The Application

A complete application must include the following:

• The Fellowship Application Form.
• A current CV that does not exceed 3 pages, using 12-point font. 
• A project proposal that does not exceed 5 pages, using 12-point font. 
• A description of how you intend to contribute to the Wilson Center community, that does not exceed 200 words.
• 2 letters of reference. 

All materials must be submitted in English. Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 pm ET on January 16, 2026. Additional details about each section of the application are included below.

Fellowship Application Form

You must complete the Fellowship Application Form to be considered for a Wilson Center Research Fellowship. The form will ask you for general information about your contact information, educational background, professional experience, and title of your research project. There will also be a space for applicants to disclose any potential conflicts of interest with the Wilson Center. Applicants should describe any other affiliations they intend to uphold during their fellowship year. 

In your application, you will submit one response to the prompt: Please disclose any potential conflicts of interest with the Wilson Center. Do you intend to hold any other positions or affiliations during your tenure as a Wilson Center Research Fellow (June 2026 - May 2027)? If yes, how will you balance these responsibilities with the expectations of the Wilson Center Fellowship program? The response may not exceed 200 words.

Your CV

Your CV must be included as part of your application. It cannot exceed 3 pages, using 12-point font. For any publications, please include exact titles, names of publishers, dates of publication, and status of forthcoming publications. 

Feel free to include an explanation for lapses in your CV and any opportunities you were offered but unable to accept or were rescinded due to unforeseen circumstances. We understand that these things do occur and that not every CV will look the same.

Project Proposal

The project proposal is the heart of your application. It cannot exceed 5 pages, using 12-point font. It is essential to make your project clear to individuals outside your own field and to explain its broader implications. The following elements should be addressed in the proposal:

• Detailed description of the topic and its importance.
• Original contribution of the proposed research.
• Basic ideas and hypotheses.
• Methodology to be used, including the activities you will undertake to gather the data you need for your project and the techniques that you will use to analyze the data in order to prove your thesis.
• The present status of your research, including how much has already been done in relevant collections and archives, and what you would hope to accomplish at the Center.
• Why you chose the Wilson Center for your project and how the project upholds Wilson Center’s commitment to nonpartisanship.
• How the project aligns to one or more areas of scholarship (geostrategic competition, economic statecraft, technology and innovation, and regional scholarship).
• Relevance of the project to contemporary policy issues and policymakers in Washington, D.C. and how the research will be communicated or made accessible to those audiences.
• A brief bibliography, including primary and relevant secondary sources.

Contributions to the Wilson Center Community

In addition to their research projects, fellows will actively contribute to the mission and goals the Wilson Center. In the past, fellows have provided briefings to federal agencies, written op-eds and other short-form policy analyses, served on expert panels for the Congressional Foreign Policy program, and collaborated with other fellows and research institutions. Fellows will work with Wilson Center staff to identify which of these activities, or others as proposed, they wish to engage in during their tenure.

In your application, you will submit one response to the prompt: How do you intend to regularly engage with and contribute to the Wilson Center community during your fellowship? The response may not exceed 200 words.

Letters of Recommendation

Two letters of recommendation must be submitted online by 11:59 pm ET on January 16, 2026. Only two letters will be accepted. Please ensure that you submit the correct email address for your referees. It is your responsibility to ensure that we receive your reference letters. Applications missing reference letters will be considered incomplete.

Your referees should be familiar with you and your work, and you should send them a copy of your project description so that they can comment specifically upon your proposed study, your qualifications for undertaking it, and how you and your work would contribute to the Center’s goal of bridging the gap between the world of learning and the world of public affairs. The letters should follow the guidelines for referees below. Reference letters must be written in English. Applicants are strongly encouraged to follow up with their referees to confirm that they have sent their letters to the Center.

Guidelines for Referees

In your letter of reference, please include  an assessment of the applicant and the proposed project. The Center awards fellowships to individuals with outstanding project proposals in a broad range of the social sciences and humanities on international issues. Topics should intersect with questions of public policy. 

You should judge the application according to the following criteria: 

1. Significance of the proposed research, including the importance and originality of the project.
2. The relevance of the project to contemporary policy issues and policymakers, with the aim of bridging the worlds of scholarship and policy.
3. Quality of the proposal in definition, organization, clarity, and scope. 
4. Capabilities and achievements of the applicant and their propensity to accomplish the proposed project.
5. Potential of a candidate to actively contribute to the priorities and mission of the Center by making expert research accessible to policymakers and a broader audience.