After a review of our programs in consultation with our volunteer leadership, the Materials Research Society has decided to put our sponsorship of the MRS-TMS Congressional Fellowship Programs on hiatus for the 2021-2022 year. We hope to revive our support of this program in future years.
We do plan to continue our relationship with the Optical Society of America (OSA) and will sponsor the MRS/OSA Fellow.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Damon Dozier, MRS Director of Government Affairs.
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 MRS/TMS Fellow, as well as other Fellows sponsored by nearly two dozen other scientific societies.
Criteria
A prospective Fellow must have a record of success in research or scholarship in a field relevant to materials science and technology, 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 MRS or TMS (or an applicant for membership) and have a Ph.D. by the Fellowship's start date, or a master’s degree with at least three years professional experience. US 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.