Scholars Strategy Network
Scholars Strategy Network is a nonprofit that connects academic researchers with state and local policymakers, civic leaders, and journalists through 36 local chapters across 47 U.S. states, supported by research briefs, podcasts, and training programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Scholars Strategy Network does
Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization founded in 2011 that connects academic researchers with state and local policymakers, civic leaders, and journalists to strengthen evidence-based public policy. SSN operates through a network of 36 local chapters spanning 47 U.S. states, providing geographic reach into state-level policy debates and direct staff-facilitated expert matching for media and government users.
The organization's product surface includes a library of over 1,000 peer-reviewed research briefs, the 'No Jargon' podcast for accessible policy communication, themed cohorts (Education, Health, Media Fellows, Medicaid Working Group), training programs, member resources, and a formal public-comment service on federal rulemaking. SSN is fundamentally a human-powered network rather than a technology platform; its underlying infrastructure consists of web-based tools, a podcast platform, and online resources that coordinate scholar engagement rather than automate analysis. Member scholars are drawn from institutions including Harvard, MIT, the University of California system, state universities, and research colleges across disciplines ranging from sociology and social work to medicine, economics, and urban planning.
SSN's go-to-market is community-led, recruiting individual scholars as members, organizing them into local chapters, and offering structured engagement through cohorts and working groups. Revenue is generated through membership dues and charitable donations on a nonprofit subscription-style model with no publicly disclosed pricing or institutional donor list. The organization has no parent company, no disclosed funding rounds, no institutional investors, and no acquisitions. Recent strategic emphasis has been on continued chapter expansion (Arizona August 2024, Southwest Borderlands November 2025), vertical specialization via cohorts, and direct engagement with federal policy through public comments on proposals such as the OMB grantmaking rule.
Scholars Strategy Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Scholars Strategy Network
- Legal name
- Scholars Strategy Network
- Website
- https://scholarsstrategynetwork.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Scholars Strategy Network is a nonprofit that connects academic researchers with state and local policymakers, civic leaders, and journalists through 36 local chapters across 47 U.S. states, supported by research briefs, podcasts, and training programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Scholars Strategy Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Policy Research and Advocacy Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK), Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAI)
Keywords
Where Scholars Strategy Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Scholars Strategy Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership dues and contributions: Scholars Strategy Network generates revenue through membership and donations. The organization accepts donations through its website and offers membership programs for scholars who wish to join the network and access resources, training, and policy engagement opportunities.
- Donations and charitable contributions: The organization operates as a nonprofit and receives charitable donations from individuals and potentially institutional supporters to fund operations, member support, and policy programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Scholars Strategy Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Scholars Strategy Network is a nonprofit membership network that connects academic scholars with policymakers, civic leaders, and journalists to improve public policy. It operates 36 local chapters across 47 U.S. states, provides a library of over 1,000 peer-reviewed research briefs, facilitates expert matching through staff support, runs themed cohorts and working groups, and produces the No Jargon Podcast to make academic research accessible.
Product overview
Scholars Strategy Network operates as a platform connecting America's top academic researchers with policymakers, civic leaders, and journalists. The core offerings include a network of 36 local chapters across 47 states, a library of over a thousand peer-reviewed research briefs, themed cohorts (Education, Health, Media Fellows, Medicaid Group), the No Jargon Podcast for accessible research communication, hands-on policy program support, training programs, public comments on policy proposals, and member resources. These products work together to bridge the gap between academic research and public policy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Research Briefs A library of over a thousand short briefs based on peer-reviewed research, providing jargon-free policy analysis for policymakers, civic leaders, and journalists.
- Chapters Network A network of 36 local chapters connecting scholars with policymakers, civic leaders, and journalists across 47 states, providing geographic coverage for policy engagement.
- No Jargon Podcast A podcast featuring SSN scholars trained to communicate research clearly without jargon, making policy research accessible to general audiences.
- Cohorts and Working Groups Organized groups including Education Cohort, Health Cohort, Media Fellows, and Medicaid Working Group that focus on specific policy areas and enable collaborative research and advocacy.
- Training Programs Skills training programs for chapters and other organizations, facilitated by expert staff, teaching scholars how to connect with stakeholders and promote the use of research in policy.
- Policy Program Hands-on support from SSN staff to help find the right expert quickly for policymakers, journalists, and civic leaders seeking research-based insights.
- Public Comments Formal policy comment services where scholars provide research-backed commentary on proposed regulations and government actions, such as the OMB proposal on grantmaking.
- Member Resources Tip sheets and how-to guides covering writing OpEds, preparing policy talking points, and other resources to help scholars bridge the research-practice gap.
Quantifiable outcome
- 36 chapters and researchers across 47 states
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Scholars Strategy Network
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Scholars Strategy Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Scholars Strategy Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Scholars Strategy Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Urban Institute: Urban Institute is a nonprofit research organization that conducts policy research on social and economic issues and disseminates findings to policymakers and media. Like SSN, it focuses on social policy research with a nonprofit model, though with a different operational scale and full-time research staff.
- Council on Foreign Relations: CFR is an established policy membership organization connecting experts and practitioners to inform policy on international affairs. It shares SSN's expert-network model but operates with far greater resources and a narrower (foreign policy) focus.
- American Political Science Association (APSA): APSA is a scholarly society serving political science researchers with member services, publications, and policy engagement. SSN functions as a more applied, policy-facing scholarly network rather than a discipline-specific academic association.
- Brookings Institution: Brookings is one of the most established U.S. think tanks producing policy research and connecting scholars to policymakers and media. It is a broader incumbent operating at national scale with significantly larger resources than SSN.
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): AAAS is a large, established scientific membership organization that similarly bridges scientific research and policy, providing expert commentary to policymakers and media. SSN operates as a smaller, more focused scholarly society with narrower disciplinary scope but stronger state-level presence.
Regional players
- Civic Engagement Alliance / State Policy Network: State Policy Network is a network of state-level think tanks that produce policy research and engage state legislators. SSN's chapter-based state-level model shares a similar decentralized structure, though SSN focuses on scholars while SPN affiliates are policy organizations.
Direct peers
- Union of Concerned Scientists: UCS mobilizes scientists and scholars to engage on public policy and provides independent analysis to legislators and media. Like SSN, it operates as a nonprofit network connecting researchers to policy advocacy, though with a more advocacy-oriented framing.
- Federation of American Scientists: FAS is a nonprofit policy organization that mobilizes scientists and engineers to provide analysis and recommendations on national security, science policy, and public health. Like SSN, it bridges researchers and policymakers but with a STEM orientation rather than social sciences.
- Research!America: Research!America is a nonprofit advocacy alliance that engages researchers, policymakers, and the public to support scientific and medical research. It mirrors SSN's network model of connecting researchers to advocacy and policy engagement.
- The Conversation U.S. The Conversation is a nonprofit media outlet that publishes articles written by academics for the general public and journalists. It shares SSN's mission of translating academic research into accessible public content and operates under a similar nonprofit model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Scholars Strategy Network social profiles
Digital presenceScholars Strategy Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Scholars Strategy Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Scholars Strategy Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Scholars Strategy Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Scholars Strategy Network
What does Scholars Strategy Network do?
Scholars Strategy Network is a nonprofit membership network that connects academic scholars with policymakers, civic leaders, and journalists to improve public policy. It operates 36 local chapters across 47 U.S. states, provides a library of over 1,000 peer-reviewed research briefs, facilitates expert matching through staff support, runs themed cohorts and working groups, and produces the No Jargon Podcast to make academic research accessible.
Is Scholars Strategy Network a public or private company?
Scholars Strategy Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Scholars Strategy Network founded?
Scholars Strategy Network was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Scholars Strategy Network based?
Scholars Strategy Network is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Scholars Strategy Network make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership dues and contributions are the primary driver. The others are donations and charitable contributions.
Who are Scholars Strategy Network's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Urban Institute, Council on Foreign Relations, American Political Science Association (APSA), Brookings Institution and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Civic Engagement Alliance / State Policy Network is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Union of Concerned Scientists, Federation of American Scientists, Research!America and The Conversation U.S..
Does Scholars Strategy Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Scholars Strategy Network.
What industry is Scholars Strategy Network in?
Scholars Strategy Network's product category is Policy Research and Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJABAK, Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing, with a secondary code of EDAGAFAK, Scholarly Society & Association Publishing. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8600.