USIP Fellowship programs support cutting-edge research, writing, analysis and convening by emerging and leading international experts from many disciplinary and professional backgrounds. The Fellowship programs provide USIP resources to add to its in-house expertise and inform its programmatic work, while contributing to USIP’s role as a bridge between academics, reflective practitioners and policy-makers.
USIP and the Defense Security Cooperation University seek applications from Ph.D. candidates with policy relevant research that will deepen the academicians’ and policy makers’ understanding about security cooperation.
Established in 1986, USIP’s Jennings Randolph Senior Fellowship program has supported research, writing and in-house advising on a wide variety of topics related to peace and violent conflict. The program's more than 320 past fellows have studied everything from the influence of Track Two Diplomacy on U.S.-Russia relations to the effects of oil and other natural resources on prospects for peace.
Since 1988, USIP's Peace Scholar Fellowship program has supported the dissertations of roughly 387 young scholars, most of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in research, teaching and policy making. This annual award program also partners with the Minerva Research Initiative to offer additional pre-doctoral fellowships on peace and security topics.
The Institute also hosts Military Fellows serving in a Senior Service College Fellowship capacity.
The Senior Fellowship program supports targeted research, analysis and writing that is closely integrated with the work of the Institute, with high flexibility in terms of application opportunities.
The John Lewis Peace Fellowship, named in honor of the late congressman from Georgia, a great champion of USIP, is a residential fellowship at USIP for international peace practitioners. The goals for this fellowship are to 1) enhance peacebuilding skills; 2) familiarize fellows with USIP experts and available resources; 3) develop projects with USIP program teams for implementation afterwards; and 4) engage members of the U.S. peacebuilding community, including representatives of the U.S. Congress, executive agencies, academia and civil society groups.
USIP's Peace Scholar Fellowship program awards non-residential fellowships to Ph.D. candidates enrolled in U.S. universities who are writing doctoral dissertations on topics broadly related to conflict management, peacebuilding and relevant security studies. Since 1988, the program has supported the dissertations of 427 young scholars, many of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in research, higher education and policy making.
USIP and the Defense Security Cooperation University's Summer Scholar Fellowship Program supports doctoral students conducting evidence-based and policy-relevant research on topics related to security cooperation.
Each year, USIP offers a limited number of additional fellowships focusing on specific issue areas and/or conflict zones to outstanding scholars, policymakers and other professionals who work in areas that advance our understanding of issues central to USIP’s mandate. This includes Military Fellows serving in a Senior Service College Fellowship capacity.