Call for Proposals: George F. Kennan Fellowship

George F. Kennan Fellows will be based at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. for three-month residencies. Fellows will receive access to the Library of Congress, National Archives, and policy research centers in Washington, D.C., as well as the opportunity to meet with key actors at the State Department, USAID, Department of Defense, and Congress. While conducting research, the George F. Kennan Fellows are expected to actively participate in discussions with the policy and academic communities, including speaking engagements at the Wilson Center as well as potentially outside of Washington D.C., and attending meetings, conferences, and other activities organized by the Kennan Institute and Wilson Center. Upon completion of the fellowships, the grantees become alumni, for whom Kennan will continue to offer opportunities for collaboration and engagement.

Aim

• Among the aims of the new fellowships are to build bridges between traditional academia and the policy world, as well as to maintain and increase collaboration among researchers from Russia, Ukraine, the US, and around the globe. Fellows will be based at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. for 3-month residencies.

Objectives

• Please note applicants have an option to apply for the fellowship as individuals or as part of a team. If applying as a team of two (or three) applicants, the applicants must be citizens of at least two different countries. The goal of such joint fellowships is to promote collaborative research projects among experts from diverse backgrounds. George F. Kennan Fellowship Teams will:
  • Produce joint paper(s) for policy-relevant publications.
  • Present work at D.C., and/or international events.
  • Conduct meetings and engage with policymakers in D.C.

Funding Information

• The George F. Kennan Fellowship offers a monthly stipend of $4,000, research facilities, computer access, and some travel support. Health insurance and accommodation expenses are not directly covered by this grant. Awardees are expected to begin their three-month appointments within six months of accepting the fellowship.

Eligibility Criteria

• George F. Kennan Fellowships are available to applicants from all countries. Foreign applicants must be eligible to obtain a J-1 exchange visitor visa.
• The Kennan Institute is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment, and encourages applicants of all backgrounds to apply.
• For academic participants, eligibility is limited to the postdoctoral level, and normally it is expected that academic candidates will have demonstrated their scholarly development by publication beyond the doctoral or “kandidat” dissertation. For other applicants, an equivalent level of professional achievement is expected.
• All qualified applicants will receive consideration for fellowships based solely on their merits.

Application Requirements 

• If applying as an individual:
  • A complete application must include:
    • the following individual application form
    • a project proposal and title (not to exceed 1,000 words)
    • a curriculum vitae, including publications (not to exceed 5 pages)
    • two letters of recommendation
• Please note all materials must be in English.
• If applying as a team (Scholars may apply as pairs; teams of three may also be considered):
  • A complete application must include:
    • individual application forms for each team member
    • team application form
    • a joint project proposal and title (not to exceed 1,500 words)
    • a curriculum vitae for each team member including publications (not to exceed 5 pages)
    • two letters of recommendation for each team member
• Please note all materials must be in English.
• Applications should be scanned and sent as PDF files by email. Applications may be submitted by post, but make sure to coordinate with Kennan staff. Do not send sample publications.
• The Project Proposal is the most important element in the selection process. It is essential that you make your project clear to individuals outside your own field and explain its broader implications, including policy relevance. The elements requested below should be incorporated into the text:
  • a detailed description of the topic and its policy relevance beyond the interests of the specific field of study
  • the originality of the proposed study
  • the methods or approaches to be used
  • a brief discussion of how you or your project will foster communication between the world of ideas and the world of public affairs
  • the feasibility of completing your project in the time proposed.

For more information, visit Kennan Institute.