USIP and DSCU are seeking applicants that are undertaking doctoral research that closely aligns with the priority research areas for this request for applications:

• Connecting Security Cooperation with Peace and Stability: How can security cooperation (including arms transfers and military training) play an active role in establishing a safe and secure environment as the first phase of peacebuilding?
• Deepening Global Partnerships: How can we design more comprehensive Security Cooperation relationships that support lasting global partnerships and good governance, based on common values, security needs, and more contextually informed assessments of our partners' threat landscape and future sustainability requirements?
• Whole-of-Society and Whole of Government Strategies in Civil-Military Relations: Can an enhanced role of civil society in informing the planning and design of Security Cooperation programs in our partner and allied nations improve security cooperation outcomes?
• Security Cooperation through Regional and International Organizations: How can security cooperation promote the operability and stabilizing capacity of regional and international organizations?
• Security Cooperation’s role in addressing root causes of instability: How can security cooperation conceptualize, securitize, and address the most relevant factors that directly impact fragility and instability beyond the transfer of military capabilities and equipment, and how can we ensure that security cooperation itself does not contribute to instability?
• Building the foundations of effective integrative deterrence with partners and allies (Possibly a US-centered perspective): How do we build partner defense planning and sustainment considerations into a more holistic US defense strategy that more accurately assesses readiness for current and future threats, including capacity building in the new strategic environment?

Registration and Application Process

Applications which do not include all of the following items will not be considered.

• Research Application: All applications and documents related to this competition must be submitted online through the FLUXX portal.
• Academic CV: Please provide a CV of no more than three pages and please highlight any completed projects of a similar scope.
• Recommendation Letter: A letter of recommendation from your dissertation advisor must be included as part of your application.
• All submissions should be in English.

Applying for the Summer Scholar Fellowship competition is a two-step process.

REGISTRATION: All applicants must have registered for this competition in the FLUXX portal even if you have registered for another USIP competition. A new registration will need to be completed in full.

APPLICATION: After completing the registration, applicants must prepare and submit a complete application. USIP does not provide status updates on submitted applications at any time.

Important Dates

• Registration opens: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
• Registration closes: Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 4pm EST
• Application deadline: Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 4pm EST
• Recommendation letter deadline: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 4pm EST

Please refer questions to summerfellows@usip.org.

Applicants must submit all application materials through the online FLUXX portal: https://usip.fluxx.io/

If you have additional questions, please email summerfellows@usip.org.

Who may apply for the USIP-DSCU Summer Scholar fellowship?

The competition is open to Ph.D. candidates who have successfully completed all required classwork and comprehensive exams.

Are non-U.S. citizens eligible to apply?

Yes, non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply.

I am not a Ph.D. candidate, but I would like to apply. Am I eligible?

All applicants must be Ph.D. candidates at the time of application. Master’s students or other students pursuing graduate coursework are not eligible to apply.

What language is required for the competition?

All materials, including the application and all progress reports, must be submitted in English.

Is there an age requirement for the DSCU-USIP competition?

There is no age requirement.

What research topics are eligible for the competition?

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) seeks applications from Ph.D. candidates with high-quality, policy relevant research that will deepen understanding about security cooperation. Special consideration will be given to proposed research that is closely related to the USIP Issue Areas and/or research priorities of the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU).

The fellowships cannot support research focused on U.S. domestic issues, however, research on U.S. foreign policy may be eligible for support. Fellowships will not be awarded for dissertation projects that constitute policymaking for a government agency or private organization, focus to any substantial degree on conflicts within U.S. domestic society, or adopt a partisan, advocacy, or activist stance.

What are the requirements of the USIP-DSCU Summer Scholar Fellowship?

Summer Scholars carry out their fellowship work at their universities or other sites appropriate to their research. Summer Scholars are expected to devote full attention to their work and provide the following

• Submit a mid-point progress report to be signed by the dissertation advisor;
• Submit copies of any publications, including articles and books, resulting from the fellowship to summerfellows@usip.org.
• Submit dissertation to summerfellows@usip.org upon successful defense.

What is the timeline for the 2025 USIP-DSCU Summer Scholar Fellowship competition?

• Registration opens on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, and closes on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at 4pm EST.
• Applications are due by Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 4pm EST. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
• Letters of recommendation are due by Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 4pm EST.
• Applicants will be notified of their status in Spring of 2025.

How do I apply for the USIP-DSCU Summer Scholar Fellowship competition?

All applications and documents related to this competition must be submitted online through the FLUXX portal.

Starting and submitting an online application:

• Applicants must submit all application materials through the online FLUXX portal.
• Check your work before submitting your application. Once an application has been submitted, it cannot be edited or changed.

When is the letter of recommendation due?

All letters of recommendation must be submitted by 4pm EST on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

How is the letter of recommendation submitted?

Please instruct your Dissertation Advisor to send the Recommendation Letter to summerfellows@usip.org with your last name in the Subject line.

How many USIP-DSCU Summer Scholar Fellowships are awarded each year?

USIP awards up to four each year.

What is the duration of the USIP-DSCU Summer Scholar Fellowship?

The USIP-DSCU Summer Scholar Fellowship last for three months, starting on June 1 and ending on August 31.

What is the amount of the award?

Summer Scholars will receive stipends of up to $15,000 paid directly to the individual in three tranches, contingent on the submission of monthly progress reports.

Is it possible to defer the USIP-DSCU Summer Scholar Fellowship to another year?

No. The fellowship cannot be deferred. It must be used for the year it is awarded.

What is the difference between the USIP-DSCU Summer Scholar Fellowship and USIP’s other fellowship programs?

The USIP-DSCU Summer Scholar Fellowship is for Ph.D. candidates who are completing summer field research and dissertation writing related to security cooperation. USIP's Peace Scholar Fellowship program awards non-residential fellowships to Ph.D. candidates enrolled at U.S. universities who are writing doctoral dissertations on topics related to conflict management, peacebuilding and security studies. The Jennings Randolph Senior Fellowship is an eight-month residential fellowship for senior experts across various disciplines.