If the idea of researching, creating, and implementing new and ever-changing technology policies sparks your interest, these fellowships are for you! Imagine doing collaborative research for the White House, working to create a more humane and inclusive digital world, or assisting policy experts on critical international issues about science. All of these fellowships would give you an insiders’ view — letting you see firsthand everything that goes into technology policy. The fellowships are ordered by the amount of education or experience they require, beginning with those for recent graduates and finishing with those for seasoned professionals. If one of them catches your eye, be sure to bookmark it to your ProFellow account!
STPI’s Policy Fellowship Program
This two-year fellowship provides recent bachelor’s degree recipients with a unique opportunity to use their critical thinking and analytic skills to work on a diverse set of challenges in science and technology (S&T) policy areas. Fellows will be involved in collaborative research for leaders in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President and other Federal Government organizations. Fellows work with teams of researchers to support a wide variety of S&T policy-related tasks. Individuals who earned a recent bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply for the Fellowship. The fellowship is a paid, benefits-eligible position.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Science and Technology Policy Fellowships (SunShot Initiative Fellowships)
EERE STP Fellowships are two-year opportunities for recent graduates and experienced scientists and engineers to participate in policy-related projects at DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Washington, D.C. There are three levels of Fellowships: Junior Fellows (Bachelor’s), Fellows (Master’s or PhD) and Senior Fellows (Master’s or PhD). Fellows receive a salary starting at $47,684, $58,000, and $76,378 respectively, health benefits, travel assistance, and relocation allowance. SunShot applications are reviewed (and offers are made) twice per year with rolling application deadlines of January 15th and June 15th.
Mozilla Fellowships
Mozilla Fellowships provide resources, tools, community and amplification to those building a more humane digital world. During their tenure, Fellows use their skill sets — in technology, in advocacy, in law — to design products, run campaigns, influence policy and ultimately lay the groundwork for a more open and inclusive internet. Fellows from around the globe are invited to apply and skills from many disciplines can be utilized, from researchers in the humanities to technology experts. Mozilla Fellows work with a global community of thousands and are also awarded competitive compensation and benefits.
TechCongress Congressional Innovation Fellowship
TechCongress is building 21st century government with technology talent through our Congressional Innovation Fellowship. Fellows work with TechCongress to choose a placement with a Member or Congress or Congressional Committee and report directly to a senior staffer (like a Chief of Staff or Staff Director) in that office from January through December. Fellows also develop and produce a fellowship project on an issue of their choosing. Ideal candidates are tech savvy college graduates with at least two years of work or postgraduate study. Fellows receive a $80,000/year stipend and reimbursements of up to $2,500 for relocation, $1,500 for necessary travel and/or equipment costs and $400/month for health benefits.
Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship
This 12-week professional development fellowship engages fellows in the analytical process that informs US science and technology policy. Fellows develop the basic skills necessary to participate in science policy at the federal, state, or local levels. Graduate and professional school students and those who have completed a graduate degree within the last 5 years may apply. Areas of study may include any social/behavioral science, medical/health discipline, physical or biological science, any field of engineering, law, business, public administration, or any relevant interdisciplinary field. Fellows receive a stipend of $8,500.
Berkman Center for Internet & Society Fellows
The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University welcomes an interdisciplinary and diverse community of academics and practitioners to join the Center as fellows in its mission to engage the challenges and opportunities of cyberspace. Each Berkman fellow develops and coordinates their fellowship work plan with the Center’s directors and staff. Fellowship terms typically run the course of the academic year. Most Berkman fellows work out of the greater Boston area and spend a significant amount of time at the Berkman Center. Stipends and all other administrative determinations are made on case-by-case basis.
Kluge Fellowship in Digital Studies
The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC seeks proposals from scholars worldwide that will generate deep, empirically-grounded understanding of the consequences of the digital revolution on how people think, how society functions, and on international relations. The fellowship provides a residency up to 11 months with a $4,200 per month stipend. Open to scholars and practitioners worldwide from all disciplines. Ph.D. or other advanced terminal degree strongly preferred.
California Science and Technology Fellowship
The California Science and Technology (CCST) Policy Fellowships place professional scientists and engineers in the California State Legislature for one-year appointments. The fellowships are ideal for qualified applicants who are interested in improving the interface between science and legislative decision-making and who want to learn the public policy decision-making process. To be eligible for the Fellowship, candidates must possess a PhD or equivalent level degree OR an MS degree in an engineering discipline, plus at least three years post-degree experience. The base stipend is $45,000 plus benefits.
AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships
Fellows select assignments in Congressional offices or federal agencies. This is a year-long opportunity, beginning September 1 and ending August 31. AAAS seeks candidates from a broad array of backgrounds and a diversity of geographic, disciplinary, gender, and ethnic perspectives, as well as disability status. Fellows have ranged in age from late 20s to early 70s. They represent a spectrum of career stages, from recent PhD graduates to faculty on sabbatical to retired scientists and engineers. Stipend of $75K – $100K.
Hellman Fellowship in Science and Technology Policy
The Hellman Fellowship in Science and Technology Policy provides an opportunity for an early-career professional with training in science or engineering to learn about a career in public policy and administration. While in residence, fellows work with senior scientists and policy experts on critical national and international policy issues related to science, engineering, and technology. Applicants must have a PhD in an area of science or engineering and have experience or a demonstrated interest in an area related to science and technology policy. The appointment is for a one-year term and includes a stipend commensurate with experience.
APS Congressional Science Fellowships
It is the aim of the APS to provide a public service by making available individuals with scientific knowledge and skills to Members of Congress, few of whom have a technical background. Fellowships are for one year, usually running September through August. Qualifications include a PhD in physics or a closely related field, a strong interest in science and technology policy, and, preferably, some experience in applying scientific knowledge toward the solution of societal problems.
Presidential Innovation Fellows
The Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) program is a highly competitive 1-year fellowship that seeks to attract top innovators into government, capable of tackling issues at the convergence of technology, policy, and process. Fellows are embedded within federal agencies to collaborate on challenges with innovators. Fellows are based in Washington D.C. for the duration of the Fellowship, and are considered full-time employees of the federal government. Fellows receive a GS15 level salary, which typically ranges between $120-150,000. Applications are accepted throughout the year and fellows are hired on a rolling basis depending on the needs of agency partners.
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