Apply for the South Asia Program Visiting Fellowship
- Updated November 6, 2023
Application Information
Applications for the 2024 Visiting Fellowship are now closed. Please check back in Spring 2024 for information on the 2025 Visiting Fellowship.
The Stimson Center South Asia Program’s Visiting Fellowship is designed for outstanding analysts, scholars, students, and researchers in India and Pakistan who are dedicated to the study of strategic and security issues in the subcontinent.
This fellowship combines professional development of research, writing, and public presentation skills with extensive exposure to the D.C. policy community. Visiting Fellows will develop a research project while meeting with senior scholars and analysts working on South Asian security issues at universities and think-tanks, as well as leading practitioners in the U.S. government. They also contribute analysis to SAV throughout the one-year period.
Fellows are selected based on criteria such as the quality of their research proposal, research and writing aptitude, and fit with the Stimson Center’s research interests. Frequent, high-quality contributors to SAV will be given special consideration.
For general inquiries, please write to [email protected] with “Visiting Fellowship” in the subject line.
Fellowship Structure
Visiting Fellows spend eight weeks of the one-year fellowship in residence at the Stimson Center’s office in Washington, DC, during which engagement with the U.S.-based policy and research community is a priority. The remainder of the fellowship consists of ten months of research and writing in the fellows’ home countries.
Fellowship Requirements
- A co-authored or single-authored policy memo developed while in residence at Stimson;
- Ten op-ed-style essays, including at least one co-authored article with a member of the 2024 Visiting Fellow cohort, to be published on the South Asian Voices platform over the twelve-month period;
- Participation in the Stimson Visiting Fellows salon presentation to the wider D.C. policy community;
- Occasional substantive contributions to Stimson Center products and intellectual community (i.e. peer review, podcast interviews) throughout the one-year fellowship.
Application Materials
- A 500-word essay detailing the applicant’s research interests, experience, and how the fellowship fits into their career goals;
- A curriculum vitae of no more than two pages detailing the applicant’s professional and educational accomplishments;
- A writing sample of no more than two single-spaced pages;
- A 250-word research proposal on the topic the applicant would like to explore in their policy memo (the topic may be subject to change following selection);
- A letter of recommendation from a professor or former employer explaining what qualifications, skills, and experiences make the applicant an excellent fit for the fellowship.
Additional Information
- The South Asia Program makes an active effort to select a diverse and balanced cohort. In the 500-word essay, the applicant may also wish to elaborate on how they could contribute to the diversity of the 2024 Visiting Fellowship cohort.
- Fellowship application materials should be sent to [email protected] in a single PDF with the subject header “Applicant Name – Visiting Fellowship Application 2024.”
- Letters of recommendation can also be sent to the [email protected] account with the subject header “Applicant Name – Visiting Fellowship 2024.”
Selection Criteria
Fellows are selected based on criteria such as the quality of their research proposal, research and writing aptitude, and fit with the Stimson Center’s research interests. All applicants will be considered, but successful candidates will likely have some or all of the following:
- Frequent and/or high-quality contributions to South Asian Voices;
- Demonstrable, substantive experience researching South Asia security or strategic issues;
- A track record of publications in journals, books, or newspapers/magazines;
- A master’s degree or higher in a relevant field.
Candidates who have not previously received an international fellowship will also receive greater consideration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applications for the next Visiting Fellowship cohort are opened annually in the Spring.
We expect to make final decisions by the end of November/early December 2023.
Applicants must be from India or Pakistan to apply. Please bear in mind that the Visiting Fellowship is primarily intended for early to mid-career professionals and scholars with a demonstrated interest in and capacity for conducting research on South Asian security issues.
For an in-person fellowship, Stimson will pay for visa and travel costs to and from the United States in addition to providing lodging and a living stipend for the duration of the eight-week Washington residency. Stimson also will provide the fellows with office space, a computer, and other administrative support.
No. Upon being selected for the Visiting Fellowship—and for a D.C.-based residency— the fellows will apply for a J-1 visa. Please note that many participants in the J-1 Program are subject to a requirement that they return home for a minimum of two years upon completion of their program.
The Visiting Fellowship is not paid and is not intended to serve as a substitute for full-time employment. Though, fellows will receive an all-expenses-paid stay in Washington for the duration of eight weeks in the summer of 2024.
Please address any remaining inquiries to [email protected] with “Visiting Fellowship” in the subject line.