U.S. Science & Technology Policy Fellowships

Member Societies

There are a variety of policy opportunities sponsored by member societies, ranging from learning how to advocate or lobby the government to impact policy to being placed in one of the three branches of government to work on policy. These fellowships are typically open to members only, but most do not have a time requirement for being a member prior to applying. Some have a U.S. citizen requirement, whereas others just require the applicant to be working in the U.S.

  1. American Academy of Arts and Sciences - Hellman Fellowship in Science & Technology Policy 

  2. American Association for the Advancement of Science - Science & Technology Policy Fellowships

  3. American Association for Cancer Research - Science Policy Fellowship

  4. American Association of Immunologists - Public Policy Fellows Program

  5. American Astronomical Society - John Bahcall Public Policy Fellowship

  6. American Chemical Society - Public Policy Fellowship Programs

  7. American Educational Research Association - Congressional Fellowship Program

  8. American Geophysical Union - Congressional Science Fellowship 

  9. American Geosciences Institute - Policy Internships and Fellowships

  10. American Institute of Biological Sciences - Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award

  11. American Institute of Physics (AIP) - Government Science Fellowships

  12. American Mathematical Society - Fellowships

  13. American Meteorological Society - Congressional Science Fellowship

  14. American Nuclear Society - Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship

  15. American Physical Society - Congressional Science Fellowship

  16. American Physiological Society - Early Career Advocacy Fellowship

  17. American Psychological Association - Congressional Fellowship

  18. American Psychological Association - Executive Branch Fellowship

  19. American Public Health Association - Fellowship in Government

  20. American Society of Agronomy/Crop Science Society of America/Soil Science Society of America - Congressional Science Fellowship Program

  21. American Society of Mechanical Engineers - Federal Government Fellowship Program

  22. American Society for Nutrition - Science Policy Fellowship

  23. American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics - Washington Fellows Program

  24. American Society of Human Genetics - Genetics and Public Policy Fellowship 

  25. American Statistical Association - Science Policy Fellowships

  26. American Veterinary Medical Association -  Fellowship Program

  27. Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health - Fellowships and Internships

  28. Association of University Programs in Health Administration - David A. Winston Health Policy Fellowship

  29. Biophysical Society - Congressional Science & Technology Policy Fellowship Program

  30. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology - Public Policy Fellowship Program

  31. Geological Society of America - Congressional Science Fellowship

  32. Geological Society of America - Science Policy Fellowship

  33. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - Government Fellowships

  34. Institute of Navigation - Government Fellowship Program

  35. Optical Society of America/Materials Research Society – Congressional Fellowship Program

  36. Optical Society of America/International Society for Optics and Photonics - Arthur H. Guenther Congressional Fellowship Program

  37. Society for Neuroscience - Early Career Policy Ambassador Program

  38. Society for Research in Child Development - Federal Policy Fellowship Program

  39. Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues - James Marshall Public Policy Fellowship

  40. The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society/Materials Research Society - Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship

Sponsored by Federal Government

These fellowships place fellows in one of the three branches of the federal government to recruit the best and brightest to the largest workforce in our nation. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen unless otherwise noted.

  1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/Sea Grant - John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program (Does not require U.S. citizenship)

  2. U.S. Dept of Energy (DOE) - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Science, Technology and Policy (STP) Program

  3. U.S. Dept of State - Embassy Science Fellows Program

  4. U.S. Dept of State - Professional Fellowships

  5. U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) - Presidential Management Fellows Program

State Government

These fellowships place fellows in state government to work on science and technology policy. Most of these will require the applicant to hold U.S. citizenship or have eligibility to work on a full-time basis for a U.S. employer, and may require the applicant to be a resident of the state sponsoring the fellowship.

  1. California Council on Science and Technology Policy Fellowships (Open to non-U.S. citizens; Does not require applicant to be CA resident)

  2. Connecticut Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Program

  3. Idaho Science & Technology Policy Fellowship

  4. Missouri Science & Technology Policy Initiative Fellowship

  5. Eagleton Science & Politics Program (Does not require applicant to be NJ resident)

  6. North Carolina Sea Grant STEM Policy Fellowship

  7. Commonwealth of Virginia Engineering & Science (COVES) Fellowship

  8. Oregon Sea Grant Resilience Fellowship

  9. Oregon Sea Grant Natural Resource Policy Fellowship (This fellowship is open to graduate students and those who have recently completed their graduate degree, with interest and experience in coastal policy from any U.S. university or college (preference will be given to eligible applicants from a college or university with a physical campus located in Oregon).)

  10. Oregon Sea Grant Oregon Executive Fellowship

Foundations, Non-Profits, and/or Non-Governmental Organizations (Includes Government Contractors)

There are a variety of policy opportunities sponsored by non-governmental and/or non-profit organizations, ranging from learning how to advocate or lobby the government to impact policy, to advising the government with policy recommendations, to being placed in one of the three branches of government to work on policy. This section includes fellowships managed by government contractors. Some have a U.S. citizen requirement, whereas others just require the applicant to be working in the U.S.

  1. Center for Democracy & Technology - Fellows Program

  2. Congressional Black Caucus Foundation - Fellowships

  3. Health and Aging Policy Fellowship

  4. Institute for Defense Analyses - Science and Technology Policy Institute Fellowship

  5. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine - Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program

  6. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine - Gulf Research Program’s Science Policy Fellowship

  7. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine - Jefferson Science Fellowships

  8. National Center for Health Statistics/AcademyHealth - Health Policy Fellowship Program

  9. Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) STEM Internships and Fellowships

  10. Research!America - Science Policy Fellowship

  11. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Health Policy Fellowships Program

  12. Social Science Research Council – Abe Fellowship Program

  13. TechCongress - Fellowship Programs

  14. The Kavli Foundation and Rita Allen Foundation - Civic Science Fellows Program

  15. Women's Congressional Policy Institute - Congressional Fellowships on Women and Public Policy

  16. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's Graduate Fellowship Program and Public Policy Fellowship Program (Applicants must have earned a Bachelor’s Degree within three years of the program start date)

  17. Horizon Institute for Public Service - Horizon Fellowship

For-Profit Organizations and/or Industry

  1. Avalere - Food and Drug Administration & Regulatory Policy Fellowship

  2. Google - Public Policy Fellowships

Universities

  1. Harvard University Kennedy School of Government - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Fellowship

  2. Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security - Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity (ELBI) Fellowship

  3. Princeton University Center for Information Technology Policy - Tech Policy Clinic Summer Fellowship

  4. Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment/University of Colorado, Boulder - Earth Leadership Program

International Organizations and/or for International Scientists (To be placed in the U.S.)

  1. The Commonwealth Fund - Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice (***NOTE: This fellowship places mid-career health services researchers and practitioners from countries in the Commonwealth to spend up to 12 months in the U.S. conducting original research and working with leading U.S. health policy experts.)

International Science & Technology Policy Fellowships

  1. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research - Science, Technology, Policy (STeP) Fellowship Program

  2. Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship

  3. The Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs

Created by Dr. Kelly L. Singel, Updated August 12, 2023