The 2023-2024 Allen C. Crocker Family Fellowship

Now Accepting Applications

What is the Allen C. Crocker Family Fellowship? 

The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Network created the Allen C. Crocker Family Fellowship in 2012. The Fellowship celebrates the work of Dr. Allen C. Crocker and his devotion to families of children with disabilities. 

The fellowship is for family members of individuals with developmental disability. If you are accepted into the fellowship, you will be called a Crocker Fellow. 

As a Crocker Fellow, you will come up with a project idea. Staff from the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) will help you with your project. We will help you develop leadership skills and learn about disability policy, disability services, and disability supports. 

What organizations are involved in the Fellowship? 

• Institute for Community Inclusion at the UMass Boston and Boston Children’s Hospital (University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities)
• E.K. Shriver Center, UMass Chan Medical School (University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities)
• Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council
• Disability Law Center 

What do Crocker Fellows do?

First, come up with a project idea. 

As a Crocker Fellow, you will work on a project. Some project ideas include: 

• advocating for people with disabilities
• looking at disability policy
• doing disability research
• working on other projects that help make life better for people with developmental disabilities and their families 

While you work on your project, you will also learn about: 

• disability policy and other public policy issues
• the legislative process
• how to advocate at the state house
• what disability agencies do in Massachusetts
• how to create change 

What are the Fellowship activities? 

As a Crocker Fellow, you will work on your project for one year. You will also do other activities, such as: 

• Go to LEND Fellowship classes. These classes will be held in Boston. Classes are every Friday morning from September through May.
• Participate in trainings. The ICI and the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Network programs host trainings and other leadership activities.
• Go to conferences and other events. Fellows will participate in disability advocacy and public policy events in Massachusetts.
• Give a presentation. After your fellowship, you will present the accomplishments of the fellowship at Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Network meetings. You can also give a presentation at a regional or national meeting with other people from the ICI. You can present a paper, poster, or give a talk. 

How long is the Fellowship? 

The Crocker Fellowship is one year long. It goes from July 23 – June 30, 2024. Crocker Fellows will spend up to 20 hours each week on fellowship activities. 

Do Crocker Fellows get paid? 

Yes, Crocker Fellows get a total of $20,000 for the year. Fellows get paid each month or every three months, depending on their preference. 

Where is the Fellowship? 

The Crocker Fellowship is at the ICI in Dorchester, MA. Crocker Fellows can work remotely and/or in person at the ICI. 

Am I eligible for the Fellowship? 

• Do you live in Massachusetts?
• Do you have a family member with a disability? 
• Do you want to learn skills for working in the disabilities field? If you answered “yes” to all these questions, you are eligible to apply!
• We also encourage people of different racial, ethnic or cultural background to apply 

Can I work with another friend or family member for the Fellowship? 

Yes. The Fellowship is designed for one person, but two family members can apply together. Also, you don’t have to be related to each other. If you have a friend who also meets the eligibility requirements, you can both apply together. If you apply with another person, you will split the money and Fellowship resources. 

Application Questions 

How can I apply for the Fellowship? 

1. Your proposal can be written or you can submit a video. Your proposal must include: • your background and disability experience 

• a description of the project you want to work on in your fellowship
• why you want to work on this project
• what your project involves: your project goals and activities
• what you hope will happen if you do this project: your project outcomes and impact
• how your project will impact people with disabilities and their families. This includes people from different
• racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
• what you want to do after the fellowship: your vision for how you want to work in the disability field 

2. Include your resume 

3. Include three letters of reference from people who have worked with you 

4. Email your proposal, resume, and three letters of reference to Berenise Reyes-Albino at Berenise.albino@umb.edu. Your email subject line should be: “Crocker Fellowship - (your last name)” by April 21 at 5pm. 

Important Dates 

Application deadline:  April 21, 2023 5:00pm 

Begin interviewing finalists:  May 2023

Winner announced:  June, 2023

Fellowship begins: July, 2023

Fellowship ends: June 30, 2024 

How do you decide who will get to be the 2023-2024 Allen C. Crocker Family Fellow? 

We will review all fellowship applications. We will decide who is the fellow based on: 

• how original the project idea is
• how much of a need there is for the project
• how big of an impact the project will have on people with disabilities
• how realistic the project is for the amount of time you have
• how much you will benefit from the Crocker Fellowship 

Do you have any other questions about the Fellowship? 

Contact Berenise Reyes-Albino by phone at 617-287-4314 or berenise.albino@umb.edu if you have questions.