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Founded in 1973, the IEEE-USA Government Fellows Program enables scientists, technologists, and engineers to work with and advise members of the United States Congress to help ensure a continued linkage between STEM professionals and public policymakers at the Federal government level.

In the over half-century since the program’s inception, more than 170 U.S. IEEE members have served as U.S. Government Fellows, where they spend a year living and working in Washington, D.C., USA and learning first-hand about the public policy process while imparting their knowledge of engineering, technical disciplines, and related fields to public policymakers.

Program participants can serve in any of several roles, working as  advisors to either a U.S. Senator, a U.S. Representative, or a Congressional Committee. 

Former Fellows describe their time representing IEEE and its mission in the nation’s capital as “life and career-changing.”  Marc Canellas, PhD, IEEE Senior Member and 2017 IEEE-USA Congressional Science and Technology Fellow, said, “My year on the Hill was the most formative 12 months in my life, and I cannot recommend the experience enough.”

As the IEEE-USA Congressional Fellows committee prepares to announce the 2025-2026 IEEE-USA Government Fellows, applications for the 2026-2027 Government Fellows program are open and will be accepted until 8 December 2025. Generous donor support is needed to expand this invaluable program, which enables IEEE’s U.S. members to provide timely advice and assistance to the U.S. government while educating IEEE U.S. members on public policies that directly affect the STEM community.

For more information on the IEEE-USA Government Fellows Program or to apply to become an IEEE-USA Government Fellow, click here.

Interested in discussing ways you can impact this vital program? Contact Eileen R. Heltzer, CFRE, at e.heltzer@ieee.org, +1.732.799.4431 or you can make a gift online here.