Aug 15, 2023   SOURCE: BusinessWire

ORISE Announces Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Applications Are Now Open for 2024-25 Cohort

Are you a K-12 STEM educator wanting to make a real difference? If yes, then you are invited to apply to become an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow in Washington, DC, where you can make an impact on STEM education efforts at the national level.

Applications are open now for the 2024-2025 cohort of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship (AEF) Program. The AEF Program provides unique opportunities for accomplished K-12 STEM educators to serve 11 months in a federal agency or U.S. Congressional office. AEF Fellows bring their extensive classroom knowledge and experiences to their host offices to inform federal education policy, programs, and initiatives.

To be eligible, applicants must be U.S. citizens who currently are employed full time in a U.S. public or private elementary or secondary school, or school district. Applicants must have been teaching full time in a public or private elementary or secondary school for at least five of the last seven years in a STEM discipline.

Einstein Fellows gain knowledge, resources, and broader perspectives on national educational issues that can then be brought back to the classroom or to leadership positions in their districts or elsewhere. Einstein Fellows bring their expertise, practical insights, and real-world experience as classroom teachers to Congress and to branches of federal government to contribute to the educational outcomes of research, award, and instructional programs at the sponsoring agencies. Program applications must be submitted by November 16, 2023, at 8 p.m. EST, through the online application system.

AEF Fellows receive a living stipend of $8,200 a month, along with other allowances, that enables them to spend 11 months in Washington, DC. Additional information about the program, including eligibility requirements, program benefits, application requirements and access to the online application system may be found at https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.

The Einstein Fellowship program is administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science and coordinated by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). Current sponsoring agencies include DOE, Department of Defense, Library of Congress, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, United States Geological Survey, and Department of Homeland Security. In addition to sponsoring placements at DOE headquarters, DOE sponsors up to five placements in U.S. Congressional offices.

Professional development opportunities for Einstein Fellows include opportunities to attend hearings and briefings on Capitol Hill and to attend and participate in panel discussions held at national organizations. Fellows also participate in other activities, including engaging with resources from the Smithsonian Institution, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and the Library of Congress.

Outstanding contributions of current and past Einstein Fellows include:

  • Implementing major components of national STEM education programs;
  • Initiating collaborations and partnerships among Federal agencies;
  • Advising on policies that seek to improve K-12 education in the United States;
  • Creating web-based science education tools; and
  • Establishing and evaluating national and regional programs centered on diversity and equity reform and teacher retention and preparation in STEM.

About ORISE

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education is a U.S. Department of Energy asset that is dedicated to enabling critical scientific, research, and health initiatives of the department and its laboratory system by providing world-class expertise in STEM workforce development, scientific and technical reviews, and the evaluation of radiation exposure and environmental contamination. ORISE is managed by ORAU, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and federal contractor, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science

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