The public interest technology movement has grown tremendously in the past few years. We’ve experienced the excitement for people to enter this field first-hand, as more and more of our applicants cite that their desire to work in policy stems from the desire to make an impact. COVID-19 made visible more than ever the urgent need for more technologists serving in government.
Each year, as offices on the Hill recognize the value of having a technologist on the team and technologists fall in love with the impact they can make through policy, our program grows. In 2020 we placed sixteen technologists on Capitol Hill, a 168% increase from 2018.
We are thrilled to build on this momentum and announce that applications are now open for the seventh class of Congressional Innovation Fellows!
Between now and August 3rd, we’re looking for top engineers, computer scientists, and other technologists who want to apply their skills to some of the biggest challenges facing our country and help shape technology policy.
We’re so proud that our alumni have done groundbreaking work, such as helping changing defense procurement rules to allow startups to better compete for contracts and support our servicemembers; helping draft the House Judiciary Committee’s Antitrust Subcommittee report on Big Tech; issuing House Modernization Committee’s recommendations to make Congress more effective, efficient and transparent; and passing the OPEN Government Data Act into law. They’ve also served with some of the top leaders in Congress, such as Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
Even if you’ve never thought you might want to work in government, you should give the Congressional Innovation Fellowship a second look. Training our fellows on how Congress works is what we do best, and through our comprehensive orientation, we provide fellows with an in-depth look on just how policy is made on the Hill, giving fellows the tools they needed to succeed from day one.
Throughout the next few months, we’ll be holding networking events and informational calls where you can ask us questions, meet the fellows, and learn more about the fellowship. You can check out a list of our upcoming events here.
We hope you’ll join us and apply!