Colorado Future Systems Policy Sprint
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) is partnering with the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and the Institute for Science & Policy (ISP) at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science to launch the Colorado Future Systems Policy Sprint. This is a structured, three-month program (i.e., starting at the end of April and running through July) that brings together a cohort of experts to develop short, implementation-ready policy memos for state leaders, including legislators and the incoming gubernatorial administration. We are looking for individuals with policy experience to develop innovative ideas for addressing intersectional challenges tied to existing workforce systems, emerging technology, and climate and energy in Colorado.
You must create an account and login to complete a submission. See below for more information about criteria and the submission process, then select Start Submission to continue. The submission deadline is April 3, 2026 12PM MT.
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Questions? Please contact Cate Young (cateyoung@fas.org).
What We’re Looking For
We are targeting Colorado-based and Colorado-connected policy professionals, researchers, and practitioners with experience in workforce development, emerging technology, and climate and energy policy. This includes, but is not limited to:
Former state and local government staff (executive branch, legislative aides, agency analysts)
Applied researchers and faculty at Colorado universities and research institutions
Policy entrepreneurs and fellows working on workforce, AI, innovation ecosystems, measurement and evaluation, energy, water, and climate resilience
Industry professionals in clean energy, water systems, wildfire mitigation, climate adaptation, energy grid modernization, land use planning, AI governance, data governance, technology transfer, talent pipeline design, credentialing, or education-to-employment systems
Leaders and practitioners in nonprofit, community, and regional economic development organizations
Experts with lived or professional experience in rural, energy-transition, wildfire-prone, or water-stressed communities
We are particularly interested in policy proposals that attempt to answer the questions below, but are open to ideas that span or extend beyond them:
Workforce Upskilling and Reskilling:
How can Colorado build a more coordinated statewide talent ecosystem across education, workforce, and industry?
How can Colorado ensure both higher education and training programs build the skills required for employers and industries across the state?
How might Colorado rapidly upskill and reskill the workforce to build the agility required to navigate today’s shifting work environment, while supporting workers in maintaining their long-term career attractiveness to employers?
Emerging Technology:
How can Colorado encourage emerging technology companies to remain in the state and scale while ensuring that technological risks and economic and community benefits are adequately managed?
How might Colorado measure and evaluate the impact of existing state technology policy and emerging technology on society (e.g., state-wide employment, mental health outcomes, etc.)? How can Colorado use this data to inform and improve future policy decisions?
How can Colorado develop AI governance frameworks that strengthens business competitiveness, while ensuring robust safeguards for consumer protections, civil rights, and enforcement?
Land, Climate and Energy
With declining federal support and state fiscal constraints, what innovative financing mechanisms (e.g., public-private partnerships, revolving funds, philanthropic first-loss capital, carbon markets, etc.) can Colorado deploy to meet its climate goals? How can the state reduce the risk of these investments?
How can Colorado accelerate grid modernization; advance emergent and renewable energy siting and transmission; and enhance system reliability, while managing impacts on natural landscapes, wildlife, and agricultural lands?
As declining surface water supplies place increasing pressure on Colorado's groundwater systems, how can Colorado manage our groundwater and protect at-risk systems (e.g. agriculture, drinking water)? How can Colorado leverage wastewater recycling and advanced potable reuse technologies to meet the states’ water demands?
How can Colorado support communities, tourism, and outdoor recreation economies in adapting and increasing resiliency to growing climate threats (i.e., increasing wildfire risk, changing precipitation patterns, diminished water supplies, and heat waves)?
Why Participate?
Shape Policy: Contribute to Colorado’s workforce, technology, and climate policies at a critical moment for the State.
Collaborate with Experts: Join a network of thought leaders and policy entrepreneurs.
Recognition and Impact: Make a tangible impact on Colorado’s future systems while being recognized for your expertise.
Why Now?
The 2026 gubernatorial transition and subsequent legislative cycles offer a rare window to define Colorado’s long-term policy architecture. As new leadership establishes its priorities and agencies refine their implementation strategies, there is a strategic opening for ambitious, evidence-based ideas. Emerging technologies, labor market transformation, and climate-driven resource constraints are reshaping the state, including its economic landscape and the communities within it. These critical and often interconnected challenges require forward-looking, systems-level policy interventions.
What to Expect
The sprint combines cohort convenings, expert feedback, stakeholder input, and editorial support to move high-level ideas into actionable proposals. What makes it distinctive is the integration of public participation throughout the development process, drawing on perspectives from Colorado's civic, industry, and community ecosystems. This framework is designed to deliver policy ideas that are not only technically rigorous, but publicly responsive and positioned to deliver impact.
The program will kick off in late April and run through July. Throughout these three months, authors will be involved in multiple workshops designed to dive deeper into policy entrepreneurship, solidify an understanding of the policy process, and refine their memo-writing skills. Authors will be paired with an internal FAS staff member to guide them through the program, and they will be connected to experts in their field for review-support and mentorship. Sprint participants can expect to dedicate 3-5 hours per week throughout the program to develop their memo. Apart from our scheduled programming sessions that occur during the week, these hours can be completed on their own time (i.e., during the day, evenings, or weekends).
Upon publication, authors will receive a $1,500 honorarium for their time and effort.
Submission Process
You must create an account and login to complete a submission. Please prepare the following details, then select Start Submission to continue. After creating an account, you can save progress and return to make edits before finalizing. The submission deadline is April 3rd 12PM MT.
Submission Requirements:
Your Information
Full Name
Age Category (over 18 years old / under 18 years old)
Email Address
Mailing Address
Organizational affiliation and position
Demographic information (optional)
Share Your Idea
Summary: Describe your proposed policy solution in 350 words or less. Include any links to research or data that support your course of action.
Challenge: What pressing issue(s) facing Colorado do you aim to address through participation in this sprint? Explain in 250 words or less why this issue matters now.
Opportunity: In 350 words or less, what is your idea for solving that issue, and why is now the time for this idea?
Customer + Plan of Action: In 250 words or less, who is the customer for this idea (i.e., who is the decision maker with the power to implement your idea)? What specific steps should they take to implement your solution? Your idea should clearly identify the specific state-level levers (such as executive or legislative tools) that could be used to implement it.
Outcome: In 200 words or less, describe what becomes possible if your idea is successful and fully implemented? What measurable or structural change would your proposal achieve for Colorado and its communities?
Policy Experience Assessment
In 350 words or less, please describe your past experience:
working in or with the Colorado policy landscape
working on policy and/or being a policy entrepreneur
developing policy memos
conducting landscape mapping and/or stakeholder analysis
using policy levers (i.e., mechanisms) to enact change in federal, state, or local government; if you haven't used policy levers before, please share your understanding of policy levers and examples of policy levers
*We welcome applications from groups of people, however please note that we will only pay a single $1,500 honorarium to a single author per completed memo. The designated payee is welcome to redistribute funds between authors.
The submission deadline is 4/03/26 12PM MT. Questions? Please contact Cate Young (cateyoung@fas.org).