Deadline Approaching for the AIP and APS Congressional Fellowships

If you are interested in experiencing a dynamic opportunity on Capitol Hill, where you will spend a unique year learning about the inner workings of the federal government while getting involved on a personal level consider applying to the American Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society Congressional Science Fellowship programs. All application materials for the 2008-2009 AIP and APS Congressional Science Fellowships MUST BE SUBMITTED by the JANUARY 15, 2008 deadline for the fellowship term starting in September 2008. Please see below for more information on applying.

This is an opportunity for physicists who want to apply their knowledge and skills beyond the lab bench, and who believe there is a need for technical advice and analysis in the conduct of national policy. After a two-week orientation in Washington, Fellows work with congressional offices to select an assignment in the office of a Member of Congress or for a congressional committee. Recent Fellows have contributed their talents to issues as diverse as energy efficiency, nuclear waste and power safety, digital music copyrights, homeland security, Native American issues, and judicial misconduct. Many former Fellows have gone on to help craft science policy by serving in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy or in federal S&T departments and agencies. Others return to academia or industry, while some accept permanent staff positions on Capitol Hill.

Scientists of all ages and career levels are encouraged to apply. Applicants to the AIP and APS Congressional Fellowships should have a PhD in physics or a closely related field. In exceptional cases, the PhD requirement may be waived for candidates with compensating research experience. While a Fellow must have the scientific qualifications to be a credible representative of the science community on Capitol Hill, he or she should also have demonstrated an interest in broader societal concerns and the application of science to their solution. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, APS members for the APS Fellowship, and current members of one or more of the ten AIP Member Societies for the AIP Fellowship. For APS members, one application suffices for both the AIP and APS Congressional Fellowship programs.

Another AIP Member Society, the Optical Society of American, is also sponsoring Congressional Fellows; please see below for links to associated web sites. All these Fellowship programs are run under the auspices of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. For details on the required application materials, how to apply, and where to send applications for any of the AIP and AIP Member Society Congressional Fellowship Programs, please see the following web sites:

AIP and Member Society Congressional Science Fellowships:

For AIP: http://aip.org/gov/fellowships.html
For APS: http://www.aps.org/policy/fellowships/congressional.cfm
For OSA: http://www.osa.org/news/congressionalfellowships/osamrs/default.aspx

If, as a scientist, you wish to perform a public service and make a contribution to the nation’s domestic or foreign policy, these programs can provide such an opportunity.