Wilson Center Fully Funded Fellowships in the USA

The Wilson Center invites scholars, practitioners, journalists and public intellectuals to take part in its flagship international Fellowship Program and to take advantage of the opportunity to engage actively in the Center’s national mission. The Center awards approximately 15-20 residential fellowships each year. Fellows will be affiliated with one or more of the Wilson Center programs/projects and are encouraged to interact with policy makers in Washington, D.C., with Wilson Center staff, and other scholars who are working on similar research and topics.

Eligibility:

[1] Citizens or permanent residents from any country (applicants from countries outside the United States must hold a valid passport and be able to obtain a J-1 visa even if they are currently in the United States) (Read more information on visas.)

[2] Men and women with outstanding capabilities and experience from a wide variety of backgrounds (including academia, business, government, journalism, law, and other professions).

[3] Academic candidates holding a Ph.D. or J.D. (degree must be received by the application deadline of October 1).

[4] Academic candidates demonstrating scholarly achievement by publications beyond their doctoral dissertations.

[5] Practitioners or policymakers with an equivalent level of professional achievement.

[6] English proficiency as the Center is designed to encourage the exchange of ideas among its fellows.

Selection Process:

Applications that satisfy the eligibility requirements are subsequently subjected to a multi-stage review process involving both internal evaluations by Wilson Center experts and external evaluations by specialists with relevant expertise.  Final decisions about all grant awards are contingent on the approval of the Center’s Fellowship Committee of the Board of Trustees and subject to available funding.

The basic criteria for selection are:

[1] Significance of the proposed research.

[2] The relevance of the project to contemporary policy issues.

[3] The relevance of the project to the programmatic work of the Center.

[4] Quality of the proposal in definition, organization, clarity, and scope.

[5] Capabilities and achievements of the applicant and the likelihood that the applicant will accomplish the proposed project.

[6] Potential of a candidate to actively contribute to the life, priorities, and mission of the Center.

Fellows' Responsibilities:

Fellows are "scholars in residence," and are expected to be present at the Center and work from their assigned work space on most business days and to participate in appropriate meetings organized by the Center. Fellows are required to give a Work-in-Progress presentation, internal meeting where fellows can speak about their work, share ideas, and receive feedback from their peers, and to attend the Work-in-Progress presentations given by their colleagues.

Facilities and Services:

[1] Access to digital resources of the Library of Congress.

[2] Windows-based personal computers.

[3] A part-time research assistant.

[4] Round trip travel tickets.

[5] Stipends.

When applying for this fellowship, the following documents must be submitted:

[1] The Fellowship Application Form.

[2] A current CV (not to exceed three pages).

[3] A list of your publications (not to exceed three pages).

[4] A Project Proposal (not to exceed five single-spaced pages, using 12-point type).

[5] A bibliography for the project that includes primary sources and relevant secondary sources (not to exceed three pages).

[6] The Financial Information Form.

[7] Two reference letters, to be submitted directly to the Center by the referees.