IEEE-USA is seeking expressions of interest from IEEE U.S. members interested in spending a year as an IEEE-USA Engineering and Diplomacy Fellow in the U.S. State Department. The Fellowships begin in January of each year and provide an opportunity for an engineer to provide technical expertise to the State Department, and help raise awareness of the value of engineering input while learning about and contributing to the foreign policy process. For more information, see Department of State Publication: "Professional Science and Engineering Society Fellows Program" (2003) HISTORY In an October 1999 report, the National Research Council concluded that, "the Department [of State] needs the capability to understand how technological factors influence political and economic developments." In its 15 May 2000 response, the State Department recognized, "the growing significance of science and technology based issues in foreign policy and is aware that this trend will continue and accelerate. The Department is determined to do what is necessary to respond to this challenge and to meet its responsibilities in this area." The State Department Science & Technology Advisor reached out to IEEE-USA and other science and engineering societies for help in building its S&T expertise; the result is the IEEE-USA's Engineering and Diplomacy Fellowship program. Other organizations currently providing State Department fellowships include the American Institute of Physics and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. SELECTION CRITERIA Be a U.S. citizen at the time of selection.
The IEEE-USA Government Fellows Committee considers the following factors when selecting State Department fellows:
A joint IEEE-USA and State Department committee will then review the finalists, with the State Department giving final approval of the Fellow selection. Additional criteria may be established by the selection committee. Specifically excluded as selection criteria are age, sex, creed, race, ethnic background, and partisan political affiliations. POST SELECTION Once the Fellow is selected, arrangements will be made immediately by the State Department to obtain a security clearance (if the Fellow does not already have a clearance). A security clearance currently requires a 4-6 month background check. The Fellow will be asked to complete a clearance form, provide contact information, and make various disclosures. For more information, see:
During the Summer or Fall, the Fellow will be invited to interview with interested State Department bureaus and choose an assignment from among the resulting opportunities. IEEE-USA has no role in selecting the Fellow's assignment, the Fellow does not act as a representative of IEEE-USA during the Fellowship term, and is not considered an employee of IEEE-USA. Fellows are also required to attend a two-week orientation program coordinated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in September of each year. STIPEND & TRAVEL During the Fellowship year, IEEE-USA Congressional Fellows receive a Fellowship stipend of either $65,000 (MS and BS with experience) or $55,000 (Post Docs/ PhDs just entering the workforce). PhD's with work experience will receive the higher stipend. The Government Fellows Committee has the discretion to determine stipend levels based upon an applicant's experience. Payment of the Fellowship stipend is contingent upon the Fellow's receipt of an appropriate security clearance, participation in the AAAS orientation, and reaching agreement with the State Department on a suitable assignment. IEEE-USA provides an additional supplementary allowance of $5,000 for travel and relocation expenses; this may be incorporated into the stipend if desired. IEEE-USA will also reimburse reasonable pre-fellowship travel and lodging expenses (with prior approval) related to the AAAS fellowship orientation and assignment interviews. The Fellows or their employers are responsible for the balance of salaries, benefits, and all other expenses. When making arrangements to supplement the Fellowship stipend through a continued salary from an employer, applicants must consider potential conflicts of interest. HOW TO APPLY Postmark application deadline for 2009 Engineering and Diplomacy Fellowships: 14 March 2008 If the Government Fellows Committee selects you as a finalist, you will be invited to interview in-person in Washington, DC at IEEE-USA’s expense. The interviews are scheduled for 6-7 May 2008. An in-person interview at the scheduled time is mandatory and rescheduling the interview at a later date is not an option. You can download the Fellowship Application Kit in the following formats: Please mail your application—both electronically and via regular mail—to Bernadette Concepcion at: IEEE-USA Engineering and Diplomacy Fellowship 1828 L Street, N.W. Suite 1202 Washington, DC 20036-5104 b.concepcion at ieee.org 202-530-8365 (Phone) 202-785-0835 (Fax) | Top of Page | Executive Fellowships | Gov't Fellowships Page | IEEE-USA | Last Update: 20 December 2007 Permission to copy granted for non-commercial purposes with appropriate attribution. |
