Optica / MRS Congressional Fellowship
The application process for both of Optica's 2023-2024 Congressional Fellowships is now open. The application deadline for the Congressional Fellowships is 06 January 2023. Click here to apply.
Optica and MRS offer a congressional fellowship program, providing members with an invaluable opportunity to learn about public policy. Fellows contribute to the effective use of optical and materials science knowledge in government and broaden awareness of the value of the interaction between scientists, engineers, and government to our memberships, the federal government and the public.
Program
The Fellow spends one year working as a special legislative assistant on the staff of a member of Congress or congressional committee. Activities may involve conducting legislative or oversight work, assisting in congressional hearings and debates, and preparing briefs and writing speeches. The fellow also attends an orientation program administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) on congressional and executive branch operations, which includes guidance in the congressional placement process and a year-long seminar series on science and public policy issues. The AAAS also administers many other aspects of the program for the Optica/MRS fellow, as well as other fellows sponsored by nearly two dozen scientific societies.
Criteria
A prospective fellow must have a record of success in research or scholarship in a field relevant to optical science and technology and/or materials, familiarity with the discipline and a working understanding of the scientific communities. The fellow must also demonstrate sensitivity toward policy issues and have a strong interest in applying scientific and technical knowledge to United States public policy issues. The fellow must be able to work quickly and communicate effectively to both scientific and non-scientific audiences on a wide variety of topics and work cooperatively with individuals having diverse viewpoints. An applicant is expected to be a member of Optica or MRS (or an applicant for membership) and have a Ph.D. by the start of the fellowship (01 September 2023). U.S. citizenship is not required; however, applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Specifically excluded as selection criteria are age, sex, creed, race, ethnic background and partisan political affiliation.
Applicants will be evaluated based on the following categories:
- Scientific/technical background and professional accomplishments — weighted in consideration of the applicant's career stage.
- Communication skills — to scientific and nonscientific audiences - including writing ability, community involvement, and outreach activities.
- Demonstrated public policy interest — such as through participation in policy or advocacy activities; service to professional societies and/or the broader scientific community; and student government or other campus involvement (if applicable).
- Fellowship skills and abilities — including (but not limited to) capacity to work quickly, flexibly and cooperatively; experience working with individuals with diverse viewpoints; ability to work in a public environment; and strong interpersonal skills.
Stipend
The 2023-2024 fellow will have a one-year appointment beginning 01 September 2023. The Fellowship stipend will be USD 81,750, plus additional funds for health insurance, travel and relocation expenses to the Washington, DC area.
Application
Application materials must be submitted to the application portal (https://apply.optica.org/prog/2023-2024_congressional_fellowships/) by the application deadline. Candidates must submit the following materials:
- A resume, no longer than two pages, providing information about educational background, professional employment, community and professional activities, public policy and legislative experience and committee and advisory group appointments. One additional page (for a total of up to three pages) should list professional publications and presentations. Resumes should be tailored to address the qualifications above.
- A statement of up to 1,000 words addressing the applicant's interest in the fellowship, career goals, contributions the applicant believes he or she can make as an Optica/MRS fellow to the legislative process, and what the applicant wants to learn from the experience.
- Three signed letters of reference addressing the applicant's qualifications for the fellowship as described in the "Criteria" section above. Letters of reference should be upload into the application portal by the recommender and must be in PDF format, on official letterhead and include an electronic or scanned signature. Letters of reference should not be sent by the candidate themselves. However, the candidate is responsible for ensuring the letters are received by the application deadline. If your recommender is having issues with uploading the letter into the application portal, please have your recommender email the letter directly to Brandy Dillingham at bdillingham@optica.org.
NOTE: You may submit one set of application materials for both the Arthur H. Guenther and Optica/MRS Congressional Fellowships as long as you check the box in the application portal indicating the materials are being applied to both fellowships.
Directly below is a list of present and past fellows, along with their congressional office placements:
2022-2023
|
Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering
Stanford University
|
Sen. Tina Smith |
2021-2022 |
Ph.D. in Chemistry
Columbia University
|
Sen. John Hickenlooper |
2020-2021 |
Catherine Clark
Ph.D. in Materials Science
University of Minnesota |
Sen. Richard Durbin |
2019-2020 |
Daniel Broberg |
Sen. Christopher Coons |
2018-2019 | Dylan Rittman Ph.D. in Geological Sciences Stanford University |
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand |
2017-2018 | Sarah Vorpahl Ph.D. in Chemistry University of Washington |
Sen. Bernie Sanders |
2016-2017 |
Felicia Lucci |
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp |
2015-2016 |
Peter Winter |
Sen. Christopher Coons |
2014-2015 | James O'Dea
Ph.D. in Chemistry |
Sen. Brian Schatz |
2013-2014 | Sydney Kaufman
Ph.D. in Chemical Physics |
Sen. Mark Begich |
2012-2013 |
Mirvat Abdelhaq |
Sen. Jeff Merkley |
2011-2012 |
Laura Povlich |
Rep. Sandy Levin |
2010-2011 |
Ashley White |
Senator Al Franken |
2009-2010 |
Gavi Begtrup |
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords |
2008-2009 |
Amit Mistry |
Rep. Ed Markey |
2007-2008 |
Alicia Jackson |
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources |
2006-2007 |
Kevin Whittlesey |
Rep. Doris Matsui |
2005-2006 |
Benjamin Jay Gross |
Rep. Rush Holt |
2004-2005 |
Karin Ezbiansky Pavese |
Sen. Joseph Lieberman |
2003-2004 |
Colin McCormick |
Rep. Edward J. Markey |
2002-2003 |
Jeffrey Haeni |
Rep. Rush Holt |
2001-2002 |
Eric Werwa |
Rep. Mike Honda |
2000-2001 |
Susan Ginsberg |
Rep. Howard L. Berman |
1999-2000 |
Arun Seraphin |
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman |
1998-1999 |
Merrilea Mayo |
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman |
1997-1998 |
Brian Holloway |
Sen. John D. Rockefeller |
1996-1997 |
Michal Freedhoff |
Rep. Edward J. Markey |
1995-1996 |
Kelly Kirkpatrick |
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman |