The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows program is funded by RWJF and run by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). It brings mid-career health professionals into federal policymaking in Washington, DC.
Fellows start in September with a three-and-a-half-month orientation, then work as health advisors in a congressional office, committee or executive-branch agency, living in DC for at least 12 months.
Benefits & funding
- $175,000 stipend per fellow over 12–24 months; up to $160,000 in the first 12 months, the rest for health-policy work the year after.
- Relocation and approved housing reimbursed up to $20,000 for fellows living more than 50 miles from DC.
- Seminars on health economics, the congressional budget process and federal decision-making.
Eligibility
- US citizens or permanent residents at the time of application.
- A master’s or doctoral degree.
- At least 10 years of full-time work experience and deep expertise in a health-related field (e.g. medicine, nursing, public health, law, dentistry, economics or other social sciences, social work).
- Mid-career professionals from academia, non-profits or government (including the military, VA and US Public Health Service).
- Not eligible: people whose job is mainly government relations or advocacy; relatives of RWJF officers or trustees.
- A full-time commitment and at least 12 months’ residence in DC.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
USA
Residents of USA can also apply.
Education required
Master
Experience required
≥ 10 yrs
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Three referees submit letters by 30 October 2026, 3 p.m. ET.
- 2Submit the preliminary application, including two essays, through RWJF by 3 November 2026, 3 p.m. ET.
- 3Finalists, chosen in mid-January 2027, send a full application by mid-February.
- 4Finalists interview in Washington, DC: late February 2027 (call for applications) or March (program FAQ).
- 5Each fellow secures their own federal placement by 15 January 2028; NAM helps arrange interviews.
Program timeline
last optional info webinar
27 Oct 2026
reference letters due
30 Oct 2026
preliminary application deadline
3 Nov 2026
finalists notified
Mid-Jan 2027
fellowship starts
1 Sep 2027