Applications for the January 2025 fellowship are closed.
You can download an offline version of the application here.
The Congressional Innovation Fellowship places technologists in Congressional offices to provide expertise on technology policy. The fellowship aims to bridge the gap between the tech industry and government, ensuring informed decision-making on issues like cybersecurity, privacy, and emerging technologies.
We are recruiting for 12 - 16 fellows for the January 2025 Fellowship: 6 - 8 fellows to serve in Democratic offices and 6 - 8 to serve in Republican offices. For the January 2025 cohort, we are searching for both early- and mid-career technologists.
Since 2016, we’ve sent over 119 technologists to Congress who have made an incredible impact on both the institution and tech policy. Congress needs people like you.
Sign up for our newsletter and view application resources below— including our offline application, testimonies from our fellows, frequently asked questions, and information about upcoming informational calls.
general
TechCongress’ Senior Congressional Innovation Fellowship (our mid-career pipeline), and Congressional Innovation Fellowship (our early-career pipeline) places scientists, engineers, and other technologists to serve as policy advisors to members of Congress.
As a TechCongress Fellow you will:
Work with TechCongress to choose a placement with a Member or Congress or Congressional Committee and report directly to a senior staffer (like a Legislative or Staff Director) in that office.
Perform duties similar to other Congressional staff by applying your experience in technology to a variety of work, including:
Researching relevant policymaking (on issues like encryption, autonomous vehicle regulations, facial recognition privacy, health IT, election security, disinformation, open data, cyber/data security and many others).
Helping educate Members and staff about these issues.
Writing legislation.
Preparing for and organizing Committee hearings, markups, or investigations.
Building coalitions with partners and other groups.
Support TechCongress by writing about and presenting on your experience periodically, and represent TechCongress and the Congressional Innovation Scholars at meetings or events.
stipend and benefits
Senior (mid-career) Fellows will serve in their offices from January through December 2025. They will have the option of a one-month extension, through January 2026, to write about their experience and to provide extra time for a post-fellowship job search. We're looking for our mid-career fellows to have at least eight years of work or postgraduate study. Mid-career fellows (Senior Fellows) receive a stipend of $93,000/year.
Congressional Innovation (early-career) Fellows will serve in their offices from January - October 2025. We're looking for our early-career fellows to have between two to six years of experience (including recently finished or projected to finish a technical degree program, such as a Masters or PhD, by January 2025). Early-career fellows (Fellows) receive a $70,000 annual-equivalent stipend.
TechCongress additionally provides the following benefits:
A health insurance supplement of up to $425/month
Up to $2,000 for relocation to Washington, D.C. for those moving from outside the area
A reimbursement of up to $2,000 for accommodation for the first month of the fellowship in the DC area for short term housing (Airbnb, etc.) to ease the transition
Up to $2,000 for official travel, including a visit to the home district of your boss
A $500 clothing allowance for purchases of professional attire
Up to three sessions with a career coach to help plan for post-fellowship opportunities
fREquently asked questions
Application Process
Eligibility Requirements
For the January 2025 Congressional Innovation Fellowship, we are looking for both early- and mid-career technologists. Individuals with a background in technology and with technical skills are encouraged to apply. Fellows have diverse expertise and backgrounds. Our fellows to-date have had significant technical experience, including backgrounds in computer science, engineering and cybersecurity policy.
What kind of education is required to be a fellow? What level of schooling do I need to be eligible for the January 2025 Fellowship cohort?Any bachelors, graduate-level or PhD-level program in computer science, engineering, data science, informatics, IT, cybersecurity, or other technical field as well as being a bootcamp graduate would make you well qualified. If you studied or worked in one of these fields, or worked in a technical field and are now pursuing a law or public policy degree, you are also eligible.
Those applying as an early-career technologist should have between two and six years of experience post-undergrad, which includes individuals that have recently completed a graduate-level or PhD-level program. Recent graduates with Bachelor's degrees with no work experience are not eligible.
Those applying a mid-career technologist should have eight or more years of work or postgraduate study.
Do I need formal technical training, like a computer science or engineering degree, to apply for the program?Not necessarily. Fellows come from diverse backgrounds. That said, all of our fellows have had professional experience working with the nuts and bolts of technology. An understanding of how technology works, and an ability to translate complex technical concepts is essential. Please have a look at our current fellows or alumni to get a better sense of the kinds of individuals we’re looking for.
What We're Looking For
Fellows are selected using criteria that includes: potential for leadership in technology policy; professional achievements and technical ability; commitment to building a diverse and cross-sector technology policy ecosystem; potential for future growth and career advancement; interpersonal, communication and “tech-translation” skills; individual plans for incorporating the fellowship experience into specific career goals.
What is the difference between the Senior Congressional Innovation Fellowship and the Congressional Innovation Fellowship?
The primary difference between the Senior Fellows and Fellows is their level of experience coming into the fellowship and the duration of their time in the program. The Senior Fellows are mid-career (at least eight years of experience) and participate in a 13-month fellowship. Fellows are early-career (they typically have between two to six years of experience, or recently graduated from a Masters or PhD program) and have a 10.5-month fellowship.
Both Congressional Innovation Fellows and Senior Congressional Innovation Fellows have the same role: to serve as a tech policy advisor.
Do I have to be a U.S. citizen to apply?You must be a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, or green card holder throughout the duration of the fellowship. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, or those eligible for the DACA program, are eligible and encouraged to apply.
Is remote participation in the fellowship possible?Unfortunately, no. Remote participation is not possible. You will have to relocate to Washington, D.C. for the fellowship. Most offices require you to work in person. Regardless of whether you are working in person or in a hybrid model, fellows will staff Members of Congress at Committee hearings and during floor votes and it is imperative that you are local for those occasions. We do, however, provide relocation support to our fellows to help them make the transition.
What if I want to stay on in Congress after the program is finished?That’s great! That’s exactly what we’re trying to accomplish. We spend a large portion of the program helping you build your network in Washington and on Capitol Hill in order to position you to find full-time employment after the program finishes.
Are any benefits provided with the fellowship?Yes! In addition to a stipend, fellows receive a health care reimbursement of up to $425 per month; a $2000 reimbursement for Fellowship travel; up to $2000 for relocation expenses; up to $2000 for accommodation for the first month of the fellowship in the Washington DC area to ease the transition; and a $500 clothing allowance for purchases of professional attire.
Application Logistics
You can apply here. Our application consists of a qualifications essay, a motivations essay, and a tech policy memo. We also ask that applicants provide an anonymized resume (devoid of identifying information) and the names/contact information for two references. Please note that we do not require references to write letters of recommendation.
You can view an offline version of the application here.
Do you prefer to receive resumes or CVs?We will accept a resume or CV! Please use whichever format you prefer and will highlight your candidacy.
What does an anonymous resume look like? What if I want to include my publications?We ask that applicants remove identifying information from their resume, such as name, photos, and LinkedIn urls, as the first round of application review is anonymized to help to prevent unconscious bias. Please also ensure that the name of the file does not have your name on it.
We know that applicants will have papers or articles they published that they want to showcase and we encourage you to do so! Please just ensure your name is not showing (some folks choose to replace their name with XXX or redact your name).
Should I highlight extracurriculars, volunteer experiences, or leadership opportunities in my resume?Yes, if you think it showcases your candidacy better! We encourage folks to include these when they can.
Selections Process & Interviewing Details
Our selection process is approximately eight to ten weeks. We conduct an anonymized first review of applications and then invite candidates to a 20-minute first round interview. We then invite candidates to a 45-minute second round interview and conduct reference checks before making offers. Please note that we will notify you before contacting your references.
You can read more about our selection process from the previous application cycle here.
Will I receive feedback on my application?Since our application review process is anonymized, we’re unable to provide individual feedback about an application.
Nominations
TechCongress is committed to building an ecosystem of diverse, cross-sector technology policy leaders. We recognize that diversity is a problem in the technology community and are working to be part of the solution. As part of this commitment, we’re dedicated to testing new approaches towards building an equitable organization and fellowship. We are the first organization in Washington, D.C., or in politics, to adopt a diversity referral award.
If you nominate a candidate from an underrepresented community for one of our fellowship programs and they apply, are accepted, and join the program as a fellow, we’re going to pay you $500.
Can I refer someone for the fellowship? Can I nominate myself?Anyone can nominate a candidate! The easiest way to nominate someone is through our site to qualify for the referral, you just nominate a candidate for the fellowship. When a candidate is accepted and begins as a fellow, we will search the nominations form to see if that individual was referred to us. We’ll also ask fellows to identify if they were nominated or referred to the program by an individual.
Only third-party referrers are eligible for the diversity award. Even though we encourage folks to nominate themselves, just know they aren’t eligible to receive the $500 award.
Fellowship Term Dates
The January 2025 Fellows will start in early January 2025. Senior Fellows will serve from January - December 2025 (with an optional one-month extension of your stipend through January) and Fellows will serve from January - October 2025 (with an optional two weeks extension of your stipend through mid-November).
Preparing Fellows for Congress
Relocation
We provide up to $2000 for relocation expenses and up to $2000 for accommodation for the first month of the fellowship in the Washington DC area to ease the transition.
Orientation
During the first three weeks of the program, fellows participate in a rigorous orientation that comprises of two parts:
Part one consists of learning about how the policymaking process works within Congress, with workshops on the following topics: legislative process; House and Senate floor procedure; committee jurisdiction and process; memo writing; and oversight letters and investigations.
Part two consists of visits with tech policy thought leaders at academic institutions, civil society groups and technology companies to explore the range of perspectives on common tech policy challenges.
Placement
The placement period, which is the second three weeks of the program (weeks four through six overall), is primarily fellow-driven. After orientation, TechCongress will facilitate meetings with staff from Member offices and Committees to help fellows find their placement.
We help secure interviews with any offices that have identified ahead of time are interested in hosting a fellow, and leverage our networks to try to get fellows conversations with offices they’re interested in or align with their policy interests. The TechCongress team and community serve as a sounding board that help fellows decide where to work. All 95 of our fellows have served highly influential Members of Congress or Congressional Committees. No fellow has ever failed to find a placement, and we are very proud of the impact they’ve made.
Although we encourage our fellows to meet with as many offices in Congress as they are interested in, please keep in mind that certain committees that require security clearances may be reluctant to host fellows given these sensitivities.
Fellowship Experience
Expectations
Fellows are expected to abide by all House and Senate ethics rules and the Congressional Innovation Fellows Code of Conduct. Fellows operate much like regular Congressional Staff and are expected to abide by the rules of their placement offices. Additional information is available on the House and Senate Ethics Committee websites, at www.house.gov/ethics and www.ethics.senate.gov.
Day-to-day Working on the Hill
The day-to-day for a fellow widely depends on placement; we like to say that each office in Congress operates like its own small business, with different cultures and procedures. However, many fellows spend their time reading legislation, catching up on the news, meeting with stakeholders, and providing feedback or counsel on a tech policy issue to staffers. We’ve also had fellows help organize hearings and write oversight letters.
Professional Development & Mentorship Opportunities
We provide our fellows with a professional development stipend of up to $2000 over the duration of their fellowship, which they can use on a variety of educational resources such as conferences, courses, and certifications. TechCongress additionally connects fellows with a career coach for a number of free sessions towards the end of their fellowship, to help them polish their resume and prepare for the job search. We also host multiple networking events throughout the year, aimed at connecting fellows with other folks in the tech policy space. Our Slack is very active, and always has different events and opportunities for both fellows and alumni.
Post-Fellowship
Opportunities
Halfway through the fellowship, TechCongress convenes each cohort and discusses advice for the job search (for example, what to do if you want to stay in Congress, how to apply for jobs in the Executive Branch, etc.). Most recently, we ran a series of three workshops dedicated to providing guidance for fellows. We also connect fellows with a career coach, who helps them think through post-fellowship planning and offers help with resumes and cover letters. We additionally have a Slack channel dedicated to sharing open positions and run a public ‘Policy Opportunities for Technologists’ newsletter.
Alumni Engagement
We are fortunate to have an extremely active alumni network. There are many opportunities to stay engaged with TechCongress as an alumni.
Where Fellows Have Gone Afterwards
Fellows work in a variety of sectors after completing their fellowship. Approximately a third of fellows stay in the government (Legislative or Executive Branch), a third of fellows go to civil society organizations or think tanks, and a third of fellows go back to industry but in more policy-oriented roles that enables them to leverage the knowledge gained from their fellowship.
To learn more about where fellows have worked post-fellowship, you can check out the Our Impact page on our website.
Conflicts of Interest
- Significantly impair the fellow’s objectivity, or
- Create an unfair competitive advantage for any person or organization
- Past, existing and future paid and unpaid activities.
- Board affiliations
- Consultancies or other interests and sources of financial support
In order to preserve the integrity of the TechCongress fellowship, and ensure that the fellow is not compromised by the appearance of a conflict of interest, the fellow will be required to sign a statement affirming that there is no conflict of interest or competing interest that would preclude a fellow from participating in a Congressional fellowship.
The term “Conflict of Interest” applies not only to the applicant, but to the interests of others in which the applicant has significant financial interest, including the applicant’s partner or dependents.
In addition to this statement, fellows must comply with laws, rules, and standards of conduct applicable to House and Senate employees and may be required to sign statements affirming compliance with these requirements.
These include “the Code of Official Conduct (House Rule 23), the gift rule (House Rule 25, clause 5), the ban on solicitations (5 U.S.C. § 7353), and the limitations on accepting a payment for a speech, article, or appearance (House Rule 25, clause 1(a)(2)).”
As a condition of the fellowship, the fellow may be required by the federal government to submit a financial disclosure statement and sign a declaration of adherence to policies and laws governing codes of ethical conduct. For more information about specific ethics determinations, please visit http://ethics.senate.gov/downloads/pdffiles/manual.pdf and http://ethics.house.gov/sites/ethics.house.gov/files/documents/2008_House_Ethics_Manual.pdf (see page 284).
Events & RESOURCES
Interested in learning more about the fellowship and our application questions? Want some tips and tricks to help with your essays?
Throughout our recruitment cycles, we host several events to help guide our prospective applicants through the entire process with hands-on help from the TechCongress team and former fellows.
You can find the links to all of our events here.
For those who are not able to attend, don’t worry— you can find the recordings of our events on our blog.
IMPACT
Curious about where some of our fellows served and landed post-fellowship?
MORE ABOUT TECHCONGRESS
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