USA Scholarships
Wilson Center Research Fellowship 2027 - $10,000/Month
The Wilson Center Research Fellowship is the flagship fellowship of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the congressionally chartered think tank in Washington, DC. For the 2027-2028 year you get $10,000 a month for twelve months, from 1 June 2027 to 30 May 2028, to research and write a nonpartisan, policy-relevant project on a foreign policy challenge facing the United States and the world. You work remotely, and the Center pays for two trips to Washington, one at the start and one at the end. Scholars with a PhD and a solid publication record, and practitioners with at least 10 years of experience, can apply from any country. Applications opened on 15 July 2026 and close at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on 30 September 2026, with decisions in March 2027.
What is the Wilson Center Research Fellowship?
The Wilson Center Research Fellowship pays you to spend a year on one foreign policy problem and write something people in government will actually read. It is run by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a think tank Congress chartered in 1968 as the official memorial to President Woodrow Wilson. Unlike most academic fellowships, it takes practitioners seriously. Former officials, nonprofit leaders and journalists compete for the same places as historians and political scientists, and the selection committee cares as much about whether your work can reach policymakers as about your footnotes.
The money is generous. At $10,000 a month, the 2027-2028 fellowship is worth $120,000 over the year that runs from 1 June 2027 to 30 May 2028. The catch is that you are not given a desk in Washington. The fellowship is remote, so you research from wherever you live, fly to Washington twice at the Center's expense, and present your work at a Work in Progress session where other fellows and staff test your argument. Health insurance and any research trips come out of your own pocket, so budget for both before you accept. If funding allows, you may also get a part-time research assistant during the fall and spring semesters.
The bar is high and very specific. Academics need a book beyond the dissertation or at least five published peer-reviewed articles, and practitioners need ten years of relevant experience. Your project has to fit one of the Center's four pillars: strategic competition, economic statecraft, technology and innovation, or regional scholarship. Reviewers score significance, originality, policy relevance, clarity, your record, and how well you can engage policymakers and the wider public. With only five pages for the proposal, every paragraph has to earn its place.
Applications for the 2027-2028 cohort opened on 15 July 2026 and close at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on 30 September 2026. That gives you under three weeks from today, which is enough if your proposal is already drafted and your two referees have agreed to write. If you are starting from scratch, you may do better preparing properly for the next call, which is likely to follow the same summer timetable in 2027. Send questions to [email protected] and read the full call on the official Wilson Center page. If you would rather spend a semester in residence, the Yale World Fellows Program brings mid-career leaders to New Haven, and early-career scholars of world regions should look at the Harvard Academy Scholars Program.
Eligibility
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✓A doctorate plus a publication recordAcademic applicants need a PhD in hand and must have published either a book or monograph that goes beyond the dissertation, or a substantial body of research, which the Center defines as five or more peer-reviewed articles that are already published.
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✓Or 10 years of practitioner experienceGovernment officials, nonprofit leaders, journalists and other practitioners without a doctorate qualify with at least 10 years of relevant experience and a record of real policy impact, publication or leadership. You do not need an institutional affiliation, and retired scholars are welcome.
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✓A policy project in one of four pillarsYour project must be nonpartisan, relevant to public policy and tied to at least one of the Center's four pillars: strategic competition, economic statecraft, technology and innovation, or regional scholarship. Dissertation revisions, textbooks, anthologies, translations, memoirs, editing projects and work in visual arts, dance or music are excluded.
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✓Any nationality, with fluent EnglishNon-US citizens can apply if they hold a valid passport and can get the right visa for the two Washington visits, since the Center cannot sponsor J-1 visas. If you live in the United States, you must be a US citizen or permanent resident. Every application document must be in English.
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✓No Wilson fellowship in the past five yearsIf you held a Wilson Center Research Fellowship or International Competition fellowship in the last five years, you cannot apply this round. Holders of other Wilson Center fellowships can apply, but the committee takes the earlier award into account.
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✓One applicant per projectJoint or team applications are not accepted. Each proposal has to come from one person who will carry out the research alone.
Benefits
- Monthly stipend $10,000
- Total over 12 months $120,000
- Two trips to Washington, DC Arranged and paid by the Center
- Part-time research assistant Fall and spring, if funding allows
- Work in Progress seminar and policy events Included
- Health insurance Not covered, you arrange your own
- Research travel during the fellowship Not covered
- J-1 visa sponsorship Not offered
Document checklist
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✓Online application formFilled in inside Interfolio. The Center will not accept the form as a PDF, Word file or any other attachment.
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✓CV, 3 pages maximumIn 12-point font, with the three-page limit strictly enforced. Give full details for your publications and explain any gaps in your employment history.
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✓Project proposal, 5 pages maximumIn 12-point font, with the five-page limit strictly enforced. Cover why the topic matters, your original contribution, your method, how far along the research is, why the Wilson Center fits, and the policy relevance, and add a bibliography.
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✓Community contribution statementA short note of no more than 200 words on how you plan to contribute to the Wilson Center community during your fellowship year.
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✓Two letters of recommendationExactly two, uploaded by your referees straight into Interfolio by 11:59 pm ET on 30 September 2026. Extra letters are not read, and anyone reapplying needs fresh letters.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the Wilson Center Research Fellowship?
It is the main fellowship of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a nonpartisan think tank chartered by Congress and based in Washington, DC. Each year it funds scholars, policy practitioners, journalists and public intellectuals to spend twelve months researching and writing about a foreign policy challenge, while staying in touch with policymakers in Washington and with other fellows.
How much does the Wilson Center Research Fellowship pay?
Fellows receive $10,000 a month for the twelve-month fellowship, or $120,000 in total. The Center also arranges and pays for two trips to Washington, and may provide a part-time research assistant in the fall and spring semesters if funding allows. You pay for your own health insurance and for any research travel during the year.
When is the Wilson Center fellowship deadline for 2027-2028?
Applications and both recommendation letters are due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on 30 September 2026. The call opened on 15 July 2026, and applicants are told the outcome in March 2027. If you miss this round, expect the next call to follow a similar summer timetable in 2027, and check the official page for the confirmed dates.
Do you have to live in Washington, DC for the Wilson Center fellowship?
No. The Research Fellowship is not residential, so you can work from wherever you live. You are expected to travel to Washington twice, at the start and end of the fellowship, and the Center arranges and pays for both trips. You also join the Work in Progress sessions where fellows present their research.
Can international applicants apply for the Wilson Center Research Fellowship?
Yes. Non-US citizens are welcome as long as they hold a valid passport and can obtain the right visa for the Washington visits. The Center cannot sponsor J-1 visas, so plan for that. Applicants based inside the United States must be US citizens or legal permanent residents.
Do I need a PhD for the Wilson Center fellowship?
Only if you are applying as an academic. In that case you need a PhD plus a book or monograph beyond your dissertation, or at least five published peer-reviewed articles. Practitioners from government, nonprofits or journalism can apply without a doctorate if they have at least 10 years of relevant experience and a strong record of impact. There is no age limit.
What topics does the Wilson Center fund?
Projects must be nonpartisan, policy-relevant and linked to at least one of four pillars: strategic competition, economic statecraft, technology and innovation, and regional scholarship. The Center does not fund dissertation revisions, textbooks, anthologies, translations, memoirs, editing work, or projects in visual arts, dance or music composition.
Can former Wilson Center fellows apply again?
Only after a gap. Anyone who held a Research Fellowship or International Competition fellowship in the last five years is not eligible. If your award was more than five years ago, you can apply again, and holders of other Wilson Center fellowships may apply too, although prior awards are weighed in the selection.
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