AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships 2027–2028

Applicants must:

• Be U.S. citizens at the time of application
• Hold a doctoral-level degree such as a PhD, ScD, MD, DVM, EdD or PharmD in a qualifying discipline; engineers may alternatively qualify with a master's degree in engineering plus at least three years of professional engineering experience
• Meet the programme's federal-funding eligibility requirements
• Meet applicable U.S. Selective Service requirements
• Not be federal employees at the time of application

For scientific disciplines, the qualifying terminal degree generally needs to be in areas such as biological, physical or earth sciences, health or medical sciences, social or behavioral sciences, computational sciences or mathematics.

International degrees may be accepted when they are equivalent to the relevant U.S. degree. Applicants are responsible for providing evidence of equivalency when required.

Important Eligibility Restriction for International Applicants

Although the fellowship accepts qualifying degrees earned outside the United States, the main AAAS STPF programme does not accept non-U.S. citizens.

Permanent-resident status alone is not sufficient for the main AAAS Policy Fellowships.

Some AAAS partner societies operate separate fellowships with different citizenship requirements, so those should not be confused with the main STPF application.

How Applicants Are Evaluated

AAAS evaluates candidates using several dimensions rather than simply looking at academic qualifications.

Scientific or technical background and professional accomplishments account for the largest part of the assessment. The review can consider education, employment, research, publications, presentations, grants and other scientific or technical contributions appropriate to the candidate's career stage.

Communication and interpersonal skills are also important because fellows must explain technical issues to policymakers and non-specialist audiences.

Applicants are additionally assessed on their commitment to science policy, including whether they can clearly explain why they want to move into policy and how they intend to use their expertise to address societal problems.

Leadership, analytical ability, problem-solving and adaptability are also considered.

Application Requirements

The application is completed online through the AAAS fellowship system.

Applicants should expect to provide information about:

• Education
• Professional and research experience
• Scientific or technical expertise
• Policy interests
• Skills and proficiencies
• Professional background
• Career goals
• Extracurricular or outreach activities
• A curriculum vitae
• Three recommendation letters for each fellowship area applied for
• Required applicant statements

The main applicant statement has a 7,000-character limit. Applicants are expected to explain their qualifications, reasons for applying, policy interests, how they would contribute as a fellow and their longer-term career goals.

AAAS advises applicants to tailor the statement to the specific fellowship area rather than submitting a generic statement.

Selection Process

The application process extends beyond the initial submission.

Applications are reviewed for eligibility before candidates proceed through the selection process.

Selected semi-finalists participate in interviews in late February or early March 2027. Semi-finalists are also asked to prepare and present a one-page briefing memo on a science-policy topic assigned by AAAS.

Finalist interviews take place in spring 2027 for the applicable programme areas.

Placement offers are expected to begin from May through early June 2027.

The fellowship begins September 1, 2027.

Important Dates

Application opens: August 1, 2026

Application deadline: November 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Eligibility notifications: Mid-to-late November 2026

Interview status notifications: Late January to early February 2027

Semi-finalist interviews: Late February to early March 2027

Fellowship placement offers: May to early June 2027

Fellowship begins: September 1, 2027

Fellowship ends: August 31, 2028

Application Advice

Applicants should avoid presenting the fellowship simply as an opportunity to leave academia or obtain a prestigious credential.

A stronger application should demonstrate a clear connection between the applicant's scientific or engineering expertise and a policy problem they want to help address.

The applicant statement should also explain what the applicant can contribute beyond technical knowledge. Communication, collaboration, public engagement, leadership and the ability to translate evidence for non-specialist decision-makers are particularly relevant to the fellowship.

Applicants should also begin contacting their three referees well before the deadline. AAAS states that applications with fewer than three required recommendation letters are not eligible for review.

For International Researchers

Researchers outside the United States should not assume that holding a PhD from an international university makes them eligible for the main AAAS STPF.

The principal programme requires U.S. citizenship. International researchers who do not hold U.S. citizenship should instead investigate AAAS partner-society fellowships or other policy fellowships with international eligibility.

This distinction is important because an otherwise highly qualified researcher could spend significant time preparing an application only to fail the citizenship requirement.

How to Apply

Eligible applicants should complete the official online AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships application and ensure that all required materials, including recommendation letters, are submitted by the November 1 deadline.

Applicants can apply for up to two fellowship areas, but each selected programme area requires its own application.