StudyDesk Scholarships
About the fellowship
IEEE-USA, the U.S. arm of the world’s largest technical professional organisation, runs its Government Fellowship Program to place engineers and technologists inside the federal government for a year. There are three tracks: the Congressional Fellowship, working on Capitol Hill; the Engineering & Diplomacy Fellowship, at the U.S. Department of State; and the Congressional Electric Grid Policy Fellowship, focused on grid policy. Fellows spend the year advising on legislation and policy, bringing a technical perspective to decisions that are usually made without one — and the experience routinely shapes careers in public policy, industry and academia.
The 2027–28 fellowship year runs 1 September 2027 to 31 August 2028, and the application deadline is 1 January 2027, per the official IEEE-USA page (updated 13 October 2026). The award is reported by aggregators at about $100,000 in total — roughly a $95,000 stipend plus a $5,000 relocation allowance — but that figure does not appear on the official IEEE-USA page, so this article presents it as aggregator-reported. Finalists are interviewed in person in Washington, D.C. on 9–10 February 2027, and those dates cannot be rescheduled.
Eligibility
- Be a U.S. citizen — mandatory, stated explicitly on the official page. This fellowship is not open to international applicants.
- Be an active IEEE member in good standing (graduate student members are eligible). The Electric Grid Policy track does not require membership at the application stage but requires joining if selected.
- Hold a PhD, or a Master’s degree plus at least five years of full-time relevant professional experience (aggregator-sourced; not stated on the official page section read).
- Have a strong science, engineering or technology background, excellent written and verbal communication, and a demonstrated interest in public policy.
- Be able to relocate to Washington, D.C. for the full year.
Benefits
- About $100,000 in total (aggregator-reported: ~$95,000 stipend + $5,000 relocation allowance) — not confirmed on the official page.
- A year working on Capitol Hill (Congressional Fellowship), at the U.S. Department of State (Engineering & Diplomacy Fellowship), or on Electric Grid Policy.
- Direct experience of legislation and policy-making from inside government.
- Fellowship year: 1 September 2027 – 31 August 2028.
Documents to prepare
- A letter of intent.
- A personal/technical resume.
- Three letters of reference.
- Note: this document list is aggregator-sourced — confirm the exact requirements on the official fellowships page when you apply.
How to apply
- Open the official IEEE-USA fellowships page and choose your track (Congressional, Engineering & Diplomacy, or Electric Grid Policy).
- Apply directly to IEEE-USA through the “Apply Online” links on that page — do not apply via AAAS.
- Submit your letter of intent, resume and three letters of reference by 1 January 2027.
- If selected as a finalist, attend the in-person interview in Washington, D.C. on 9–10 February 2027 — interviews cannot be rescheduled.
FAQs
1 January 2027 for the 2027–28 fellowships, per the official IEEE-USA page (updated 13 October 2026). Two aggregators give 8 January 2027 — use the official 1 January date.
About $100,000 in total — roughly a $95,000 stipend plus a $5,000 relocation allowance — according to aggregators. The figure is not confirmed on the official IEEE-USA page, so treat it as aggregator-reported.
No. U.S. citizenship is mandatory and is stated explicitly on the official page. Aggregator pages calling it “for international students” are wrong.
Yes — you must be an active IEEE member in good standing (graduate student members are eligible). The Electric Grid Policy track is the exception: it does not require membership at the application stage, but you must join if selected.
The Congressional Fellowship (Capitol Hill), the Engineering & Diplomacy Fellowship (U.S. Department of State), and the Congressional Electric Grid Policy Fellowship.
Apply directly to IEEE-USA through the “Apply Online” links on the official fellowships page — do not apply via AAAS. Finalists are interviewed in person in Washington, D.C. on 9–10 February 2027.
1 September 2027 to 31 August 2028.
Verified 27 Oct 2026: ieeeusa.org/public-policy/government-fellowships/ (official IEEE-USA page, updated 13 Oct 2026) — "The Deadline for 2027-2028 Congressional Fellowships is 1 January 2027"; U.S. citizenship mandatory, stated explicitly; active IEEE member in good standing; three tracks (Congressional Fellowship, Engineering & Diplomacy Fellowship, Congressional Electric Grid Policy Fellowship); apply directly to IEEE-USA via the "Apply Online" links (do NOT apply via AAAS); finalists interviewed in person in Washington, D.C. on 9-10 February 2027 (interviews cannot be rescheduled); fellowship year 1 September 2027 - 31 August 2028. Aggregators (kaistscholarship.com, Bright Scholarship) — ~$95,000 stipend + $5,000 relocation allowance (~$100,000 total); PhD, or Master's plus at least 5 years of full-time relevant professional experience; letter of intent, personal/technical resume, three letters of reference; Electric Grid Policy track does not require membership at application stage but requires joining if selected. CONFLICTS: official page says 1 January 2027; gradualin.com and engineersjob.in say 8 January 2027 (12:00 PM ET) — the official date is used. One engineersjob.in page lists "31 July 2026" — stale/wrong, contradicted by the official page. Bright Scholarship says the fellowship is "for international students" and "deadline not specified" — both wrong. The $100,000 figure is NOT on the official page and is presented as aggregator-reported.
