CFR International Affairs Fellowship Program (United States)

This transformational program offers fellows the chance to experience a new environment and gain a different perspective at a pivotal moment in their careers. The IAF program’s more than 650 alumni constitute a who’s who of the U.S. foreign policy community, including a former secretary of state, several undersecretaries of state and defense, ambassadors, and many other influential leaders in government, academia, and the private sector. IAFs coming out of academia or the private sector work in the U.S. government or at an international organization. IAFs coming out of government work at the Council’s offices in New York or Washington, DC, where they contribute to ongoing projects by researching and writing on policy-relevant issues. CFR is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to its RealEcon Initiative, China Strategy Initiative, technology, and climate initiatives.

Funding Information

• The fellowship runs for twelve months starting in September. The fellowship stipend is $120,000 for a period of twelve months. Fellows are independent contractors rather than employees of CFR, and as a result, they are not eligible for employment benefits, including health insurance. No indirect costs can be deducted from the stipend.
• CFR assists fellows coming out of academia or the private sector find a suitable placement for their fellowship year in the U.S. government or at an international organization. However, all placements are made at the discretion of the host institution. CFR cannot guarantee placement at any particular agency, office, or organization. Fellows coming from out of the federal government or the U.S. military have the choice of working at CFR’s offices in New York or Washington, DC. The expectation for all fellows is that the fellowship will be a full-time, in-person experience; fellows should expect to work on-site with their host organization or agency at least three days per week.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
• Applicants must be mid-career professionals.
• Applicants must have a strong record of professional achievement and a firm grounding in the field of foreign policy.
• Applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• A PhD is not required for university-based applicants, though successful candidates from academia typically hold an advanced degree. The IAF program does not fund pre- or postdoctoral research, work toward a degree, or the completion of projects on which substantial progress has been made before the fellowship begins. The program is intended to be a transformational experience that gives awardees the opportunity to work in a setting substantially different from their current employment. For candidates from academia and the private sector, preference is given to candidates with no significant prior work experience in the U.S. government or at an international organization. For candidates from the federal government or U.S. military, preference is given to candidates who can contribute to CFR’s RealEcon Initiative, China Strategy Initiative, and technology and climate initiatives.

For more information, visit CFR.