ASEAN-U.S. S&T Fellows Pilot Program Description

The ASEAN-U.S. Science and Technology (S&T) Fellows Pilot Program aims to strengthen science and technical input to ASEAN strategic S&T priorities by increasing science capacity and the capacity for science-based policymaking. Through the U.S. Mission to ASEAN (USASEAN), up to 8 S&T Fellows from ASEAN member countries will be supported to work full-time for one year in their home country ministries to promote the use of the best available science to inform the national and ASEAN regional policy process; advance ASEAN regional cooperation on science and technology; build institutional capacity within ASEAN and between ASEAN and the United States to study regional and transboundary issues; and, deepen people-to-people interaction between ASEAN and U.S. scientists.

The Pilot Program will be coordinated with the prestigious U.S. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowship Program, which has brought science expertise into the U.S. government over forty years through the engagement of more than 2600 Fellows. The science and technology challenges that society faces today- locally, nationally and internationally- are far more complex than were those of 40 to 50 years ago. The best available scientific, technical and economic information is required to establish priorities, make decisions, and develop best policies and practices. Yet, scientists often lack the skills and opportunity to apply their science successfully to support policy or to communicate effectively with the public and other non-academic audiences.

The ASEAN-U.S. S&T Fellows Pilot Program will provide the opportunity for Ph.D. scientists who are citizens and residents of ASEAN member states to learn about policy-making while contributing their knowledge and analytical skills to their national governments in support of ASEAN S&T priorities. ASEAN and ASEAN member states’ government ministries will gain increased science capacity as well as capacity to use the best science to inform regional sciencebased policymaking. The Fellows will be based at their home countries’ Science and Technology Ministries or in other home agencies with a focus on science and technology related issues.

Fellows may apply to work on one of the following ASEAN-U.S. S&T priority issues for the Fellowship year: Health, Climate Change, Food Security, Early warning systems for disaster risk reduction (EWS for DRR), Water Management, and Biodiversity (these are the common S&T priority areas for ASEAN COST and for the U.S. government). Fellows’ work will focus on bridging the science to policy gap, and will consist of synthesizing scientific information for use in policy-making processes, interfacing between government and the scientific community, and undertaking other steps to advance the best use of science in addressing priorities of their country and of ASEAN. Fellows will help inform their home countries’ science and policy cooperation with ASEAN and at the same time, help meet their society’s needs for the most credible and objective scientific information.

For complete application information, please click on the link to the right.