Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship (AEF) Program

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship (AEF) Program provides a unique opportunity for accomplished K-12 educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to serve in the national education arena. Fellows spend eleven months working in a Federal agency or in a U.S. Congressional office, bringing their extensive knowledge and experience in the classroom to education program and/or education policy efforts.
Current sponsoring agencies include: the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The DOE sponsors up to four placements in congressional offices.
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Act was signed into law in November 1994 and gives the DOE the responsibility for managing the program (Fellowship Act Public Law 103-382, Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994). The DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) manages this program for DOE in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and other partners.
Some outstanding contributions of past Einstein Fellows include:

• Designing new elements of national STEM education programs.
• Implementing major components of national STEM education programs;
• Initiating collaborations and partnerships among Federal agencies;
• Drafting legislation and advising on policies that seek to improve K-12 education in the United States;
• Creating web-based science education tools; and
• Establishing and evaluating national and regional programs centered on school reform and teacher preparation in STEM. 

Eligibility for the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship requires that all applicants :

• Be a U.S. citizen at the time of applying (by the November 19, 2015 application deadline).
• Have a minimum of five years full-time classroom teaching experience prior to completing the application. Student teaching does not count toward this minimum full-time teaching requirement.
• Have been teaching full-time in a public or private elementary or secondary school for at least five of the last seven years in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) discipline. Current employment may be as an educator or district official.
• Be currently employed full-time in a public or private elementary or secondary school or school district in the U.S.
• Be able to provide a letter of recommendation from a school district official as one of their three required letters of recommendation.
• Be able to obtain a leave of absence from teaching in order to participate in the program for the full 11 months.

In addition:

• Current and former Einstein Fellows are not eligible to apply for a second fellowship. 
• Eligible individuals may apply a maximum of 3 times within a 6 year period.

Application Requirements

• All applications to the AEF Program must be completed online through the online application system.
• Applicants must meet all the eligibility requirements.
• All applications are due November 19, 2015 for the 2016-17 Fellowship year.
• The online application system will guide applicants through the application requirements. The Check Your Status page will keep you informed on the status of your application before and after you apply.
• Only complete applications submitted by the deadline will be considered for evaluation and placement.
• Materials uploaded into the application system will provide the sole basis for evaluation. 

Source :  http://science.energy.gov/wdts/einstein/