National Policy Fellowships

NASW encourages social work students, mid-level professionals and social work faculty to pursue social work fellowships.


Macro Policy Practice as a Social Work Career Path


Fellowships

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are training grants designed to enable young investigators to qualify for independent careers in suicide research. The training can be in either basic or clinical research and must be full-time; that is, Fellows are expected to devote at least 40 hours per week to the training program and may not have any significant clinical or other responsibilities during the funding period.


American Public Health Association Public Health Fellowship in Government

Seeking candidates with strong public health credentials who wish to spend one year in Washington, D.C., working in a Congressional office on legislative and policy issues such as health, the environment or other public health concerns. Fellows have the opportunity to see firsthand how public policy impacts public health and to offer their public health expertise to policymakers.


Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Fellowship

This fellowship program is a 9-month, full-time legislative and public policy fellowship in Washington, D.C., that provides exceptional graduates and young professionals with an opportunity to work on policy issues as full-time staff members of a congressional office. Candidates must have demonstrated leadership and understanding of Asian American and Pacific Islander issues. Areas of focus are General Fellowship, Education and Labor, and Financial Services.


Capital City Fellows Program (CCFP)

The Capital City Fellows Program (CCFP) is a mayoral initiative to attract recent graduates of master’s degree programs who are interested in public service to work for the city of Washington, DC. Selected Fellows are appointed for 18 months during which they may complete three six- month rotations in different city agencies within the government operations, health and human services, public safety and justice, planning and economic development or education clusters.


Charles B. Rangel Graduate Fellowship Program

The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State in which they can help formulate, represent and implement U.S. foreign policy.


Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Congressional Fellowships

This 20-month fellowship program enables participants to receive hands-on public policy training in congressional and committee offices as full-time legislative aides and policy analysts. The CBCF Congressional Fellows take part in policy briefings, roundtable discussions, seminars, and training sessions on policy and leadership. Fellows create and implement community service projects, produce policy briefs and a research paper.


Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Global Leaders Internship and Fellowship Program

The CHLI Global Leaders Internship and Fellowship Program is an opportunity for students from the United States and Puerto Rico to spend one semester (12-15 weeks) working with Congress and other respected corporations in Washington, D.C., while earning academic credit hours. Fellows work on project-based programs that provide hands-on experience working in public policy


David A. Winston Health Policy Fellowship

The David A. Winston Health Policy Fellowship is a 12-month postgraduate experience in Washington, DC. The first portion of the Fellowship is a planned rotation of at least three months during which the Fellows will visit various centers of current health policy development at the national and state level. During the final months, the Fellows will pursue a full-time placement with the guidance of the Winston Board of Directors, which is comprised of key policymakers from the private and public sectors.


Executive Office of the President

The Executive Office of the President offers multiple paid internships that will be hosted in person on the White House campus in Washington, DC. They support academic credit requests. Interns have an opportunity to serve in an array of offices within the White House to include the White House Office, the Office of the Vice President, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and more.


Government Affairs Institute Capitol Hill Fellowship

The Capitol Hill Fellowship Program is designed for executives and managers who require a high-level working knowledge of Congress. The congressional fellowship may be used to fulfill requirements in certain management or executive development programs.


Grace L. Ostenso Nutrition and Public Policy Fellowship

The fellowship permits the recipient to participate in the Congressional Science and Engineering Fellows Program (the Program) and spend one year working as a special assistant on a legislation focusing on diet and nutrition that will benefit from scientific and engineering input, serving on the staffs of Members of Congress or congressional committees.


Harold W. Rosenthal Fellowship in International Relations

The fellowship provides a select number of students with summer funding and work opportunities in a congressional or executive branch office. Fellows will benefit from unparalleled work experience while also participating in an orientation and roundtable discussions. The ideal prospective fellows have exhibited outstanding scholarly achievements, commitment to the study of international affairs, and interest in public service.


Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program

The program is open to professionals from diverse disciplines, at all career stages, with a demonstrated commitment to health and aging issues and a desire to be involved in health policy at the federal, state or local levels. The program offers two tracks: a residential program (up to $120K), which is a 9-12 month placement in Washington, D.C., or at a state agency as a either a legislative assistant in Congress or professional staff in an executive agency or policy organization; and a non- residential program, which includes a health policy project.


Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship

The Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship provides college graduates with the opportunity to gain a Washington perspective on key issues of peace and security. Twice yearly, the Fellowship’s Board of Directors selects a group of outstanding individuals to spend 6-9 months in Washington. Supported by a salary, the fellows serve as full-time junior staff members at the participating organization of their choice. The program also arranges meetings for the fellows with policy experts. Application deadlines in October and January.


Humanity In Action Alfred Landecker Democracy Fellowship

We look for young leaders of diverse backgrounds and support them in their quest to build bridges through projects that enable our societies to unpack and address historic and contemporary systems of inequality. Our intention is to support young professionals who have new ideas to form unique and lasting ties among communities that are increasingly drifting apart.


John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program

The Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.


Legis Congressional Fellowship

The Legis Congressional Fellowship provides an exceptional public policy learning experience for government managers and senior corporate executives who seek insight into how Congress works and how public policy is made.


National Race and Equity Initiative John R. Lewis Social Justice Policy Fellowship Program

Distinguished by two six-month rotations, Social Justice Fellows will be placed in the U.S. Congress with Congressional Black Caucus members and the CBCF’s Center for Policy Analysis and Research (CPAR) for a total of 12 months. Fellows will produce social justice policy research and analysis on topics that include, but not limited to, criminal justice, education reform, community/economic development, health disparities and civil rights. While working in Congressional Black Caucus member offices, Fellows will gain invaluable legislative experience as they engage in the development of public policy initiatives, attend briefings, conduct research, write speeches, and develop rapport with key leaders all in the areas of social justice. In the Center for Policy Analysis and Research, Fellows will work under the NREI Director and in cooperation with other stakeholders to conduct policy analysis, research, and data collection with the goal to disseminate research findings and relevant information to advance NREI’s mission.


Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellows

The Health Policy Fellows program is a residential fellowship experience in Washington, D.C., for mid-career professionals, which prepares individuals to influence the future of healthcare and accelerate their own career development. Fellows actively participate in the formulation of national health policies in congressional offices and accelerate their careers as leaders in health policy. Fellows are able to continue their health policy activities for up to 12 months after the Washington placement period.


Spirit Mountain Community Fund Mark Hatfield Fellow

This internship lasts for nine months as fellows learn the inner workings of the federal political system and serve as advisers on Native American issues.


US Agency for International Development Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program

The fellowship is a 20-month policy training and leadership development program for entry level professionals who are committed to advancing U.S. foreign policy. Fellows gain exposure to the U.S. foreign policy making process as part of their assignment to a CBC member office and work on congressional committees. As part of the program, fellows organize policy briefings and roundtable discussions; attend seminars on policy, politics, and leadership; create and implement a community service project with other CBCF Fellows; and produce policy briefs and a research paper.


US Public Interest Research Group Fellowship

Fellows learn how to become an experienced organizer and advocate for the public interest. This is a two-year program, expressly designed to prepare future leaders within PIRG. Fellows receive a competitive benefits package for positions in Washington, D.C., Boston and Chicago.


Victory Congressional Fellowship

The fellowship prepares young LGBTQ professionals to become informed decision-makers and influential leaders who can change their communities and our world.