Parliamentary Office of
Science and Technology
Institute of Physics/POST Fellowship
ADVISING PARLIAMENT ON SCIENCE
Parliament passes laws, scrutinises Government and acts as a forum for debate on issues of
concern. Science-based issues permeate all these areas of work. Most MPs and Peers do not
have a background in science or technology and look to others for specialist advice and
information.
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) is an office of the two Houses of
Parliament (Commons and Lords), charged with providing independent analyses of science and
technology-based issues of relevance to Parliament.
The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a leading scientific society promoting physics and bringing
physicists together for the benefit of all. It has a worldwide membership of around 40 000
comprising physicists from all sectors, as well as those with an interest in physics. It works to
advance physics research, application and education, and engages with policy-makers and the
public to develop awareness and understanding of physics. Its publishing company, IOP
Publishing, is a world leader in professional scientific communications.
To complement POST's in-house capabilities, the IOP and POST run a scheme to enable a
postgraduate student to work with POST on a three-month placement. During their time at
Parliament, the IOP/POST Fellow will work on a policy topic based in science and technology.
1. Eligibility
Eligibility is restricted to postgraduate students, based in the UK or Ireland, who are either
registered for a physics PhD and are engaged in their 2nd/3rd/4th year of full-time study or parttime equivalent, or who have submitted their final thesis within one calendar year, at the time of
application.
If you have previously applied to the IOP and/or the EPSRC/STFC Fellowships, you will need to
complete a fresh application as described in the guidance notes below. If you attempt to
resubmit a previously submitted application, you will be disqualified immediately.
2. Closing date for applications and assessment process
Applications must reach the IOP by 22nd June 2015. A panel consisting of representatives
from the IOP and POST will assess the applications. A placement will typically last for a period
of three months.
Please note that late applications will not be accepted. Interviews are likely to be held in the
week commencing 6th July 2015.
3. Start date of placement
The fellowship start date is likely to be between October 2015 and January 2016. The start date
is to be agreed between the applicant, the Director of POST, the applicant's supervisor and
university (if relevant), and the IOP.
4. Details of placement
4.1 Nature of the work:
POST regularly publishes short briefing papers (POSTnotes) and longer reports giving
Parliamentarians a broad overview of the background to an issue and an analysis of the policy
implications (see www.parliament.uk/post for examples of POST publications).
During their time in Parliament, an IOP/POST Fellow should expect to produce a POSTnote,
contribute to a longer report or assist a select committee of either House in a current inquiry.
They may also undertake a placement with the library of either the House of Commons or
House of Lords, responding to inquiries from MPs and Peers on a range of scientific and
technological issues
If the fellow works on a POSTnote, the topic of the Fellowship will be determined in liaison
between the Fellow, POST and the IOP, depending on the research interests of the Fellow and
the relevance and timeliness of the topic in Parliament. The overall work programme of POST is
determined by its parliamentary Board. Because of the nature of the parliamentary timetable,
applicants should be aware that they may be required to work on something other than their
proposed topics.
POSTnote production will involve:
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identifying and liaising with a wide range of interested parties including industry,
academia, regulatory bodies, non-governmental organisations and government;
drafting concise briefing materials; and
responding to comments from internal and external peer review.
There may also be opportunities for the Fellow to organise seminars to inform or disseminate
their work.
In addition, the Fellow will be expected to write a number of blog posts for the IOP website and
possibly be invited to make a formal presentation at a relevant event providing an account of
their experience working for Parliament.
POST is a strictly non-partisan organisation. Fellows will be expected not to be involved in any
party political activity during their time with the Office. In all cases, Fellows will be encouraged to
interact closely with people and activities in the two Houses of Parliament, including select
committees, MPs and Peers, their support services, 'All-Party Group' meetings and the very
wide range of other activities at the Palace of Westminster. Also, Fellows will be encouraged to
interact with interested parties outside Parliament. Access to conferences, workshops and
seminars is likely to be arranged.
4.2 Funding arrangements
The successful applicant will receive funding equivalent to their PhD award plus any additional
accommodation or travel costs incurred during the period of the Fellowship outside of their
usual working requirements (e.g. for relevant conferences), which will be paid by the IOP either
directly to the applicant or reimbursed. The applicant will need to arrange for his/her PhD to be
extended by three months with their supervisor and the relevant funding body.
4.3 Working arrangements
The successful applicant should ideally spend five days a week working in POST's offices in
London, however, some flexibility can be arranged depending on personal circumstances. In all
cases, it would be preferable for the individual to reside within reasonable commuting distance
for the duration of the placement. Computing, e-mail and other facilities necessary for the
project will be supplied by POST’s offices.
5. How to apply
Applicants should submit:
 a completed application form, which has been approved by their Head of Department or
principal supervisor;
 a concise, appropriately formatted cover letter outlining reasons for wishing to work for
POST; and
 a two-page POSTnote on one of the topics below. You should choose a topic which is
unrelated to your PhD topic of study. The note must be of relevance to parliamentarians
and highlight issues of concern relating to the science, and policy implications of the
topic. The POSTnote should be no longer than two sides of A4 and can include figures.
The possible topics for the two-page POSTnote are:
- space transportation
- access to sanitation in developing countries
- cyberwarfare
- net neutrality
- artificial intelligence
The criteria for assessment are:
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content (accuracy and breadth of research)
clarity
writing style (pitched at a suitable level for parliamentarians)
policy relevance
balance and objectivity
structure
awareness of other relevant work in the area.
Please send the completed application form and proposal to:
Daniel Lee, Policy Officer, IOP at daniel.lee@iop.org
Closing date for applications is 22nd June 2015.
Before preparing your note you might find it useful to examine the 'POST style' of writing and
formatting, and the type of policy issues that are raised and discussed. POST's publications can
be viewed on the web at: www.parliament.uk/post
6. Queries
Any queries relating to the application process should be directed to Daniel Lee at
daniel.lee@iop.org.
POST's Physical Sciences and IT Adviser, Dr Chandrika Nath, is available on e-mail
nathc@parliament.uk to discuss any general aspects of the scheme and of parliamentary
activity.
Please note neither the IOP nor POST can advise on the strength or weaknesses of individual
proposals.
If you need any additional support in order to participate in an interview (or to take up a
fellowship at POST), please outline your requirements here. If you would like more
information, please contact Dr Chandrika Nath as indicated above.