The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) addresses the harms of drug use and drug criminalization through policy solutions, organizing, and public education. We advocate for a holistic approach to drugs that prioritizes health, social supports, and community wellbeing. DPA opposes punitive approaches that destabilize people, block access to care, and drain communities of resources. We believe that the regulation of drugs should be grounded in evidence, health, equity, and human rights. In collaboration with other movements, we change laws, advance justice, and save lives.
DPA has 40 staff across the U.S. an annual operating budget of approximately $12 million, and 200,000 members, activists, and supporters. The organization has a solid track record of success at the local, state, and federal levels and consistent visibility in prominent media and policy circles.
Recognizing the broad reach of the drug war, DPA works across issue areas to engage more deeply with organizations and leaders in immigration, family policing, education, reproductive justice, housing, and other aligned spaces. This commitment to building power across movements and building a base contributes to and works in tandem with DPA’s work on policy and legislative change.
The Role:
The Department of Research and Academic Engagement (DRAE) works to bridge the divide between research and effective drug policies. We provide research support to our policy colleagues to ensure that we’re promoting the most evidence-based policies; we mobilize academics to engage in policy advocacy and speak with the media; we work with academics to transform the drug research landscape by conducting policy-relevant research; and we host events where we platform the latest drug policy data and research.
The Research Associate will help advance DRAE’s work in supporting scholars in doing advocacy, convening experts from a range of disciplines to inform the field, and strengthening DPA’s use of research and scholarship in developing and advancing its policy positions. Responsibilities include research, analysis, and writing; outreach and relationship building; event planning; tracking and disseminating research; and administrative support to the DRAE team
