General Topics
Who do the Fellows work for? Fellows accept one-year
assignments to work on the staff of a Member of Congress or a congressional
committee. Fellows are not "employees" of Congress or of
IEEE, but they are typically treated as the equivalent of congressional
staffers (e.g., "legislative
assistants") in terms of assignments and responsibility. The
fellow determines who he/she will work for based upon personal preferences
and the opportunities available. For more information on assignments, consult the section on, “Preparing for the Fellowship.” What is the Relationship of the IEEE-USA Congressional Fellowship Program and the AAAS Science & Technology Fellowship Program? In addition to
supporting its own Fellowships, the American Association for the Advancement
of Science (AAAS) hosts an umbrella congressional science and engineering
fellowship program as a collaboration of approximately 25-30 professional
scientific and engineering societies. The program includes a two-week
Fellowship orientation as well as opportunities for networking and
educational meetings throughout the Fellowship year. Because of the way the two programs are publicized, applicants and Fellows are often confused about the distinctions. To clarify, IEEE-USA awards and supports IEEE-USA Congressional Fellowships. IEEE-USA has different selection criteria than the AAAS Fellowships (including a requirement that the applicant must be an IEEE member in good standing), and an applicant must apply for the IEEE-USA Fellowship separately from the AAAS Fellowship programs. Do the Fellows receive a salary? Congressional Fellows are not employees of IEEE/IEEE-USA or Congress and do not receive a salary per se. Fellows do receive a Fellowship stipend of $55,000 to reimburse expenses, plus a relocation allowance of $5,000. The Fellow's required attendance at the annual AAAS orientation and interviewing expenses are also reimbursed independently of the stipend. Does IEEE-USA or Congress provide benefits? Neither IEEE-USA nor
Congress provides insurance or other benefits. Many employers find the How long is the Fellowship and can it be renewed or extended? The Congressional Fellowship supports a one-year Fellowship assignment. A Fellow may negotiate changes in the Fellowship duration with the Government Fellows Committee on a case by case basis. In the past, IEEE-USA has agreed to shorten a Fellowship by six- months and several have been extended for a second year (although with no additional financial contribution from IEEE-USA). Is previous public policy experience necessary? No. The Government Fellows Committee looks favorably at applicants who have relevant experience or can demonstrate and understanding of the policy-making process. However, the primary purpose of IEEE-USA's Congressional Fellowship is to provide a unique educational experience for the Fellow. Our hope is that Fellows will use that experience to become more involved and to help educate their colleagues and others about the policy process and how individuals can effectively contribute. IEEE-USA also hopes that Fellows will be an effective source of advice and assistance to their Congressional sponsor. Are any specific technical qualifications required? Members of Congress are looking for breadth and general knowledge and not specific technical expertise. Therefore, IEEE-USA does not recruit Congressional Fellows for specific technical backgrounds. However, in evaluating Fellows, IEEE-USA will consider the Fellow's technical experience in evaluating the Fellowship application. When does the Fellowship assignment start? The Fellowship year is normally scheduled to run concurrent with the IEEE-USA fiscal year from January to December. Changes in Fellowship start time can be negotiated with the Government Fellows Committee. In some cases, Fellows have requested to start a month or two earlier. Occasionally, a Fellow will seek to work on the academic year (September through October). The Government Fellows Committee is normally flexible where budget considerations permit an early start. One factor to consider. When starting a Fellowship in September, Congress is in the last weeks or months of its session and may be facing adjournment. Depending on whether it is an election year, a Fellow who starts an assignment in September for a particular Member of Congress may find that their Member has lost his/her job in the Fall elections. By contrast, a Fellow who starts in January will be able to work for the entire legislative cycle. What is the deadline for Fellowship applications? IEEE-USA is currently
accepting applications for the 2009 Fellowship cycle. Postmark
application deadline for 2009 Congressional Fellowships: 14 March 2008 Do I have to be a U.S. Citizen? You must be a What are the Fellowship qualifications or eligibility criteria? To be considered, an applicant must be an IEEE Member (at Member grade or higher) in good standing (for at least two years), have 10 years of professional experience with a Bachelor's degree, and five years with a Masters. Post docs and Ph.D.s just entering the job market will be considered. In addition to these basic eligibility criteria, the Government Fellows Committee considers the following factors when evaluating Fellowship applications:
These are not weighted criteria, but are part of a holistic review and evaluation of the candidate based on the written application and interview. Are Federal Employees Eligible? IEEE-USA does not
restrict applications by IEEE How Many Fellows Apply Each Year and How Many Are Selected? IEEE-USA normally receives 10-15 applications each year and budgets for two Congressional Fellowships. Who selects the Fellows--What is the selection process? The Government
Fellows Committee–comprised of six volunteers selected for their
knowledge of The Fellows Committee
reviews the written applications and then selects a number (typically 3-5) of
"finalists" for face-to-face interviews. At our expense, IEEE-USA
flies the finalists to Finalists must be able to attend the interview
in person. Rescheduling the
face-to-face interview is not an option.
The interviews for 2009 Fellows are tentatively scheduled for 8-9 May
2008. Based on the
application and interview, the Government Fellows Committee then recommends candidates
for the Fellowships and presents the names to the IEEE-USA Operating
Committee (OpCom) for final approval in May or
early June. A fellowship offer is made
immediately thereafter. After the Fellow accepts the offer, a Fellowship agreement is negotiated outlining the terms of appointment. The contract is typically finalized in July, so that the Fellow can begin to prepare for the Fellowship orientation in early September. The Fellowship Orientation Each Fellow is required
to participate in a two-week orientation organized by the American
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). IEEE-USA will
reimburse reasonable travel and lodging expense for the orientation and
normally assists the Fellows in making arrangements for local housing.
The AAAS orientation introduces the Fellow to the legislative process, the
federal budget, important S&T policy issues, the nature of the Fellowship
experience, and the resources available to Fellows and Hill staffers in Finding a Congressional Sponsor Following the orientation, the Fellow will visit congressional offices of interest to offer his/her services. Offices that are interested with typically invite the Fellow to one or more interviews before conveying a placement offer. Fellows then choose their preferred assignment from among the various offers. In many respects, the process is comparable to looking for a job. The difference is that you don't cost the congressional office anything except space to work. Not every office is interested in having a Fellow. Other offices may be looking for Fellows with specific areas of expertise. However, the number of opportunities has always exceeded the number of Fellows. Every Fellowship experience is unique in many respects. See reports of the Fellowship alumni for individual examples. In there any obligation for IEEE-USA involvement after the Fellowship? Although there is no service obligation, IEEE-USA encourages Fellowship alumni to join IEEE-USA public policy committees and to participate in IEEE-USA's Government Fellows Virtual Community. IEEE-USA hopes to benefit from the knowledge and interests of the Fellows alumni. And many Fellows alumni find volunteering to be a rewarding way to continue pursuing their interest in public policy and legislative issues. How would the Fellowship affect my career? Approximately one-third of IEEE-USA's Fellows are from academic backgrounds, and most return to their universities and use their Fellowship experience to enrich their classrooms. Another one-third of
IEEE-USA's Fellows are at retirement age or are in
retirement. Most return to retirement after their Fellowships, often becoming
active IEEE-USA volunteers. A few find new opportunities to start a second career,
often taking advantage of their The balance of IEEE-USA
Fellows are typically at mid-career, often at a point of career
transition. Most return to their company for a specified number of
years. Others transition to new positions in their companies; some have
been assigned to the corporation's In surveys of the
Fellows alumni, many report that the Fellowship experience provided a stepping
stone to a more fulfilling and rewarding career path. Even those that
return to their previous engineering career paths agree that the experience
helped enhance their careers. Most cite the skills learned (writing,
briefing non-engineers on S&T matters, communicating, knowledge of the
legislative process), as well as the usefulness of contacts made while in | Top of Page | Congressional Fellowships | Public Policy Forum | IEEE-USA | Copyright © 2007 The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Permission to copy granted for non-commercial uses with appropriate attribution. |
