Selection Process

Selection Summary

The AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) are extremely competitive, involving an intensive process to review applications and select fellowship finalists. The selection process involves the following steps:

  1. November: STPF staff review all applications to ensure applicants meet the basic eligibility criteria and that all required materials have been submitted.
  2. Mid-November: For the legislative branch and Roger Revelle program areas, each application is read and scored by three Readers (alumni fellows), who rate it according to STPF's criteria & scoring guidelines. Raw and z-scores are then calculated and utilized to designate the top-ranking applicants. These applications will be forwarded to the Selection Committees. This step is not applicable to the executive or judicial branch committees.
  3. Mid-December: These applications are then evaluated and rated by at least three members of the Selection Committee they are assigned to, using STPF's criteria & scoring guidelines. Raw and Z-scores are then calculated and provided to the Selection Committee members, along with individual Committee members’ comments, before the first Selection Committee meeting.
  4. Late January: Selection Committees convene for an initial meeting to discuss the applicants and designate the semi-finalists to interview. The raw scores, Z-scores and comments are used to enrich the discussions. At this meeting the Selection Committee members also decide on the briefing memo topic(s).
  5. Mid-February: Semi-finalists submit a briefing memo either on a designated topic or on their choice of topic from among a range of issues (to be determined by the Selection Committees at their first meeting) that is read by all Selection Committee members before the interviews.
  6. Late February/Early March: Semi-finalists are interviewed online using video sharing technology by Selection Committees. At the end of each day of interviews, the semi-finalists are scored, ranked, discussed and voted on to determine the fellowship finalists.

Once Executive Branch applicants are designated as finalists, they are invited to participate in in-person Finalist Interview Week to meet with potential host offices. Upon acceptance of a suitable placement offer, finalists are officially offered a fellowship.

After the Selection Committee selects a person to offer the Judicial Fellowship, their application materials are sent to the Federal Judicial Center (FJC) for final approval. The Judicial fellow then receives a fellowship award letter and begins their assignment at the FJC in September.

Legislative Branch and Roger Revelle fellows are offered the fellowship after semi-finalist interviews. The Roger Revelle fellow then selects a fellowship placement in consultation with STPF, while the legislative branch fellows select their placements following AAAS orientation in September.