Fellows spend one year at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), beginning in September 2006. AAAS/NIH Science Policy Fellows will be placed in NIH’s Office of the Director or in one of the Institutes and Centers. Fellows will learn about the analysis, development, and implementation of policies that affect the conduct of medical research. They also will have an opportunity to further develop an understanding of the processes and mechanisms that NIH uses to support, manage, and coordinate research, research training, and communications activities carried out by the agency. Fellows will interact with staff across NIH, other federal agencies, scientific associations, voluntary health agencies, and other public and private sector organizations. The program includes an orientation program on executive branch and congressional operations, as well as a year-long seminar program on issues relating to science, technology and public policy.

The fellowships are designed to provide a unique public policy learning experience, to demonstrate the value of government-university-industry interaction and to bring technical backgrounds and external perspectives to the policy-making process at NIH. The program will provide scientists with exposure to policy and planning processes, integration of scientific and technical knowledge into government policy development, and experience in interacting with a wide range of individuals in the public and private sectors.

Fellows will have opportunities to participate in a variety of NIH science policy and planning activities. The experience will provide Fellows with insights about the integration of biomedical research in the broad perspective of federal and international policy development and prioritization of policy and research initiatives within this framework.

All applicants must:

• have a PhD, an MD or an equivalent doctoral-level degree by the application deadline (10 January 2006).
• demonstrate exceptional competence in a specific area of science;
• be cognizant of and demonstrate sensitivity toward policy issues; and
• perhaps most importantly, have a strong interest and some experience in applying his/her professional knowledge toward the development of health policy.

Fellows are expected to be critical thinkers who are articulate, adaptable, and able to work with a variety of people with different professional backgrounds Applications are invited from individuals in any physical, biological, or behavioral science, medicine, any field of engineering or any relevant interdisciplinary field. Federal employees are not eligible.