Applications open for 2026 ANS Congressional Fellowship
The American Nuclear Society’s Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship application process is open, and ANS strongly encourages interested members to apply.
ANS Congressional Fellows can directly contribute to the federal policymaking process, working in either a U.S. senator’s or representative’s personal office or with a congressional committee. They are responsible for supplying Congress with their expertise in nuclear science and technology, having a hand in the creation of new laws while gaining a deeper understanding of the legislative process.
ANS will be sponsoring two Fellows for the 2026 term. These individuals will be selected in July and will each receive a stipend of $95,000. The term of the fellowship will run from January to December 2026.
Williams
“Working on Capitol Hill is an experience of a lifetime, and there is no better way for a nuclear professional looking to drive energy policy than through the ANS Congressional Fellowship,” said Bradley Williams, ANS member and senior policy advisor and lead for energy policy and strategic analysis at Idaho National Laboratory. Each year, ANS hosts its Fellows as part of the broader American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellows Program, “and each year,” Williams continued, “the nuclear Fellows are the most sought-after members of the cohort. ANS Fellows also tend to stick around, with many continuing on the Hill, or elsewhere in D.C., well after their fellowship concludes. Whether you’re simply looking to learn how the sausage is made, want to help develop a new law (or six), or hope to become the next NRC commissioner, the ANS Congressional Fellowship is a hugely rewarding experience that will change your life and is definitely something to consider.”
In 2020, Williams worked in oversight and policy deployment at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as an ANS Congressional Fellow.
Desai
“The ANS Congressional Fellowship provides great opportunities for a nuclear professional to participate in federal policymaking and experience firsthand the intersections between federal and state policy, theoretical science, and engineered technology,” said Harsh Desai, ANS treasurer and chief commercialization officer at Zeno Power.
In 2014, Desai worked in the office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) as ANS’s Congressional Fellow. “The ability to understand the role policy plays in the nuclear industry is essential for future leaders,” he added.
Applications are due June 6. Application instructions can be found here.
