The Jefferson Science Fellows (JSF) program at the US Department of State

In 2004 the US Department of State and the National Academies established the Jefferson Science Fellows program, to bring tenured faculty in sciences, engineering, and medicine to the Department of State or USAID for a year in residence, with continuing connections. Over twenty physical scientists have been Fellows, working in a wide variety of offices on a broad range of topics. The main advantage to Fellows is the opportunity to make an impact on important national and international issues, applying skills and judgments gained through their research, teaching, and service. The JSF experience can also create broader horizons for physicists, especially beyond the laboratory. The selection process and examples, including my own, will be described. Information can be found at //sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/Jefferson/.