The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Climate Crossroads Congressional Fellowship provides current Congressional staff with a solid grounding in the science, engineering, and health dimensions of climate change. Fellows will strengthen their foundations of scientific literacy and access emerging knowledge and expertise, as well as build connections with colleagues from a wide range of policy backgrounds.

Program Goals

1. Build capacity for science-informed policy making through a 9-month training and networking experience for a bipartisan, bicameral annual cohort of Climate Crossroads Congressional Fellows.
2. Enable community-building and foster dialogue among peers with a variety of viewpoints who share the common interest of science-informed policy making.
3. Enhance policy maker access to leading developments in science, engineering, and medicine, drawing upon the breadth of the National Academies’ reports, events, expertise, and networks.

Fellowship Details

The 2025-2026 cohort will start their fellowship with a reception in September in Washington, DC, followed by a series of additional events to be held in-person during the following eight months. This will include some combination of lunch and breakfast briefings, evening seminars, and other events in or near the Capitol Complex and the National Academies’ buildings in Washington, DC. An intensive weekend seminar outside Washington, DC will be central to the fellowship. In addition, fellows will have the option of participating in fellow-only activities in conjunction with other National Academies events. Fellows who complete the program will be part of the alumni network, have access to future alumni events, and receive invitations to future climate programming at the National Academies.

This program is designed to comply with House and Senate ethics rules.

Additional information on the fellowship and application can be found here.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Work in one of the following: U.S. Congress, the Congressional Budget Office, the Congressional Research Service, or the Government Accountability Office to apply and at the time of the fellowship start date in September 2025
• Have a minimum two years of work experience

This opportunity is open to early-, mid-, and senior-level staff. Previous climate change knowledge or higher degrees are not required.