GSA Blog

Presidential Innovation Fellows now accepting fall 2018 applications

The federal government needs the technology and leadership skills you’ve developed in the private sector to modernize the way government meets its mission. If you’ve ever been interested in civic technology, now is the time to apply for the Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) Fall 2018 cohort.

The application deadline for the PIF program is June 24. Join entrepreneurs, designers, data scientists, engineers, developers, and other technologists for a 12-month tour of duty tackling some of our nation’s biggest challenges.

“I joined PIF because I wanted to be around highly talented individuals who were working on large-scale, cutting-edge, and ambitious projects,” said Sandeep Burugupalli, an entrepreneur-in-residence and business strategist at the Texas Medical Center’s TMCx accelerator before joining the program last fall.

“I knew my colleagues had all achieved amazing things in the past and were accustomed to driving change. Each PIF puts mission before themselves, and it’s been incredible to be a part of a group like that,” said Burugupalli, who worked as a PIF on a historic effort by the National Institutes of Health to gather health information from the public to accelerate research and improve health outcomes.

The PIF program pairs talented problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators with top civil servants and change makers working at the highest levels of the federal government. Fellows in the fall 2018 cohort will take on projects selected by the PIF program from agencies all across the government.

Past fellows have worked on a variety of projects including:

• Modernizing the IRS Form 990 and working to release all the data from electronically filed nonprofit tax returns.
• Helping Veterans Affairs deliver more veteran-centered services and care.
• Working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to help modernize their Heat Safety Tool mobile app, which was designed to help protect outdoor workers and prevent heat illness.

Since 2012, the PIF program has attracted more than 130 top technologists from around the nation for this prestigious and highly competitive opportunity. To date, these fellows have joined more than 30 government agencies for tours of duty.

Entrepreneurs, data scientists, designers, and other technologists are encouraged to apply for the Fall 2018 cohort by 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 24.