Funding

Partial / Stipend

Program dates

Jun 1, 2027 – May 30, 2028

Fellowship•Remote

Wilson Center Research Fellowship

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Wilson Center)

Application Deadline

September 30, 2026

Official Page

The Wilson Center Research Fellowship is the flagship program of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a congressionally chartered, nonpartisan institution in Washington, D.C. It invites scholars, practitioners, journalists, and public intellectuals to spend twelve months conducting policy-relevant, nonpartisan research and writing while engaging with the Washington policy community. The 2027–2028 class runs from June 1, 2027 to May 30, 2028. Fellows work remotely from wherever they are based, with Center-funded trips to Washington at the start and end of the term. Every project must align with at least one of four priority research areas.

Benefits & funding

  • Stipend of US$10,000 per month across the twelve-month fellowship.
  • Wilson Center-funded travel to Washington, D.C. at the start and end of the fellowship.
  • Engagement with policymakers, fellow researchers, and the wider Washington policy community.
  • No institutional affiliation is required to apply.

Eligibility

  • Open to applicants of any nationality; no institutional affiliation is required. Non-U.S. fellows must hold a valid passport and obtain the appropriate visa for any travel to the United States.
  • Academic applicants: hold a PhD and have either published a book or monograph beyond the dissertation, or a substantial body of peer-reviewed research (5 or more articles in reputable journals).
  • Non-academic applicants (practitioners, journalists, public intellectuals): a level of professional distinction equivalent to advanced academic standing, typically at least 10 years of relevant experience.
  • English proficiency is required.
  • Anyone who held a Wilson Center International Competition or Research Fellowship within the past 5 years is ineligible.
  • Projects must be policy-relevant and nonpartisan, and align with at least one priority area: strategic competition; economic statecraft; technology and innovation; regional scholarship.

Can you apply?

Open to all applicants

No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.

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

Application process

  1. 1
    Review the Guidelines & Eligibility, Instructions, and FAQs on the Wilson Center site.
  2. 2
    Prepare a project proposal addressing one or more of the four priority areas, together with supporting materials and references.
  3. 3
    Submit the application through the Center’s Interfolio portal before the deadline. The 2027–2028 competition opens July 15, 2026 and closes September 30, 2026 (11:59 pm ET).
  4. 4
    Selected fellows are notified ahead of the June 2027 start.

Program timeline

  1. 2027–2028 competition opens

    Jul 15, 2026

  2. Application deadline (11:59 pm ET)

    Sep 30, 2026

  3. Fellowship begins

    Jun 1, 2027

  4. Fellowship ends

    May 30, 2028