This looks like an amazing opportunity to go to DC and help them make better use of technology through the Congressional Digital Service Fellowship – the deadline is May 10…

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed Congress into a remote and virtual institution literally overnight. Capitol Hill was not prepared for this moment and is now confronting a number of urgent digital challenges.

We are looking to immediately recruit a small collaborative tech team for an eight month fellowship to help Congress manage this critical moment. 

You can read more about our fellowship strategy on our blog.

To date, TechCongress has sent 29 technologists to Congress to serve with offices including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-SD), Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the Senate Homeland Security Committee and the House Oversight Committee.

The current challenges in Congress include:

• Lack of effective technical infrastructure for continuity of the institution (e.g. no platform for digital signatures or electronic bill introduction) and lack of adoption and approval of remote tools (e.g Slack, Microsoft Teams, other video conferencing).

• Security concerns, including inconsistent use of tools and member and staff reliance on personal devices and unsupported messaging platforms.

• Lack of expertise to test and support potential longer-term modernization tools/processes/solutions, including video-based committee hearings, virtual staff briefings, and remote voting.

In response to the urgent need for digital expertise, TechCongress is launching a Congressional Digital Service Fellowship, modeled on parts of the United States Digital Service.  This is a limited term fellowship– an eight month sprint– in order to:

• Meet the immediate need for technical talent to help modernize the digital infrastructure of the Congress.

• Capitalize on the opportunity to galvanize the institution to build a Congressional Digital Service within the institution,  including by helping implement recommendations from the House Select Committee on Modernization.

Fellows will be paid a competitive stipend, consistent with tech team salaries in the executive branch like the Presidential Innovation Fellowship, as well as reimbursements for health care, relocation to Washington, D.C. and any necessary travel.