ACS Congressional Fellowship

The ACS Congressional Fellowship program provides the opportunity each year for two ACS members to work in Congress as staff members in the office of a Senator, Representative, or Committee. As part of a broader effort administered by AAAS that places more than 30 scientists per year on Capitol Hill, the program has two major goals: to provide policy-makers with high quality technical information on science-related issues and to educate scientists on how our government works and how science policy is made. Congressional Fellows work on the Congressional staff of their choice, and ACS Congressional Fellows have covered issues as diverse as federal funding for scientific research, science education, and health policy.

The ACS Congressional Fellows program is an outstanding opportunity for chemists who are interested in policy to learn about it in a hands-on environment­something I experienced personally as an ACS Congressional Fellow in 1998 with the Senate Budget Committee. Not only did I get to see the Congressional budget and appropriations processes firsthand, I was able to participate in formulating federal policy on funding for the Department of Energy and the NIH. I worked as an equal with other Congressional staff while providing a science-based perspective that is somewhat lacking on Capitol Hill. There are now more than 40 former ACS Congressional Fellows: every one can tell you a similar story about his or her experience, and all are tremendously enthusiastic about the Congressional Fellowship program.

Congressional Fellowship applications are due each year on December 31, with the Fellowship beginning the following September or January. The ACS offers two positions per year, one aimed at an entry-level individual and the other at a more experienced professional. Applicants must possess a Doctoral degree or Master’s degree (with equivalent work experience) at the time of appointment in one of the chemical sciences or engineering disciplines. Fellows receive a stipend of $55,000 to $65,000, depending on their level of experience, with allowances for relocation, health insurance, and travel during the fellowship year.

I am sure there are members in your local section who would be interested in spending a year in Washington, DC as part of this exciting and important activity, so I am asking you to help us get the word out. Please publicize the Fellowship in your local section bulletin, and include the links below so interested candidates can find out more information. The second link takes you to the ACS Public Policy Fellowships Video. This video was sent to you on DVD, along with a flyer on the program, by Brad Smith of the ACS Office of Legislative and Government Affairs. Please play the video at your next local section meeting, and encourage interested members to seek out additional information by contacting ACS staff at congfellow@acs.org, or by contacting me directly.

I know, as a Local Section Chair, there are many competing demands on your time, so I appreciate your attention to this issue, and am willing to help in any way that I can. The ACS Congressional Fellowships program is a fantastic opportunity to participate in the policy process and to serve our country, so I hope you will help me spread the word to our members. Please feel free to contact me, either by email or through my alternate contact information (listed below) if there is anything I can do to help.

Sincerely,

Kristin

Kristin Omberg
Chair, Fellowships Subcommittee
ACS Committee on Chemistry and Public Policy

ACS Public Policy Fellowships Website:
http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay.html?DOC=government%5Cfellowships%5Cfellowship.html
Link to ACS Public Policy Fellowships Video:
http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay.html?DOC=government\index.html
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Public Policy Fellowships Website:
http://fellowships.aaas.org/

Kristin M. Omberg, PhD
Group Leader
Systems Engineering & Integration Group
Decision Applications Division
PO Box 1663, MS F607
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, NM 87545
phone: 505-667-9628
cell: 505-699-4415
fax: 505-665-5283