The American Physical Society and the American
Institute of Physics Congressional Science Fellowships
 Purpose
Public policy increasingly is determined by technical considerations.
A perusal of the daily press - from page one through the health and
business sections - illustrates that science is a major component
of many issues with which Congress must grapple: global warming,
energy policy, defense technologies, AIDS, pollution, communications
technologies, and many, many more.
The American Institute of Physics annually sponsors one scientist
to spend a year providing scientific and technical advice to Congress.
The American Physical Society also runs its own APS
Congressional Science Fellowship program, with the same purpose. Both programs
are operated under the auspices of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, which sponsors its own Fellows, as well.
It is the aim of the APS and AIP in sponsoring these fellowships
to provide a public service by making available individuals with
scientific knowledge and skills to Members of Congress, few of whom
have a technical background. In turn, the program enables scientists
to broaden their experience through direct involvement with the legislative
and political processes. Fellows gain a perspective which, ideally,
will enhance not only their own careers but also the physics community’s
ability to more effectively communicate with its representatives
in Congress.
Fellows do not act as representatives of their sponsoring society; during
the Fellowship term, their only responsibility is to the congressional office
in which they work. In order to ensure avoid any conflicts of interest, all Congressional
Science Fellows and sponsoring societies are required to abide by the AAAS’s
Policy on Ethics.
Fellowship term
Fellowships are for one year, usually running September through
August. Following a two-week orientation in Washington sponsored
by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, incoming
Congressional Fellows become acquainted with most aspects of their
future work environment. Following interviews on the Hill, Fellows
choose a congressional office- personal or committee staff - where
they wish to serve. Fellows are expected to be capable of handling
varied assignments, both technical and non-technical. During the
term, Fellows are expected to work full-time at their Fellowship.
A valuable experience
The Program’s popularity with Members of Congress continues
to grow. Typically, 120-150 congressional offices express interest
in the approximately 25 fellows that participate in the AAAS fellowship
program each year. Former fellows express enthusiasm in their evaluations,
and many elect to stay in the public policy arena; it is not unusual
to find former fellows in influential positions in Washington.
The stipend for each AIP Fellow is $55,000 per year, plus allowances
toward relocation, in-service travel, and health insurance premiums.
Following their year on the Hill, APS Congressional Fellows are invited
to serve a one-year term on the Physics Planning Committee (PPC)
and the Panel on Public Affairs (POPA).
Faculty members and other mid- and late-career professionals are
encouraged to apply. Arrangements to supplement the Fellowship stipend
by continuing to receive salary from an employer while taking a sabbatical
or leave of absence may be worked out on a case-by-case basis.
Qualifications
Qualifications include a PhD in physics or a closely related field,
a strong interest in science and technology policy, and, preferably,
some experience in applying scientific knowledge toward the solution
of societal problems. Fellows are required to be U.S. citizens and,
for the AIP Fellowship, members of one or more AIP Member Societies
at time of application. APS Fellows must be members of APS.
The fellowship programs seek candidates with outstanding qualifications.
In exceptional cases, the PhD requirement may be waived for applicants
with compensating experience.
One entry suffices for application to both programs. Please use
standard 8.5" x 11" stationery, single-sided, unstapled.
Completed files received by the JANUARY 15 DEADLINE will be forwarded
to the APS and AIP fellowship selection committees, which will choose,
normally by mid-March, several finalists to be invited to Washington
for personal interviews in early spring. At that time, APS and AIP
will each select a winning candidate for the upcoming fellowship
term.
Application
The American Institute of Physics and The American Physical Society
each sponsor our own SEPARATE Fellowship programs, although we collaborate
on advertising. Please be aware that membership qualifications differ
slightly for the two programs. However, as long as you are eligible
for both, a single application sent to the address below will be
considered for both Fellowships.
To apply, candidates should submit the materials requested below
to the address shown. All credentials, including the letter of intent,
resume, and letters of reference MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER
THAN JANUARY 15 OF THE FELLOWSHIP YEAR. Incomplete applications cannot
be considered.
Materials needed
Cover sheet, indicating
- name, address, phone, email
- names of references
- U.S. citizenship
- PhD status
- AIP Society membership(s)
- Please indicate where you learned about the fellowship programs.
Letter of intent, providing information regarding
- reason for applying
- scientific training and professional background
- public policy interest and experience
- qualities and experience that would make the applicant effective
in this position.
Resume, limited to two pages.
Three letters of reference from those having direct knowledge of
the applicant’s character, professional competence, and attributes
which would particularly qualify the candidate to serve in this capacity.
Applicants should arrange to have the letters of reference sent directly
to the address below.
Send all materials (postmarked by January 15 of Fellowship year)
to:
APS and AIP Congressional Science Fellowship Programs
c/o Jacquelyn Beamon-Kiene
APS Executive Office
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740-3844
301-209-3090 (AIP); 301-209-3269 (APS)
Other Physics-related Congressional Fellowships
Applicants might also want to know more about these additional physics-related
Congressional Science Fellowship Programs. Please contact these societies
directly for more information.
Information about additional science and engineering fellowships:
The AIP and APS Fellowship programs are run under the auspices of
The American Association for the Advancement of Science. Many other
professional science and engineering societies also sponsor Fellowships
under the AAAS
program.
Contact (202) 326-6700 for more information.
Directory of AIP and APS Congressional Science Fellows
Meet our recent Fellows
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Maureen Mellody
2001-2002 |
Lee Hirsch
2003-2004 |
Dahlia Sokolov
2004-2005 |
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