South Asia Program Fellowships

Application Information

Applications for the 2024-2025 cohort are now closed. Applications for the 2025-2026 cohort will open in December 2024.

The Henry L. Stimson Center’s South Asia Program welcomes applications from highly motivated graduating seniors or individuals who have completed their undergraduate or master’s degree in the past year for its 2024-2025 cohort of Junior Fellows.

Purpose

The one-year, full-time fellowship will provide individuals with a unique opportunity to expand their knowledge of security issues in the subcontinent, engage the South Asia policy community in Washington and the region, and experience working at a dynamic think tank that provides close interaction with senior staff and researchers. Junior Fellows will receive a salary of $47,000 for the full year, as well as health insurance and transit benefits for the duration of the fellowship.

Junior Fellows will support the Stimson South Asia Program’s efforts to research, analyze, and inform policymakers about the evolving dynamics of deterrence, conflict risks, military modernization, and great-power competition in Southern Asia. Fellows will support research, publications, and programmatic efforts (including South Asian Voices, Strategic Learning, and public events and workshops). They will receive professional development opportunities to engage with leading scholars and practitioners in the field; to represent Stimson at scholarly and policy convenings; to hone technical and analytical skills; and to conduct, present, and publish their own research.

The Stimson South Asia Junior Fellowship will help emerging analysts develop the research, analytical, writing, and project management skills required to succeed in fields related to peace and security in South Asia. Previous Junior Fellows have gone on to positions with Stimson and at other think tanks including CSIS and CFR, have joined the U.S. government, and have pursued advanced degrees at MIT, University of Chicago, Stanford, and Columbia.

Selection Criteria

Requirements

• A strong background in: South Asian politics, economics, or security; strategic studies and nuclear issues; international relations theory; or other social sciences.
• Demonstrated analytical, research, and writing skills.
• Ability to work independently and to collaborate with peers in a team environment.
• A record of academic excellence.
• Bachelor’s degree. All applicants must be eligible to work in the United States for the full twelve months of the fellowship following graduation.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Precise editing skills and work experience in university writing center or newspaper.
• Experience living/working in South Asia and/or working in intercultural settings.
• Hindi, Urdu, or Mandarin (or other relevant) language skills.
• Data science skills.
• Event and/or project management experience.
• Web management experience/skills.

Application Materials

• A one-page cover letter laying out the candidate’s research interests and career goals. Applicants should discuss how they can contribute to the mission and work of the Stimson South Asia Program and how the Stimson South Asia Junior Fellowship would contribute to their long-term professional growth. Please also indicate your current work authorization status on the cover letter (OPT, J-1, etc.).
• A curriculum vitae or resume (two-page maximum) including all educational qualifications, study abroad experience, and extracurricular activities, as well as any work experience to date.
• Unofficial transcript(s) with academic record of undergraduate and Master’s (if applicable) coursework and study abroad experience.
• One letter of recommendation from a professor or former employer explaining what qualifications, skills, and experiences make the candidate a good fit for the fellowship;
• A writing sample of no more than two pages on a topic related to South Asian political or security issues.

All application materials should be submitted as a single PDF document in the order outlined above and titled “Junior Fellowship Application Materials—Last name of applicant.” All materials should be uploaded through Stimson’s online application system in the “Resume and Cover Letter” section of the portal.

Letters of recommendation should be emailed to [email protected] with the subject line “Stimson South Asia Junior Fellowship—Last name of applicant.”

Selection Process

Applications for the 2024-2025 Junior Fellowship are now closed. Completed applications are due February 9, 2024. Interviews will be conducted soon after, and final decisions will be communicated in March. Applicants selected for interview may be required to complete one or more short research, editing, and/or writing assignments as part of the interview process. The fellowship will begin in Summer 2024 and continue for 12 months.

Stimson is an equal opportunity employer that celebrates, supports, and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity, or any other legally protected basis, in accordance with applicable laws.