Dear Dr. XXX,
On behalf of the Biophysical Society (BPS), I am pleased to inform you that you
have been selected as the 2014-2015 Biophysical Society Congressional Fellow.
Your 12-month term tentatively is set to begin in August 2014 and end one year
later, with continuous full-time work on Capitol Hill during that time period.
The next step is for you to participate in an orientation program and then pursue
placement. Orientation through the American Association for the Advancement
of Science (AAAS) will begin on August 31, 2014. Ellen Weiss
([email protected]) will be your Biophysical Society point-person and will
work with AAAS to set up your orientation. She will contact you to go over the
process and help you navigate what you will need to do. Members of our staff,
AAAS, and prior Fellows will help you with your placement, but you will be
ultimately responsible for finding your placement and for arranging your
housing.
A Fellow may serve as a staff member on a congressional committee, as the
personal staff of a member of congress, or in a Capitol Hill agency. Serving in
this way, rather than as a participant observer or researcher, solidifies the link
between you and the Hill staff and makes the uses and contributions of a
biophysicist more apparent. The placement site (and BPS) expects you to work
full time, every day, for the regular hours of that placement.
In addition, by accepting this Fellowship, you agree to maintain membership in
the Biophysical Society during your tenure as a Fellow, complete and submit to
the BPS a mid-year and end-of-the year report on your experience, attend the
Society’s Annual Meeting in February 2015 to report on your experience, and
assist with recruitment of future Society Congressional fellows.
The Society agrees to provide you monthly stipend payments in the amount of
XXXX, travel allowance of XXX, and health care reimbursements up to XXXX.
The Biophysical Society Council and public affairs committee are very excited
about your service as the Society’s Congressional Fellow and look forward to
hearing about your experience.
Congratulations!
Sincerely,
Francisco Bezanilla
Society President