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AMS/UCAR
Congressional Science Fellowship
INTRODUCTION: The demands on Congress to establish sound public policy on scientific issues have never been greater. A quick reading of any newspaper illustrates that science is a major component of many issues which Congress must address. The effects of these decisions on society and on scientists are far-reaching. In recognition of these facts, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) is sponsoring the AMS/UCAR Congressional Science Fellowship Program (AMS Fellow) with support from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). The Fellow will participate in a year-long program administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
The AMS is a scientific and professional organization serving the atmospheric and related science community. It was established in 1919 and now publishes eight well-respected scientific journals and an abstract journal, in addition to the AMS Bulletin, and sponsors and organizes over a dozen scientific conferences each year. The Fellow is supported with funds provided jointly by the AMS and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). Together, UCAR and the AMS represent an atmospheric science community consisting of over 20,000 researchers and meteorologists in universities, government, and private industry (split roughly in thirds), as well as 66 universities, 5 of which offer PhDs in the atmospheric and /or related sciences.
FELLOWSHIP PURPOSE: The program places highly qualified, accomplished scientists within the offices of individual Members of Congress as well as congressional committees for a one-year assignment. Fellows perform in much the same way as regular staff members. The Fellows bring to the Congress new insights, fresh ideas, extensive knowledge, and education in a variety of disciplines. Not only are the Fellows provided with the opportunity to make a significant public service contribution, but they also obtain firsthand experience in the legislative and political process.
In short, the Fellows offer their special knowledge, skills, and competence and receive the opportunity to acquire experience and the chance to contribute to the formulation of national policy. Fellows gain a perspective which, ideally, should help them understand how the research community effectively communicates with the larger society on important national policy issues (Today's budget climate makes this ability of increasing importance as shrinking resources force hard choices between worthy projects). The Fellow may have the opportunity to participate in, and make significant contributions to public policy making within Congress on issues such as global change, water and energy policys, defense technologies, AIDS, pollution, communications technologies, and many, many more.
The following facts indicate that the AAAS Program is having an impact: (1) the number of Fellows has increased over the years; (2) there are many more congressional requests for possible assignments than there are Fellows; (3) former Fellows are assuming senior positions in Congress, the Executive Branch, academia, and in the private sector; (4) overall, large numbers of qualified individuals continue to apply to the various sponsoring organizations for the fellowships; and (5) reports from the Congress about individual Fellows and the program have been highly laudatory.
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WHAT FELLOWS DO: As noted earlier, Fellows perform every type of work normally asked of the permanent congressional staff, whether they are in members' offices or with committees. The range of activities is illustrated by these examples:
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Assist in preparation of major parts of legislation from preliminary agency reviews to House-Senate conferences and final enactment into law;
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Work on legislative and oversight activities on budgets for various agencies, such as NOAA, NASA, EPA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Defense;
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Assist with oversight investigations into major national problems such as global change, hazardous wastes, natural disasters, ground water, acid rain, etc.;
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Help prepare Members for debates on the floors of the House and Senate;
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Write speeches and other materials for Members on a wide range of topics;
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Provide liaison and coordination with committees to which a Member is assigned;
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Give briefings and arrange for public hearings; and,
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Meet with lobbyists, members of the public, agency representatives, and many others.
FELLOWSHIP TERM, STIPEND, AND ADMINISTRATION: Fellowships are for one year, usually running from September through August. The stipend for the Fellow is $55,000, plus allowances toward relocation, in-service travel, and health and dental insurance premiums. There will be a two-week orientation period organized by the AAAS in Washington in early September. This orientation includes seminars on the Congress and the Executive Branch; meetings with former Fellows, members of Congress, and staff; and preparing for placement in the Congress. There will be roughly 35 Fellows in the class, sponsored by over two dozen different societies. Following orientation and interviews on Capitol Hill, the AMS/UCAR Fellow will select a position in the House or Senate. Throughout the year, the AMS/UCAR Fellow will join with other AAAS Fellows in participating in seminars, and social and other class activities sponsored by the AAAS. The AMS/UCAR Fellow will also be invited to attend and report on his or her activities at AMS and UCAR meetings.
PLEASE NOTE: We strongly encourage applicants to apply for all Congressional Fellowship programs for which they are eligible. For members of the Earth science community this likely includes: AGU, AGI, GSA, APS, AIP, AAAS, ACS, and in some cases the American Mathematical Society. Of course, we very much hope you will also apply for the AMS/UCAR fellowship.
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QUALIFICATIONS: Though the program is aimed at early to mid-career scientists with a doctorate degree, there are no absolute restrictions on age, or career level, or specific scientific background. Applicants are not required to have experience in public policy, although such experience and/or a demonstrable interest in applying science to develop public policy are desirable. In their assignments, Fellows will undertake a variety of tasks, some of which may be directly related to their training, but all of which will put demands on their scientific education. For these reasons, successful candidates must:
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Be a member of or applying for membership in the AMS;
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Demonstrate exceptional competence in their area of science;
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Have a Ph.D. or equivalent education and experience in the atmospheric sciences or related areas;
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Demonstrate sensitivity toward, and knowledge of, political, economic, and social issues;
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Be articulate, literate, flexible, and able to work on a variety of public policy problems with people from diverse professional backgrounds;
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Be comfortable working under pressure and meeting demanding deadlines;
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Be a U.S. citizen; and,
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Not be a federal employee (post-docs at federal agencies are eligible).
Ph.D. candidates should be absolutely sure that work on their degree will be completed prior to the commencement of the program year since experience has shown that the fellowship is a full time job. The successful candidate should not expect to have time to work on his or her thesis.
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APPLICATION PROCESS AND SCHEDULE: Interested candidates must submit (1) a cover sheet, (2) a statement, (3) a curriculum vitae, and (4) three letters of reference, which will be described in more detail below.
Please submit applications electronically to: phiggins@ametsoc.org
In the event electronic submission is not possible, please contact Paul Higgins by phone (202-355-9818) or email (phiggins@ametsoc.org).
The candidate sends the cover sheet, letter of intent, and curriculum vitae. The reference letters must be sent directly by the reference. It is the candidate's responsibility to make sure all application materials arrive at the AMS by the deadline. The AMS will not notify individuals of incomplete applications. If there are questions, please call or email for clarification.
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The details of each element of the application are:
COVER LETTER (not more than 200 words), indicating:
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Name and address;
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Phone number and email address;
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Names of references;
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Status of U.S. citizenship;
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Availability for a possible interview in March or April;
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AMS membership status (member, pending or intent to join); and,
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Ph.D. status (completed or pending).
STATEMENT OF INTENT (not more than 1000 words), including a summary of:
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Your reasons for applying for the AMS-UCAR Fellowship;
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Your qualifications (both scientific training and public policy experience);
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What issues and congressional situations interest you;
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What role you envision as a Congressional Science Fellow; and,
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Your career goals. State your goals following the fellowship and into the future, and how you envision the fellowship supporting those goals.
CURRICULUM VITAE: maximum two pages of personal and professional data, as well as publications appendix.
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THREE LETTERS OF REFERENCE: Candidates must request letters of reference from three persons who can discuss professional competence, and other personal and professional qualities that make the applicant especially qualified to serve as a Fellow. The candidate is responsible for contacting the references and providing them with the reference letter guidance listed below. Letters of reference are considered confidential and must be mailed directly by the reference to the address mentioned above. These letters must describe the:
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Reference's relationship to the candidate;
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Scientific and technical accomplishments and competency of the candidate and the relative standing of the candidate among his or her peers;
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Candidate's ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, and to interact productively on a variety of public policy problems with people from diverse professional backgrounds;
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Candidate's maturity level and judgment;
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Candidate's professional future;
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Candidate's ability to work under pressure and meet demanding deadlines; and,
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Candidate's ability to work on sensitive political, economic, and social issues.
If the applicant is a Ph.D. candidate, one reference must be from the candidate's dissertation adviser stating the status of his or her thesis and the anticipated date of completion.
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SELECTION PROCESS AND SCHEDULE: A Fellowship Selection Committee will choose several finalists by mid-March. These finalists will be invited for personal interviews in early April. Shortly after the interviews, the selection committee will select a winning candidate for the upcoming fellowship term.
ABOUT AMS: The American Meteorological Society currently promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences. Founded in 1919, AMS now has a membership of more than 14,000 professionals, professors, students, and weather enthusiasts. AMS publishes nine atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic journals, sponsors more than 12 conferences annually, and offers numerous programs and services.
ABOUT UCAR: UCAR is a not-for-profit consortium of over 60 U.S. and Canadian universities with doctoral programs in the atmospheric, oceanic, and related sciences. UCAR was established in 1959 to support, enhance, and extend the capabilities of the university community, nationally and internationally; to understand the behavior of the atmosphere and related systems and the global environment; and, to foster the transfer of knowledge and technology for the betterment of life on Earth. UCAR is contributing 50% of the Fellowship stipend from non-Federal funds.
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