Reminder: APS/AIP Congressional Science Fellowship Deadline Approaching

A reminder to FYI readers - if you want to apply for the 1998-1999 AIP and APS Congressional Science Fellowships, or know someone who might - the deadline is approaching! Interested applicants are asked to send a letter of intent and a resume (of two pages or less) to the address specified below, and should arrange to have three letters of reference sent to the same address. All application materials, single-sided and unstapled on 8.5" x 11" paper, must be postmarked NO LATER THAN JANUARY 15, 1998.

A single application will suffice for both the AIP and APS Fellowship programs. To be considered for the AIP Fellowship, applicants must be a member of one of the ten AIP Member Societies. Please indicate your society affiliation in your application materials. A list of the AIP Member Societies is posted on AIP’s Home Page at http://aip.org/aip/memsoc.html .

Candidates should have an interest or experience in the application of science and technology to improving human welfare or to solving societal problems. To qualify for the APS and AIP Fellowships, you must have outstanding scientific credentials, be a U.S. citizen, and demonstrate excellence in interpersonal relations skills and written and oral communication. A PhD in physics or a closely-related field is encouraged, but in exceptional cases the PhD requirement may be waived for applicants with compensating experience.

During a one-year term on Capitol Hill, Fellows work in the office of a Member of Congress or on a congressional committee. Fellows get the opportunity to learn firsthand how scientific and technical expertise can affect public policy. In return, they contribute to the analysis of science policy issues. The continual presence of Science Fellows on the Hill keeps lawmakers apprised of the interests and contributions of scientists. Although Fellows receive a stipend from their sponsoring institution, they act as free agents during their term and do not represent the sponsoring society.

Approximately 30 professional societies sponsor Congressional Science and Engineering Fellows annually under the auspices of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Former Fellows have been in many prominent positions in government -- at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Office of Management and Budget, and key science and technology agencies - as well as on congressional staff. Others return to the science community and pass on the knowledge gained from their experience to the broader scientific community.

In addition to the APS and AIP Fellowships, several other physics-related science and engineering Fellowships are sponsored by AIP’s Member and Affiliated Societies. Please contact those societies directly for more details on their programs. Information on the American Geophysical Union Fellowship can be obtained by calling (202) 462-6900 . For information on the Fellowship sponsored jointly by the Optical Society of America and the Materials Research Society, contact Gail Oare (MRS) at (412) 779-3004 x501or Elizabeth Baldwin (OSA) at (202) 416-1418 .

APS/AIP APPLICATION MATERIALS SHOULD BE SENT TO: APS/AIP Congressional Science Fellowship Programs; 529 14th Street, NW; Suite 1050; Washington, DC 20045. One application suffices for both programs. Further information is available on AIP’s Home Page at http://www.aip.org/pubinfo/flwshp.html