The Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) Program is designed to attract to federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs. The PMF Program, administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), is the federal government’s cornerstone succession planning program to help agencies meet their critical need for leadership continuity. Graduating students are encouraged to use this two-year fellowship as a stepping stone to leadership positions in the federal government.
Eligibility:
Students who will meet all graduate degree requirements, including any thesis or dissertation if so required by the applicant’s college or university, between September 1, 2008 through August 31, 2009, are eligible to apply in the Fall of 2008, for the PMF Class of 2009.
Graduate students from all academic disciplines who expect to complete an advanced degree (master’s, law, or doctoral-level degree) from a qualifying college or university during the current academic year are eligible to be nominated by their schools if they demonstrate the following: breadth and quality of accomplishments; a capacity for leadership; and a commitment to excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs.
Applicants who have previously applied to the PMF Program must contact the PMF Program Office at PMFApplication@opm.gov to determine eligibility. Generally, applicants are permitted to apply and participate in the PMF nomination and selection process only once per graduate degree.
Application:
The Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) selection process consists of four parts:
1. Application
2. Nomination
3. Assessment and Finalist Selection
4. Agency Placement as a Fellow
Complete details are on the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) web site, especially the section on How To Apply.
Deadlines are listed in the “How to Apply” section, under “Timelines,” but may be subject to change. Eligible applicants apply to the PMF Program via a vacancy announcement on USAJOBS or via a link on the “PMF Application” webpage once activated. Eligible applicants will be required to link a resume and complete a qualifications questionnaire during the application process. Applicants claiming veterans’ preference will also need to provide supporting documentation.
Nomination:
In addition to submitting an application, applicants must be nominated by their school’s Dean, Chairperson, or Academic Program Director, otherwise known as the Nomination Official. Applicants must provide the personalized PMF Nomination Form that is printed out during the application process to their Nomination Official.
If you are enrolled in an M.S. or Ph.D. degree program within the Nelson Institute (i.e., CBSD, EM, ER, or WRM) and wish to apply for nomination consideration, please follow all of the instructions in the official federal announcement as well as the Nelson Institute instructions below:
1) The closing date for applications via the USAJOBS web site is October 15, 2008. As a part of this application process, each applicant will be asked to provide contact information for their Nomination Official. For students pursuing graduate degrees through the Nelson Institute, this Nomination Official (with contact information) is as follows:
William Bland, Professor and Chair of Academic Programs
Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
550 North Park Street, Room 70 Science Hall
Madison, WI 53706
ph: (608) 262-0221
email
2) If the application or nomination procedure asks for a school code, use the Federal School Code for UW-Madison, which is 003895.
3) As a part of the online application process, you will be asked to print a Nomination Form (OPM Form 1300) once your application is completed. Print this form and include it with the materials comprising your request for nomination consideration; direct your request to Bill Bland, Chair of Academic Programs, Room 70 Science Hall. We recommend submitting your request as soon as possible after you have completed the online application. Our Nelson Institute deadline for this request for nomination consideration is October 23, 2008.
4) When submitting your nomination request to our Academic Programs Office, please attach the following information to your nomination form:
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Request Form for PMF Nomination Consideration — Nelson Institute
1) Full Student Name:
2) Preferred Email Address:
3) Postal Mailing Address:
4) Nelson Institute degree program in which you are currently enrolled (program name and degree level–e.g., MS in CBSD):
5) When do you anticipate graduation (i.e., your official graduation date)?
6) Are you eligible for veterans preference? Please attach documentation.
7) Please demonstrate how your qualifications meet the fellowship’s criteria for excellence:
a) demonstrated breadth and quality of accomplishments;
b) capacity for leadership; and
c) commitment to a career in the analysis and management of public policies and programs.
This can be in the form of your resume or CV, a letter of reference from your advisor, or a statement written by you, the applicant. In other words, feel free to choose whatever form would best represent your qualifications or support your request for nomination.
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Keep in mind that TWO DEADLINES apply (an application deadline and a nomination request deadline):
1) Your application must be submitted to the USAJOBS web site and the closing date for application is 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 15, 2008.
2) The deadline for submission of a request for nomination through the Nelson Institute is 4:30 p.m. on October 23, 2008.
Questions?
Questions about the Nelson Institute nomination process? Contact Mary Mercier, Academic Programs Office, 70 Science Hall, 262-7520.
Questions about the PMF application process? Check the web pages listed up above or send an email to: PMFApplication@opm.gov including your name, school, phone number, email address, and a detailed description of the problem or question.