Skip to content
Circlebreaker

Funding

Partial / Stipend

Bridge to Asia Fellowship

FellowshipUSA · Washington, D.C. · Hybrid

The National Bureau of Asian Research

Application Deadline

Rolling admission

Official Page

Can you apply?

Check who can apply

No nationality, residency, education, experience, gender or age limit is listed. The other conditions are under Eligibility.

Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.

We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.

The Bridge to Asia Fellowship places community college and undergraduate students with National Bureau of Asian Research teams for policy research and professional development. The four-month program begins with a remote orientation in May and continues with an in-person residency in Washington, D.C., from June through August.

Fellows contribute to projects, events, and publications concerning U.S.-Asia relations and the Indo-Pacific. They also research an Asia-related topic, prepare a policy memo and briefing, and write a Q&A with an expert for possible publication.

Benefits & funding

  • The fellowship is paid; NBR does not publish the payment amount.
  • Qualified fellows receive modest relocation support.
  • Fellows receive one-to-one mentorship, join the Summer Learning Series, and gain publication and networking opportunities.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
  • Applicants must be current community college students or first-year, sophomore, or junior undergraduates interested in Asia and U.S. foreign policy.
  • Applicants must be able to relocate to Washington, D.C., or already live there for the June-through-August in-person portion.
  • NBR welcomes students of all backgrounds and strongly encourages applicants from groups historically underrepresented in foreign policy.

Application process

  1. 1
    Confirm work authorization, current enrollment, and availability for the Washington, D.C., residency.
  2. 2
    Prepare three essays of no more than 250 words each and answer the program’s supplemental questions.
  3. 3
    Upload an unofficial transcript and a resume or activity list through NBR’s application system.
  4. 4
    Arrange for one academic reference and one character reference to send letters of support directly to NBR.
  5. 5
    Submit every required item; the 2026 application is closed and its former listing is no longer available.

Program timeline

  1. Applications closed; NBR does not publish the exact deadline.

    2026 cycle

  2. Remote orientation at 5–10 hours per week.

    May 2026

  3. In-person residency in Washington, D.C.

    June–August 2026

The monthly round-up

New fellowships, scholarships and programs, once a month. No account needed.