Congressional Innovation Fellowship

TechCongress is building 21st century government with technology talent through our Senior Congressional Innovation Fellowship (mid-career) and Congressional Innovation Fellowship (early-career).

We are searching for up to twenty fellows for our January 2026 cohort — 10 to serve in Democratic offices and 10 to serve in Republican offices. 

We are looking for a mix of mid- and early-career technologists (Senior Fellows and Fellows). 

These fellowships will place you among the top tech decision makers in the United States government at a time when technology is reshaping society in fundamental ways. Even if you've never considered working in government, you should apply. Our fellowships will allow you to make change at the highest levels and at a scale unparalleled in the private or public sectors.

We are bridging the divide between Congress and the technology sector by placing tech savvy candidates like you to work with Members of Congress and Congressional Committees in order to build capacity in Congress, train cross-sector leaders -- who can understand the challenges of government and in the technology community -- and keep Congress up to date about the latest challenges and opportunities relating to technology.

 

As a TechCongress Fellow you will:

• Work with TechCongress to choose a placement with a Member or Congress or Congressional Committee and report directly to a senior staffer (like a Chief of Staff or Staff Director) in that office
• Perform duties similar to other Congressional staff by applying your experience in technology to a variety of work, including:
  • Researching relevant policymaking (on issues like cyber and election security, data and biometric privacy, AI policy, autonomous vehicle regulations, health IT, encryption, disinformation, and many others).
  • Helping educate Members and staff about these issues.
  • Writing legislation.
  • Preparing for and organizing Committee hearings, markups, or investigations.
  • Building coalitions with partners and other groups.
• Support TechCongress by writing about and presenting on your experience periodically, and represent TechCongress and the Congressional Innovation Fellowship at meetings or events.

We're looking for our fellows to have: 

• Technical ability and training.
• Tech savvy, with experience working in or studying the technology sector*
• Great interpersonal and communications skills.
• Ability to explain technology to those that aren’t as familiar with technology tools or concepts.
• Track record of success taking initiative and working with others.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Committed to helping get Members of Congress and Congressional staff up to speed on technology issues.

*This year, we want to expand the profile of the fellows beyond just “technologist” in the traditional sense. We’re hoping to have 1-2 fellows who fit within one of the following verticals: digital service delivery, climate tech, criminal justice, and space. If you have a technical degree and/or have worked in engineering, development, journalism, scientific, legal, or government roles in the tech, climate, space, or criminal justice spaces, then we also encourage you to apply! 

Senior (mid-career) Fellows will serve in their offices from January through December 2026. They will have the option of a one-month extension, through January 2027, to write about their experience and to provide extra time for a post-fellowship job search. We're looking for our mid-career fellows to have at least eight years of work or postgraduate study.

Congressional Innovation (early-career) Fellows will serve in their offices from January - October 2026. We're looking for our early-career fellows to have between two to six years of experience (including recently finished or projected to finish a graduate technical degree program, such as a Masters or PhD, by January 2026).

No experience working in or with government? Great! We're not looking for that. The Congressional Innovation Fellowship is an opportunity to expose technology leaders like you to Capitol Hill. It is first and foremost and educational experience, giving you a one-of-its-kind education into how Congress and the government works.

Learn more about our fellowships here.

About TechCongress
TechCongress is a startup non-profit that was incubated at the Open Technology Institute at New America. We've got great staff and advisors doing all we can to bridge the gap between government and the technology community. We are nonpartisan and work with a diverse set of political voices, and do not take positions on issues. We work hard in an intentional and productive manner, and have fun while we do it. We are building a new generation of technology leaders, and support our staff and fellows with professional development, networking, and freedom to tinker and test new ideas. Above all, we are vigilantly focused on adding value—to our people, our institutions and our society.

Fellows have served with the most influential offices in Congress on technology policy matters, including Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the House Oversight Committee.

Since 2016 we've sent 119 fellows to Congress who have done groundbreaking work including changing defense procurement rules to allow startups to better compete for contracts and support our servicemembers, helping draft the House Judiciary Committee’s Antitrust Subcommittee report on Big Tech, issuing House Modernization Committee’s recommendations to make Congress more effective, efficient and transparent, managing the investigation into the allegations made by Facebook whistleblower Francis Haugen, and working on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to ban imports from Xinjiang on the grounds of genocide and human rights abuses.

We hope you'll apply.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
TechCongress values an inclusive and diverse workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce at all levels of the organization thereby creating a culture that allows us to better serve our clientele, our employees, and our communities. We value and encourage the contributions of our employees and fellows and strive to create an environment where everyone can reach their full potential and drive outstanding results.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. This policy applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment and fellowship, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination.