2011-2012 William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship

The American Geological Institute is accepting applications for next year's William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship. The successful candidate will spend 12 months (starting September 2011) in Washington working as a staff member in the office of a member of Congress or a congressional committee. The fellowship represents a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience with the federal legislative process and make practical contributions to the effective and timely use of geoscientific knowledge on issues relating to the environment, resources, natural hazards, and federal science policy.

The AGI Fellow will join more than two dozen other scientists and engineers for an intensive orientation program on the legislative and executive branches, organized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which also guides the placement process and provides educational and collegial programs for the fellows throughout the year.

The Fisher Endowment

Funding for the fellowship is provided through an endowment recently established by the AGI Foundation to honor William L. Fisher, the Leonidas T. Barrow Centennial Chair in Mineral Resources and Professor at the John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas, Austin. Fisher served as the inaugural Dean and previously, the Director of the Jackson School in the early 2000s. For three decades before that, he was the director of the Bureau of Economic Geology and the state geologist of Texas. At the national level, Fisher served as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Energy and Minerals under President Ford. Over several administrations, he has been an advisor to the President and to the Secretaries of Energy and the Interior, and he has chaired numerous National Research Council committees and boards. For more on Fisher and the endowment, please see the column "Endowing the AGI Congressional Fellowship" in the October 2003 Geotimes. Also available is a press release announcing the endowment.

Qualifications and Application Procedures
Prospective applicants should have a broad geoscience background and excellent written and oral communications skills. Minimum requirements are a master's degree with at least three years of post-degree work experience or a Ph.D. at the time of appointment. Although prior experience in public policy is not necessary, a demonstrable interest in applying science to the solution of public problems is desirable. Due to the nature of the position, applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must also be a member of one of AGI's member societies, a list of which is available at www.agiweb.org/members/index.html

The fellowship carries an annual stipend of up to $60,000 plus allowances for health insurance, relocation, and travel. Additionally, the fellowship includes a possible two to four month extension.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, statement of purpose and a curriculum vitae and request three letters of reference. Candidates should ask three people to submit letters of reference through the online submission site, www.agiweb.org/gap/csf/application/ or by regular mail by the deadline given below.

The candidate's cover letter should include an addendum listing your society memberships with membership numbers and the names and contact information of your three references. The statement of purpose should include your reasons for applying for this fellowship, what you would bring to the fellowship and what you hope to gain from the fellowship. The statement should be brief, no more than 1,000 words in length.

Please submit materials as a single Word document (.doc) or PDF (.pdf) using our new online submission form.

All application materials were due on February 1, 2011.


Inquiries only to govt@agiweb.org.

AGI is an equal opportunity employer and especially welcomes applications from women and minorities.

Other Fellowship Opportunities
Several of AGI's Member Societies also sponsor Congressional Science Fellowships. For further information, contact the American Geophysical Union, Geological Society of America, or Soil Science Society of America. AAAS itself also offers a number of fellowships for both Congress and the executive branch. It is acceptable to apply to more than one society and fellowship. Stipends, application procedures, eligibility, timetables, and deadlines vary.