What is the The William C. Foster Fellows Visiting Scholars Program?

The William C. Foster Fellows Visiting Scholars Program was established by Congress in 1983, and over 60 scholars have served at the Department of State since the Program’s inception. The Program is named in honor of William C. Foster, the first director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, who served from 1961 to 1969.

By law, specialists in the physical sciences and other disciplines are afforded an opportunity for active participation in the arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament activities of the Department of State. This also allows the Department the opportunity to gain the perspective and expertise such persons can offer. Appointments are made for a full year in the Arms Control, Verification and Compliance (AVC) Bureau, the International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN) Bureau, or the Political-Military Affairs (PM) Bureau at the Department of State.

For the 2011-2012 Foster Fellows Program, the Department is specifically recruiting applicants from the disciplines of aeronautical engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, computer science, computer/network engineering, electrical engineering, history, information security, mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, nuclear physics, physics, and political science.

For more details, visit http://www.state.gov/fosterfellows.