International Affairs Fellowship

Eligibility

• 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. 

Fellowship Award

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.  

Fellows seeking to spend their fellowship working at a U.S. government agency likely will need to obtain a security clearance. The process for obtaining a security clearance can be lengthy, and the U.S. government alone determines when a clearance can be granted. Because of the time needed to obtain a security clearance, affected fellows need to be flexible about their fellowship start date or be willing to begin their fellowships in a position that does not require a security clearance. Placements at international organizations and on Capitol Hill typically do not require security clearances.

Each year, to ensure that national security remains a focus within the program, two or more awardees whose proposed research focuses on existing or emerging national security threats are given the special designation of International Affairs Fellow in National Security.

Selection Process

Selection as an IAF is based on the following criteria: 

• Scholarly qualifications and/or professional experience
• Demonstrated interest in foreign policy
• The merits and feasibility of a proposal to work on some aspect of U.S. foreign policy (for applicants from the academia or the private sector)
• The merits and feasibility of a proposal to contribute to policy-relevant work at CFR (for applicants from the federal government and the U.S. military)
• The contribution the fellowship will make to the applicant’s career development

The selection process is highly competitive. A selection committee reviews all applications and selects twenty applicants for interviews. CFR awards eight to ten fellowships each year. Strong preference is given to candidates who have never received a CFR fellowship.

How to Apply

The application period for the 2025–26 fellowship cycle has closed. The application period for the 2026–27 fellowship cycle will open in September 2025.

To apply, you will need to submit the following: 

• Basic biographical, educational, and employment information
• Proposed placements in the U.S. government or at an international agency and proposed focus of work (for applicants from academia, the private sector, NGOs, and state or local government)
• Proposal to contribute to policy-relevant work at CFR (for applicants from the federal government and the U.S. military)
• Two letters of support

 

* International Affairs Fellow in National Security

Alumni

The complete list of former International Affairs Fellows is available here.

Contact Us

For more information, please contact [email protected]