AGI Accepting Applications for the 2012-2013 William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship

Contact: Linda Rowan(rowan@agiweb.org)

Alexandria, VA - What do energy resources for the future, understanding earthquakes to improve resiliency, and educating the next generation of geoscientists all have in common? Federal policymaking informed by the geosciences. If you are passionate about the role geoscience plays in the federal legislative process, consider applying for the American Geosciences Institute's William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship for 2012-2013. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to spend a year on Capitol Hill working in a congressional office and learning about the legislative process. 

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 professional geoscience 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. Applicants must be a member of one of AGI's member societies, a list of which is available here or online at http://www.agiweb.org/members/index.html. 

The William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship is funded through an endowment in honor of 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. At the national level, Fisher served as the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Energy and Minerals under President Ford. He served as an advisor to the President and Secretaries of Energy and the Interior for several administrations, and chaired numerous National Research Council committees and boards. 

The deadline for applications is February 1, 2012. For more information please contact govt@agiweb.org and to apply for the William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship please visit AGI's website at
http://www.agiweb.org/gap/csf/. Several of AGI's Member Societies and other science societies also sponsor Congressional Science Fellowships. It is acceptable to apply to more than one fellowship opportunity. Stipends, application procedures, eligibility, timetables, and deadlines vary.

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The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of 50 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.