Fellowships and Awards

To learn more about the course, the application process, and eligibility, visit our dedicated Kissinger Undergraduate Seminar Page.

Note: Applications for the Kissinger Undergraduate Seminar are closed. 

• Lectures and discussions led by world experts on nuclear strategy and statecraft
• Meetings with U.S. policymakers
• An introduction to nuclear technology by leading scientists
• Simulations and (public health permitting) visits to important sites

• Resume
• 1-page, single spaced Statement of Interest. The statement should address why you want to take this course and why you should be selected
• Unofficial Transcripts 

International Policy Scholars Consortium and Network (IPSCON)

The Kissinger Center is pleased to host the International Policy Scholars Consortium and Network (IPSCON), a multi-year initiative funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York for PhD students approaching the dissertation phase of their PhD.

At the core of the many “bridging the gap” efforts over the past several years is the conviction that foreign policymaking in the United States and elsewhere is seriously compromised by the disconnect between the academy and the world of practice. The challenge is especially acute in doctoral programs in history, political science, and related disciplines. Many students begin their studies with a strong interest in policy and a significant number look to have a policy dimension to their subsequent careers. Yet few schools are able to give those students the coursework and mentoring they need to perform at a high-level in senior policy roles, or to address their research to the real-world problems policymakers confront.
 
IPSCON connects graduate students interested in conducting scholarly research on key policy questions, working directly in policymaking roles, or both. These aims are rarely celebrated in traditional programs, which tend to bifurcate into two distinct tracks – a professional masters degree program and an academic PhD program. IPSCON junior scholars are typically PhD students nominated by one of the consortium institutions. By linking junior scholars to senior faculty from across the network, IPSCON’s unique consortium model draws on the diverse strengths of its constituent institutions, while cultivating a robust network of scholars with a shared interest in international affairs and policy. Key activities for junior scholars include the Minnowbrook retreat, virtual seminars, and the DC Policy Workshop.

Learn more about IPSCON here

Applications for the 2025-2026 Carnegie International Policy Scholars Consortium and Network (IPSCON) closed on February 28, 2025. The instructions remain below for reference. 
 
Supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and located within SAIS’s Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, IPSCON is dedicated to helping emerging scholars, especially PhD students, navigate between the worlds of scholarship and policy in their research, teaching, and careers. Over the course of the academic year, IPSCON participants will engage in a three-day retreat in the Adirondacks, a two-day policy workshop in Washington, DC, and a virtual seminar series during the semester that brings together students, preeminent scholars, and current and former senior government officials for wide-ranging conversations. IPSCON members will also have access to the IPSCON alumni community for networking and mentorship.

Our ideal candidates will have finished or be in the process of finishing their comprehensive exams when they take up the fellowship. We are also open to candidates who are further along, including postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. We welcome applications from candidates from a diverse array of intellectual backgrounds including history, political science, public policy, information and data science, biology, engineering, public health, environmental studies, etc., who are interested in making their research more accessible to policymakers and/or serving in government. Preference will be given to current PhD students with a demonstrated interest in policy-relevant research on a key topic in international affairs. Applicants who are committed to promoting a sense of belonging and contributing to an equitable and inclusive learning environment for all are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application Process and Deadline

Applicants should send a copy of their CV and a 500-word essay explaining their interest in IPSCON and career objectives to [email protected] no later than February 28, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET. Candidates will be notified of the outcome of their applications by April 1, 2025.

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

Nuclear Studies Research Initiative (NSRI) 

NSRI was established to support and expand a renaissance in nuclear studies by creating a platform for intellectual exchange, cross-fertilization, and mentorship. 

The initiative actively promotes work that transcends both national and disciplinary boundaries and seeks to contribute to addressing core policy challenges. Through its workshops and collaborations, the project has been highly effective in improving academic scholarship on nuclear questions; the majority of original research presented at NSRI events has been published in top peer-reviewed journals. NSRI has facilitated unique connections between scholars across fields which have led to fruitful research collaborations and increased participation of younger academics in policy debates. 
 
Learn more about the NSRI here
 
Please check back for updates on calls for papers for NSRI workshops and conferences.

About the AJI Fellowships at the Kissinger Center

Qualifications and How to Apply

The Ax:son Johnson Institute for Statecraft and Diplomacy (AJI) is a four-university, transatlantic consortium, which in collaboration with the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation for Public Benefit, will recruit, train, and mentor the next generation of historically-minded scholars and practitioners in statecraft, diplomacy, and strategy. As a member of this consortium, the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs is pleased to offer up to three postdoctoral fellowships to scholars pursuing research in historically-minded statecraft and strategy.

Generously supported by the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation for Public Benefit, the AJI is a partnership between the Centre for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge, the Centre for Grand Strategy in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and the Center for Statecraft and Strategic Communication at the Stockholm School of Economics. The partnership promotes the research and engagement of a cohort of up to twenty-four PhD and postdoctoral fellows across its member universities. 

About the AJI Fellowships at the Kissinger Center

Incoming PhD students and postdoctoral fellows at Johns Hopkins SAIS will work closely with the faculty and affiliates of the Kissinger Center and have opportunities to participate in the Center’s activities and the broader intellectual communities of SAIS and Johns Hopkins University. The new scholars will also collaborate with faculty, affiliates, students, and fellows from the other institutes in the consortium, creating a multi-institutional, multinational intellectual community that spans the Atlantic, as well as have publishing opportunities through Engelsberg Ideas.
 
The program builds and expands upon the Kissinger Center and SAIS's strengths in diplomatic and military history, strategic studies, security studies, international relations, and economics and international political economy. SAIS is interdisciplinary and policy-engaged, and its location in Washington DC allows scholars easy access to major instruments of government, think tanks, and federally funded research and development centers, as well as important archives. SAIS also has campuses in Bologna (Italy) and Nanjing (China), providing additional opportunities to engage with the scholarly and policy communities in Europe and Asia.

Up to three Postdoctoral Fellows will be offered a generous two-year fellowship that includes health insurance, research funding, and a stipend competitive with the leading postdoctoral awards.

Qualifications and How to Apply

Applicants interested in becoming AJI Postdoctoral Fellows should follow the steps described below. The application closed on January 5, 2024. The application process remains below for reference. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be expected, in addition to pursuing his or her own research and writing, to contribute to the intellectual life of the Kissinger Center as well as the AJI consortium and to participate in their programming.
 
Applicants for AJI Post-Doctoral Fellowships must have completed their PhD by the time they take up the fellowship and have a track record of excellent historically-minded research in statecraft, diplomacy, or strategy. Preference will be given to those who are no more than 5 years beyond completing their dissertation, although others are also eligible. Postdoctoral fellows are expected to remain in residence at the Kissinger Center for the duration of their fellowship. We encourage candidates with PhDs in history, political science, and international relations to apply, but other disciplines are also welcome. Applications from women and minority candidates are especially encouraged.
 
Each applicant should submit the following:
1.     An application letter explaining why you are applying, why and how your research interests align with the objectives of the AJI initiative, and what you hope to accomplish during your time at the Kissinger Center;
2.     A curriculum vitae;
3.     An article or writing sample on statecraft or strategy, broadly defined, which demonstrates a historically-minded approach to research;
4.     Three letters of recommendation.
 
The deadline for applications was January 5, 2024. The next call for applications will be announced in the fall/winter of 2025.

Please direct any questions to the Associate Director of Operations at the Kissinger Center, Andrea Wise ([email protected]).
 

About the Fellowship