Our Mission
The Policy & Rights Lab exists to bridge the gap between academic human rights research and real-world policy impact. We believe that rigorous, independent analysis is essential to holding power accountable and advancing the rights of vulnerable populations worldwide.
Currently in its founding stages, the Lab is building a team of contributors from many backgrounds, including students, scholars, practitioners, technologists, writers, and advocates, drawn from around the world. Our contributors produce policy briefs, long-form research, expert commentary, and open-source tools, all freely available to advocates, legislators, journalists, and the public.
We are nonpartisan, editorially independent, and committed to methodological rigor. Every piece we publish undergoes internal review by contributors with relevant expertise.
Join Our Founding Cohort
We are currently recruiting our founding cohort, with openings for two roles: Volunteer and Intern. Both are unpaid and remote. We welcome anyone passionate about human rights, from any background and at any career stage. No academic credentials or institutional affiliation are required. This is a chance to shape the direction of a new organization from the ground up.
Two ways to contribute
Volunteer
The volunteer track is for anyone who wants to contribute on their own schedule, whether or not they are currently a student or affiliated with an institution. Volunteers can author research notes, policy briefs, blog posts, or commentary; assist on existing research or writing projects; or propose and lead a new project of their own. There is no minimum time commitment. Volunteers retain copyright in their work and grant the Lab a non-exclusive license to publish it.
Intern
The internship is an unpaid educational track designed primarily for the benefit of the intern. It is open to anyone who wants to develop their skills, whether they are a current student, a recent graduate, a career changer, or someone exploring a new field. Interns develop skills in human rights research methodology, policy analysis, editorial review, and collaborative project work, with mentorship from the Founder and feedback from other contributors.
The term is three months, with the option to extend in three-month increments. The expected commitment is approximately five hours per month, one written piece per month, and attendance at monthly group meetings when available. Current students may pursue academic credit through their institution where available.
Both roles
Both roles are unpaid and remote. Both are open to anyone passionate about human rights, at any career stage and from any background, anywhere in the world. No academic credentials or institutional affiliation are required.
Founder
Skylar Strudwick
Founder & Director
Skylar founded The Policy & Rights Lab to create a platform where anyone passionate about human rights, regardless of credentials or affiliation, could contribute meaningfully to the discourse without waiting for traditional institutional gatekeepers.
With a background spanning policy research, data science, and technology, Skylar leads the Lab's strategic direction and is building the contributor program and the organization's portfolio of open-source tools and research initiatives.