IEEE-USA Government Fellowship 2027 - $100,000 in DC

A one-year programme that places qualified US IEEE members in Washington as advisers to the US Congress or the US Department of State. IEEE-USA created it in 1973, and more than 150 members have served since. Fellows are not employees of IEEE or of the government, and they owe IEEE-USA nothing beyond periodic reports designed to teach other engineers about the experience. Three tracks currently run: the Congressional Fellowship, the Congressional Electric Grid Policy Fellowship, and the Engineering and Diplomacy Fellowship at the State Department.

A stipend of $95,000 plus a $5,000 relocation allowance, $100,000 in total, normally paid in two equal lump sums at the beginning and midpoint of the year. The allowance is meant for relocation but can be spent on any fellowship expense or folded into the stipend. IEEE-USA also covers the orientation registration fee separately. Be clear-eyed about the gap, though: IEEE-USA's policies expect your employer, or you, to cover the balance of salary and all benefit costs.

US citizens who are IEEE members in good standing and hold either a PhD or a master's degree plus at least five years of full-time professional work experience. The degree must come from an accredited program in science, engineering, computer or allied disciplines eligible for IEEE membership, and internships or student jobs do not count towards the five years. The Government Fellows Committee can waive the degree and experience requirement in exceptional cases for extraordinary compensating experience.

For the Congressional Fellowship and the State Department track, yes, and membership must be in good standing at the time of application, with graduate student membership counting. The Congressional Electric Grid Policy Fellowship works differently: you can apply without being a member, but you have to join IEEE if you are granted the fellowship. Either way you must be an active member to actually serve.

IEEE-USA has not posted it yet. The 2027-2028 application materials for all three tracks are listed as coming soon, and the 2026-2027 cycle closed in the first half of January. Expect an early January 2027 closing date and check the official fellowships page rather than relying on a third-party listing. When the date is published, note that applications must be received electronically by 12pm Eastern, not merely sent by then.

Yes, and IEEE-USA is unambiguous about it. All fellows must live in the Washington DC metropolitan area, because the work cannot be accomplished virtually and requires full-time presence on site. That is the practical reason for the $5,000 relocation allowance, and the reason the fellowship suits people who can genuinely move for a year rather than commute occasionally.

AAAS runs an umbrella congressional science and engineering fellowship programme in collaboration with roughly 25 to 30 professional societies, and it also hosts the orientation that IEEE-USA fellows attend. But the awards are separate. IEEE-USA selects and funds its own fellows using its own criteria, including the IEEE membership requirement, and you must apply to IEEE-USA directly. IEEE-USA states plainly that you should not apply to AAAS for its fellowships.

IEEE-USA does not restrict applications from federal employees, but it warns applicants to check first. Many agencies and branches of the military have their own fellowship policies and will not support participation in an outside programme, and over the years applicants from military backgrounds have been refused permission at very late stages of the process. Investigate your organisation's rules before investing weeks in an application.

No. Neither IEEE-USA nor Congress provides insurance or other benefits. Many employers keep fellows on benefits during the year because they see value in the Washington experience, which is one more reason to have the leave-of-absence conversation early. If you have no employer cover, you will need to arrange your own, and IEEE member discount schemes are one place to look.