The dozens of university-based scholars who are advising the current crop of presidential candidates wield power but also face risks by lending their expertise to the Democratic and Republican contenders.

In this week’s Chronicle, we take a look at the changing role of presidential advisers and what scholars stand to gain and lose when they agree to help a candidate.

The great lure of signing up as a campaign adviser is the prospect to directly shape policy, the story notes.

But, unless an adviser knows a candidate from the outset, the scholar may not know how much influence he or she will really have. Will the candidate use advisers as window dressing during the campaign and then pursue different policies after taking office? Or, faced with conflicting opinions, will the candidate dither for months before making a decision?

To read more, check out our story.