Congressional Fellowships Available for PhD Scientists

Are you fascinated by the ongoing drama of Tuesday’s election?
During the campaign, did you like what you heard on the future of
the nation’s science and technology policy? Do you wish you had
heard more? For those scientists who want to make a personal
contribution to the policy of the nation, the AIP and APS
Congressional Science Fellowships enable you to spend a year as a
legislative assistant, contributing scientific expertise to a
Member of Congress or a congressional committee.

For PhD physicists who want to apply their knowledge and skills
beyond the lab bench, who believe there is a need for technical
advice and analysis in the conduct of national policy, this is an
opportunity to make a difference. The American Institute of
Physics and the American Physical Society are now seeking
applicants for their 2001-2002 Congressional Science Fellowship
selections.

The federal government funds about 30 percent of the nation’s R&D,
and almost 60 percent of basic research. Lawmakers rarely have
scientific backgrounds, yet they write funding bills and establish
national policy on many issues which affect science and technology,
or are affected by it. Members of Congress often rely on their staffs
for technical know-how. Through the Congressional Science Fellowships,
AIP and APS seek to perform a public service by helping provide this
much-needed expertise. “Staff make lots of key decisions [and] wield
a lot of influence behind the scenes,” says former APS Fellow Peter
Rooney, who worked for Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) — at
latest report, still potentially the nation’s next Vice President.

Since 1988, AIP has been one of the 20-30 professional societies
which sponsor Fellows annually under a program organized by the
American Association for the Advancement of Science. APS has
participated in the program since its inception in 1973. Two
other AIP Member Societies, the American Geophysical Union and the
Optical Society of America, also sponsor Fellows under the AAAS
program.

Readers interested in applying to the AIP and APS 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 solutions.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens, APS members for the APS
Fellowship, and members of one or more of the ten AIP Member
Societies for the AIP Fellowship. If the membership requirements
are met, one application suffices for both the AIP and APS
programs. APPLICATION MATERIALS FOR AIP AND APS MUST BE
POSTMARKED BY JANUARY 15, 2001. TO APPLY, AND FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE THE WEB SITES BELOW:

For AIP: http://www.aip.org/pubinfo

For APS: http://www.aps.org/public_affairs/fellow.html

For AGU: http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/policy/congress_fellow.html

For OSA: http://www.osa.org/aboutosa/policy/news/intro.htm

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Audrey T. Leath

Public Information Division

The American Institute of Physics

fyi@aip.org

(301) 209-3094

http://www.aip.org/gov

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