AIP Invites Fellowship Applications

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Would you like to experience foreign policy from an insider’s perspective? The American Institute of Physics is accepting applications for our 2012-13 State Department science fellowship term. Applications are due November 1.

Most of the foreign policy issues faced by the U.S. Department of State have a scientific or technical component. Through its State Department Science Fellowship program, the American Institute of Physics offers an opportunity for scientists to make a substantial contribution to the foreign policy process by spending one year working at the U.S. State Department. In turn, scientists broaden their experience by interacting with policymakers in the federal government and learning about the foreign policy process.

The American Astronomical Society generously provides an annual contribution to the AIP State Department Science Fellowship.

Previous AIP State Department Fellows have worked on topics as varied as critical infrastructure protection, export controls, biotechnology and the safety of agricultural products, European and Russian science policy and the World Summit on Sustainable Development. AIP’s first State Department Fellow, George Atkinson, subsequently served for several years as the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State.

Qualified scientists at any stage of their career are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, have a PhD in physics or a closely related field, be members of one or more of AIP’s ten Member Societies and be eligible to receive an appropriate security clearance prior to starting the Fellowship. (In exceptional cases the PhD requirement may be waived for outstanding applicants.) Final interviews will take place early in 2012 and the 12-month Fellowship term will begin in late August or early September 2012.

Benefits include: • Stipend of $70,000 per year • Relocation allowance • Allowance for in-service travel for professional development • Reimbursement for health insurance premiums up to specified maximum

For more information on AIP’s State Department Fellowship program and application instructions, please visit our website . Application materials include a letter of intent and resume as well as three letters of recommendation. Developing a clear, comprehensive and competitive application takes significant time. We encourage applicants to start early and contact your references as soon as possible.

AIP’s Fellowship program, the first of its kind, was established in 2001 to help enhance the scientific and technical capabilities of the State Department. AIP’s Fellowship is run under the auspices of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Science and Technology Policy Fellowships. AIP does not take a role in the Fellow’s placement, but does encourage its Fellows to seek opportunities beyond the traditional roles for scientists in the department when interviewing for an assignment, to broaden the reach and visibility of scientific expertise within the Department.