Overcoming My Own Bias:

Hi. I’m Jacob Graham. February 15th marked my third full month as an Impact Canada Behavioural Science Fellow. The experience of being employed as a federal public servant working within a cutting-edge field of research at the forefront of policy development has been nothing short of fantastic, spectacular, and — at times — overwhelming. The last few months have been a blur, but I would love to take the opportunity to digest and articulate exactly what it is that has made the first few months of the Fellowship so special.

The Process

I applied to the Fellowship program in April of 2021 — in the midst of final exams for my Master’s degree, on an impulse that I really ought to have something lined up for after I graduate from the academic world. I shared the concern that many students have; that they will end up circling job boards and interview postings after graduation with the hopes of landing any job reasonably within their field of study. What I did not share with many other students, however, were the same struggles of locating a position. By some shred of luck for which I am eternally grateful, the first job posting that I managed to come across was that of the Impact Canada Fellowship program. It advertised a position in behavioural science — a broad field of study under which my graduate behavioural economics research fell.

By August of 2021, after passing a series of interviews and technical skills tests, I was notified that I had successfully pre-qualified for to Impact Canada’s Behavioural Science stream. By October 2021, I was notified of a potential placement, and by November 15th I was official onboarding.

The onboarding for Behavioural Science Fellows should be considered the industry gold-standard. The rigorous two-week process saw me engage with members of several teams and projects across various areas of expertise, and included opportunities for me to ask questions, meet other Fellows both formally and informally, and made sure to leave time for reading and training. Project spotlights offered in-depth dives at some of the work ongoing under the Impact Canada mandate, while icebreaker activities and fireside chats gave me the chance to meet the people behind those engaging projects. The onboarding team made conscious efforts to check-in with my progress and well-being through the 14 days, and were excellent at addressing any concerns I had.

The entire process — from application to evaluation to pre-qualification to placement to employment — defied everything that I thought I knew about how government works. It was efficient, it was human, and it was enjoyable.

The People

Academia is wrought with intelligent people feeling as though they are outsiders. The constant feeling of being “the dumbest in the room” was no stranger to my experience at graduate school. Knowing the feelings that Imposter Syndrome brings, I was wary of how my experience in the Fellowship program may echo my experience in academia.

I found, however, that this was not the case. Although the Impact Canada team is full of experts in the field of Behavioural Science and some of the brightest minds in the country in this realm, there is no latent feeling of being unwelcome due to a lack of knowledge or understanding. The team is wrought with expertise on several subjects, but just as prevalent is a willingness to educate and take the time to explain these subjects. Where academia closes doors to those with lay-understanding, the Impact Canada team is inclusive and welcoming to those who are hungry to learn, encouraging dialogue in a safe and investigative environment. I have found support for not only my projects but also my personal wellbeing and growth from my managers at Impact Canada and at my host organization. Recently on-boarded Fellows have been candid and honest about their experiences and have been available for questions at all stages of my early employment. New Fellows joining the program should feel at peace knowing that such a welcoming environment awaits them.

The Practice

The first few months of my placement have included important steps meant to alleviate any natural uncertainty that comes with a new position. These activities include meeting with the Innovation and Youth Engagement Division (IYED) within Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) where my placement is. The team at IYED are extremely warm and welcoming, and have done a fantastic job making me feel at home.

The work I will support on is undertaken by the Product Policy Section (PPS) of the Environmental Protection Branch (EPB) within ECCC. My research will investigate behavioural challenges surrounding the consumption of products with chemicals such as plastics, with a focus on determining how to provide better or more comprehensive product information via paper and digital labelling. The objectives of these research activities is to better understand Canadians’ explicit attitudes and knowledge as well as implicit biases surrounding the consumption of products with toxics such as plastics, and seeks to answer the question of how Canadian consumers can be encouraged to purchase products that are safer for themselves and the environment. These insights from these research activities will support PPS with their work, as well as contribute to the Impact Canada’s Program of Applied Research on Climate Action in Canada (PARCA) as deep-dive investigative studies.

While much of this work is still under development, what I have been able to contribute on so far has been thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating. As my Fellowship continues to develop and my work begins to mature, I look forward not only to engaging in exciting research but also sharing the results.