Wilson Center Fellowship 2027

The Wilson Center invites scholars, practitioners, journalists, and public intellectuals to take part in its flagship Research Fellowship Program. Fellows conduct research and write in their areas of interest, while interacting with policymakers in Washington and other fellows. The Center accepts policy-relevant, nonpartisan fellowship proposals that address key foreign policy challenges confronting the United States and the world.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Interview Process
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineSeptember 30, 2026
• Study LevelPostdoctoral Fellowships
• SponsorWilson Center
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• The Center offers a stipend of $10,000 per month for a twelve-month fellowship.

Requirements

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for a fellowship:

• Applicants from academia must have a PhD in hand and have published a book or monograph beyond the PhD dissertation, or a substantial body of research articles (5+) in reputable peer-reviewed journals or chapters in peer-reviewed edited volumes.
• Applicants from government, policy, or the nonprofit sector must have achieved a level of professional distinction and experience equivalent to advanced academic standing. This is typically at least 10 years of relevant experience and a record of substantial policy impact, publication, or leadership in their field.
• Applicants must be proficient in English, as the Center is designed to encourage the exchange of ideas among its fellows and provide educational opportunities to Congress.

You do not need an institutional affiliation to apply. 

Scholars and practitioners who within the last 5 years were awarded a Wilson Center International Competition Fellowship or Research Fellowship should not apply. Scholars and practitioners who have received other categories of research awards or fellowships from the Wilson Center are not precluded from applying for a Research Fellowship. These other categories of awards and fellowships include, but are not limited to, Distinguished Fellowship, Visiting Fellowship, Public Policy Fellowship, Global Fellowship, and China Fellowship. However, the nature and recency of the prior award may be among the factors considered during the selection process.

Please note that this is not a residential fellowship. For any travel to the United States for associated events or meetings, fellows are expected to hold a valid passport and obtain the appropriate visa.

Fellows may take leave from their current positions or maintain additional affiliations during their Wilson Center Research Fellowship. Applicants will be required to describe how they will balance other responsibilities while actively contributing to the goals and mission of the Wilson Center.

Eligibility Requirements for Project Proposals

Project proposals must meet the following criteria to be considered:

• Projects must be nonpartisan in nature.
• Projects must focus on at least one of the following scholarship pillars of the Wilson Center: strategic competition, economic statecraft, technology and innovation, and regional studies scholarship.
• Primary project outputs may include but are not limited to a book manuscript, series of long-form articles, or a briefing roundtable series for policymakers. Additional projects demonstrating a high-level of scholarship may be considered.

Primary project outputs may not include rewriting or completion of doctoral dissertations; projects in the visual arts, dance, or musical composition; editing of texts, papers, and documents; or preparations of textbooks, anthologies, translations, or memoirs.

Selection Process

Applications that satisfy the eligibility requirements are subsequently subjected to a multi-stage review process involving evaluations by Wilson Center experts and external specialists with relevant expertise. Final decisions for all federally-funded Research Fellowships are contingent on the approval of the Center’s Board of Trustees and subject to available funding.

The basic criteria for selection are: 

1. Significance of the proposed research, including the importance and originality of the project. Explain the urgency and importance of your work to resolve a larger problem in foreign policy.
2. The relevance of the project to contemporary policy issues and policymakers, with the aim of bridging the worlds of scholarship and policy.
3. Quality of the proposal in definition, organization, clarity, and scope. Describe what the reviewers will learn from your project, why it is important, and how the reviewer will know your conclusions are valid.
4. Capabilities and achievements of the applicant and their propensity to accomplish the proposed project. The proposal should convince the reviewer that something is genuinely at stake with your inquiry and your project will yield interesting results.
5. Potential of a candidate to actively contribute to the priorities and mission of the Center by making expert research accessible to policymakers and a broader audience.

Application Documents

A complete application must include the following:

• A completed Research Fellowship Application Form.
• A current CV that does not exceed 3 pages, using 12-point font.
• A project proposal that does not exceed 5 pages, using 12-point font.
• 2 letters of reference.

All materials must be submitted in English. 

Application Deadline

How To Apply

• Applications are made via the Application Portal.

For more information kindly visit the Wilson webpage.