The program is open to highly qualified postdoctoral and mid-career geoscientists in academia, government, and the private sector. Due to the nature of the position, preference will be given to applicants who are US citizens or permanent residents. The annual application deadline will be on or about February 1. Interviews will take place in Washington DC in late March or early April. The fellowship begins in September with an intensive orientation program on the legislative and executive branches, organized by AAAS, which also guides the placement process and organizes educational and collegial programs for the fellows throughout the year.
Fellows choose their own placement in specific committee and personal staff offices.
To facilitate the process, AAAS contacts offices before-hand and provides fellows with a list of those that have expressed an interest in having someone with expertise in a particular area. Choice of placement is entirely up to the Fellow, who is operating as an independent agent sponsored by, but not a representative of, AGI . Because the fellows' stipends are covered by their sponsoring organization, they are much in demand in those offices which recognize the value of having staff with scientific expertise. The fellowship nominally lasts a year, but fellows may request a four-month extension in order to complete projects in their congressional office. The Congressional Science Fellow program is an investment in the future of our country.