Foreign Policy Fellowship Program

The Need

Every day, congressional staff advise Members of Congress on U.S. foreign and defense policy matters. It is critically important that both Members and staff be well-versed in a range of global and complex issues.

What the Fellowship Offers

The core of the Fellowship Program is a six-week seminar that encourages Fellows to debate key issues with some of the nation’s leading foreign policy thinkers and practitioners. Each session will encourage analytical approaches and fresh perspectives on a key issue, and will include a recommended reading list. 

Each week's seminar also includes a simulation exercise, in which Fellows are divided into core groups and given scenarios to roleplay the role of the legislative branch in foreign policy.

Fellows who attend 5 out of 6 sessions will receive a certificate of completion from the Wilson Center and join the Woodrow Wilson Foreign Policy Fellowship Alumni Network. Alumni will be invited to attend exclusive Wilson Center events and programs, including private briefings, study trips, and high-level round tables.

Alumni will also be able to draw on the expertise and knowledge of the 150 resident scholars that the Wilson Center hosts each year – a diverse group of policymakers, academics, and executives from both the public and private sectors.

The Wilson Center invites mid to senior-level staff (legislative staff from legislative correspondent and up, and committee staff members) to participate in the Fellowship Program. The Program is also open to exceptional rising leaders with a keen interest in foreign policy who staff other U.S. policymakers. Each year, the Center hosts two sessions (spring and fall) with roughly 50 participants each. Applicants should possess a strong understanding of the legislative process and aspire to a career shaping foreign policy.

Dates for the spring 2024 cohort will open on February 9, 2024.

Dates for the spring 2024 Foreign Policy Fellowship Program:

April 5
April 12
April 19
April 26
May 3
May 10

If accepted, each fellow is required to attend at least five out of the six sessions, which take place on Fridays from 2:30pm - 5:00pm at the Wilson Center. Please do not apply unless you know you can meet the attendance requirements.