative support with your research, events, and other projects
  • Paid compensation for articles and research
  • Facilitated collaboration with the worldÔÇÖs largest secular coalition and our prestigious SPI Fellows and Advocates
  • Spread science and reason by aligning with a major driver of the secular movement
  • Speaker series, which if you choose to join, will bring you paid lecture opportunities.
  • VIP Network, if you need to meet with the Prime Minister of France or a movie star, we can help make it happen.
  • Promotion of your work, using our email and social media following, and our promotional campaigns, to bring attention to your books, research projects, other media, and your fundraising efforts.

What Would You Expect Me to Do?

We’ll work hard to earn your participation, but there is no obligation to being a Fellow except to stay in touch.

How Do I Get Involved?

Email Edwina Rogers at edwina@secularpolicyinstitute.net with your professional credentials. We’ll be eager to speak with you about a role at the SPI!