OSA / MRS Congressional Fellowship
Application information for the 2014-2015 Fellowship is coming soon. Please check back often.
OSA and MRS offer a congressional fellowship program providing members with an invaluable opportunity of public policy learning. Fellows contribute effective use of optical and materials science knowledge in government and broaden awareness of the value of scientist- and engineer-government interaction among our memberships, the federal government, and the public.
Program
The Fellow spends one year working as a special legislative assistant on the staff of a member of Congress or congressional committee. Activities may involve conducting legislative or oversight work, assisting in congressional hearings and debates and preparing briefs and writing speeches. The Fellow also attends an orientation program administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) on congressional and executive branch operations, which includes guidance in the congressional placement process, and a year-long seminar series on science and public policy issues. The AAAS also administers many other aspects of the program for the OSA/MRS Fellow, as well as other Fellows sponsored by nearly two dozen scientific societies.
Criteria
A prospective 2013-2014 Fellow must have a record of success in research or scholarship in a field relevant to optical science and technology and/or materials. The Fellow must also demonstrate sensitivity toward policy issues and have a strong interest in applying scientific and technical knowledge to United States public policy issues. The Fellow must be able to work quickly and communicate effectively to both scientific and non-scientific audiences on a wide variety of topics and work cooperatively with individuals having diverse viewpoints. An applicant is expected to be a member of OSA or MRS (or an applicant for membership) and have a PhD by September 1, 2013. US citizenship is not required; however, applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.
Award
The 2013-2014 Fellow will have a one-year appointment beginning Sept. 1, 2013. The Fellowship stipend will be $72,000, plus additional funds for health insurance, travel and relocation expenses to the Washington, D.C. area.
Application
The application period for the 2013-2014 Fellowship is now closed. Please check back in mid-2013 for information on the 2014-2015 Fellowship.
Candidates must submit the following materials:
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A resume, no longer than two pages, providing information about educational background, professional employment, community and professional activities, public policy and legislative experience and committee and advisory group appointments plus one additional page for professional publications and presentations
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A statement of up to 1,000 words addressing the applicant's interest in the fellowship, career goals, contributions the applicant believes he or she can make as an OSA/MRS Fellow to the legislative process and what the applicant wants to learn from the experience
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Three signed letters of reference sent directly to scogan@osa.org, specifically addressing the applicant's qualifications for the fellowship as described in the "Criteria" section above. Letters of reference should be emailed directly to scogan@osa.org by the reference and must be in PDF format, on official letterhead and include an electronic or scanned signature. Letters of reference should not be sent by the candidate themselves.
Application Materials Should be Mailed or Emailed to:
OSA/MRS Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow Program
c/o Sarah Cogan
Optical Society of America
2010 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20036
Office: +1 202.416.1409
Email: scogan@osa.org
NOTE: Applicants applying for both the OSA/MRS and Arthur H. Guenther Congressional Fellowship can send in one set of application materials for both fellowships, as long as it is noted that the materials are for both fellowships.
Directly below is a list of present and past fellows, along with their congressional office placements: