Peace Scholar Fellowship Program (United States)

USIP’s Peace Scholar Fellowship program awards non-residential fellowships to PhD candidates enrolled at U.S. universities. Since 1988, the program has supported the dissertations of 408 scholars, many of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in research, higher education, and policy making.

This program partners with the Minerva Research Initiative to support additional fellowships. Currently, the program awards up to 18 fellowships per year, and awards support both research and writing stages of work on dissertations.

Applications from members of groups traditionally under-represented in the field of international relations, peace and conflict studies, security studies, and other related academic disciplines, as well as diplomacy and international policymaking, are strongly encouraged.

Funding Information

• USIP funds up to 18 Peace Scholars for a 10-month, non-residential fellowship. Peace Scholars receive stipends of up to $20,000 paid directly to the individual in three tranches. Peace Scholar awards may not be deferred.
• Peace Scholars are required to participate in an annual workshop, in-person in Washington, D.C. in Fall 2024.

Applications Preferences

USIP strongly prefers applications closely related to the USIP Issue Areas and/or research priorities of the Minerva Research Initiative.

• USIP Issue Areas
  • Civilian-military relations: Military and civilian agencies have worked more closely in recent years to prevent or reduce violent conflict, build the capacities of governments and strengthen national security. Still, lessons from the field show that more needs to be done to improve mutual understanding and cooperation among the array of organizations providing assistance. Lack of understanding has led to duplication of effort, inefficient use of limited resources and unintended consequences.
  • Conflict analysis & prevention: Strategies to prevent, manage or resolve violent conflict can succeed only if they are grounded in clear analysis of the causes and potential trajectory of a conflict. Through research, training and analytical techniques, the U.S. Institute of Peace empowers practitioners and local communities with means to more effectively avert violent conflict.
  • Democracy & governance: Democracy embodies responsive and responsible governance, rule of law, human rights, civic participation and peaceful transfers of power through electoral processes. Each of these underpins a peaceful and stable society. The U.S. Institute of Peace teaches democratic principles and democratization processes and techniques that are critical to both peacebuilding and effective governance. USIP seeks to strengthen governance by supporting inclusive, accountable institutions and a robust civil society.
  • Economics: Economic security and peacebuilding are inextricably linked. When left unaddressed, issues like widespread poverty, food shortages and poor development can leave societies at a higher risk for violent conflict — conflict that can, in turn, deepen economic crises and spark a vicious cycle. USIP conducts research to better understand the complex relationship between economics and conflict and formulates recommendations for combining inclusive and equitable economic development with strategies for sustainable peacebuilding.
  • Education & training: The U.S. Institute of Peace works with educational institutions to increase their ability to teach peace and conflict studies. The Institute develops curricula and conducts workshops on syllabus design and the pedagogy of peace and conflict resolution for universities in conflict-affected areas as well as for other learning institutions.
  • Electoral violence: Increasingly aware of the risk of strife presented by elections in countries affected by conflict, governments and civil society need more effective approaches to prevent election-related violence. The U.S. Institute of Peace conducts research, training and fieldwork to develop evidence that will improve knowledge in this field and inform initiatives such as codes of conduct developed by police and elections officials to avert violence.
  • Environment: As climate change amplifies weather disasters and destabilizes food and water supplies, recent research has confirmed: The planet’s warming is weakening already fragile states, increasing the risk of violent conflicts and sparking human displacement and migration on an unprecedented scale. USIP is working to understand how climate policy and peacebuilding can work together to ensure that they stay ahead of the climate curve and put affected communities on the path toward long-term peace and stability.
  • Fragility & resilience: Wherever armed conflict erupts, its causes can almost always be traced back to weak or broken social contracts between government and its people. The U.S. Institute of Peace sees such “state fragility” as a complex issue that needs urgent attention. USIP strives to address the challenge of fragility through new approaches to conflict prevention and by strengthening resilience that promotes a sound social compact between the state and society.
  • Gender: Violent conflict and extremism have different impacts on men and women, and understanding those distinctive effects is critical for designing effective peacebuilding approaches and ensuring greater gender equality and protection for women and girls. Over the past two decades, international organizations and the U.S. government have increasingly recognized the importance of gender equality in creating enduring, peaceful societies. The U.S. Institute of Peace advances scholarship, carries out programs on the ground, and informs policy on women, peace and security.
  • Global health: As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, the intersection between public health and peacebuilding has never been clearer. Without strong, reliable health systems, fragile and conflict-affected states and regions often struggle to build sustainable peace—and the absence of adequate health care has been shown to drive violent extremism, fostering recurring cycles of conflict. USIP provides incisive analysis on the juncture of global health, peace and conflict, particularly as they pertain to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Global policy: The U.S. Institute of Peace convenes officials and policy experts, influences high-level debates, and works with other institutions, government and civil society groups to discuss and develop better strategies that will prevent, mitigate or resolve violent conflict.
  • Human rights: Human rights abuses can spur violent conflict, or vice-versa. Effective protection of human rights underpins the legitimate governance and rule of law that establish the conditions for a state to resolve conflicts and grievances without violence. The U.S. Institute of Peace provides grants, fellowships, education and publications to deepen understanding of the critical role of human rights protection in preventing and managing violence.
  • Justice, security & rule of law: Peaceful, prosperous societies need people and institutions to be subject to law that is fairly applied. The U.S. Institute of Peace helps states and members of society work together to strengthen the rule of law, often through justice and security sector reforms. USIP develops innovative models to foster and shepherd sustainable and locally supported reforms, trains rule-of-law practitioners, conducts research and holds forums to share knowledge.
  • Mediation, negotiation & dialogue: At the core of the U.S. Institute of Peace’s work are mediation, negotiation and dialogue—each a means of moving parties in conflict toward a mutually acceptable outcome. Dialogues in areas affected by conflict are ways of bridging divides and bringing communities together to heal divisions. Negotiation is a fundamental skill that is at the heart of most of USIP’s conflict resolution training.
  • Nonviolent action: The U.S. Institute of Peace promotes nonviolent approaches through education and training in strategic nonviolent action and movement-building; applied research on such movements and the efficacy of outside support; and publications that inform the work of policymakers to advance alternatives to violence.
  • Peace processes: Peace processes involve a series of negotiated steps to end wars and build sustainable peace. The U.S. Institute of Peace works with practitioners, diplomats and officials to understand how to effectively manage or facilitate such processes.
  • Reconciliation: Reconciliation encompasses truth-telling, sharing of historical narratives, or dialogue to transform relations among groups affected by conflict and rebuild trust between the state and citizens so that former enemies can envision and realize a shared future. USIP supports research to evaluate and better understand the practices of reconciliation used around the world and their impact.
  • Religion: Given religion’s influence on conflict dynamics around the world, it is critical that practitioners and policymakers understand and partner with religious leaders and people of faith to build peace. For more than 25 years, the U.S. Institute of Peace has worked on the role of religion in violence and peace, advancing cutting-edge research and policy, and developing effective strategies to engage religious actors, institutions and ideas across traditions in support of peace.
  • Violent extremism: Extremist movements — such as ISIS, Boko Haram, the Taliban and al-Shabab — fuel, and often stem from, instability and violent conflict and present a complex challenge. The U.S. Institute of Peace works to understand the underlying causes of violent extremism and helps develop localized and viable solutions by providing research, training and expertise to practitioners and policymakers.
  • Youth: Many of today’s youth, at 1.8 billion worldwide, live in areas affected by conflict. The predominant narrative depicts young men as perpetrators of violence and young women as victims. The U.S. Institute of Peace sees youth as agents for positive change and works to equip young peacebuilders with the knowledge and skills they need to bring divided communities together and to manage conflict nonviolently.
• Minerva Topics of Interest
  • Topic 1: Socio-economic vulnerability to climate change
  • Topic 2: Deterrence in the Future Operating Environment
  • Topic 3: Russian Speakers in Online Spaces
  • Topic 4: Power and Influence in the Era of Strategic Competition
  • Topic 5: The Arctic as a Polar Crossroads
  • Topic 6: Management and Information in the Defense Environment
• Special consideration will be given to proposed research in the following areas:
  • Strategic rivalry
  • Global shocks and fragility
  • The American approach to peacebuilding.

Eligibility Criteria

• The competition is open to Ph.D. candidates enrolled at U.S. universities who have successfully completed all required classwork and comprehensive exams.
• Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply. They must be Ph.D. candidates currently enrolled at a U.S. university. Students at international and satellite universities are not eligible.
• All applicants must be Ph.D. candidates at the time of application. Master’s students or other students pursuing graduate coursework are not eligible to apply.

For more information, visit The United States Institute of Peace.