NED Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program 2026-2027 (Funded) – YOA

Deadline: December 31, 2025

Applications are open for the NED Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program 2026-2027. The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program is a federally funded, worldwide trade program that provides democracy activists, journalists, civil society leaders, and students from around the globe the OPPORTUNITY to spend 5 months in residence on the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), in Washington, D.C., with the intention to undertake unbiased analysis on democracy in a selected nation or area.

The program gives 5-month fellowships for practitioners to enhance methods and methods for constructing democracy overseas and 5-month fellowships for students to conduct unique analysis for publication. While in residence, fellows mirror on their experiences; have interaction with counterparts; conduct analysis and writing; contemplate greatest practices and classes realized; and develop skilled relationships inside a worldwide community of democracy advocates. Fellows are anticipated to finish a written product regarding their proposed analysis venture. The fellowship culminates in a proper presentation wherein fellows sometimes deal with their analysis venture or one other matter regarding the state of democracy of their nation.

Fellowship Tracks

• Practitioner Track: Prospective candidates might apply on both the practitioner or scholarly monitor. The Reagan-Fascell program is meant primarily for practitioners from creating and aspiring democracies, and people from non-democratic nations. Applicants making use of to the practitioner monitor are anticipated to have substantial sensible expertise working to advertise democracy or human rights of their nation of origin or curiosity. There are not any particular diploma necessities for the practitioner monitor. While there are additionally no age limits, candidates on the practitioner monitor are sometimes mid-profession professionals with a number of years of labor expertise within the discipline of democracy and human rights. Examples of eligible candidates for the practitioner monitor embody human rights advocates, civil society leaders, political social gathering figures, human rights legal professionals, parliamentarians, labor union activists, journalists, and different members of the media.
• Scholarly Track: Prospective candidates might apply on both the practitioner or scholarly monitor. While this system is meant primarily for practitioners from around the globe, distinguished students from the United States and different established democracies are additionally eligible to apply. Applicants making use of to the scholarly monitor are anticipated to own a doctorate (a Ph.D., or tutorial equal) on the time of application, to have revealed of their discipline of experience, and to have developed an in depth analysis define for his or her fellowship venture. Examples of eligible candidates for the scholarly monitor embody faculty and college professors, analysts at analysis facilities and suppose tanks, writers, and public intellectuals.

Benefits

• Program Activities: Through its calendar of seminars, roundtables, discipline journeys, and different occasions, this system seeks to: (a) construct information in regards to the work of the Endowment and its core institutes; (b) present schooling regarding democracy by way of discipline journeys and seminars; (c) assist outreach for dialogue and interplay with the governmental, nongovernmental, tutorial, and media communities round city and past; and (d) promote a way of collegiality amongst fellows as a gaggle. In addition, fellows profit from the numerous casual social and cultural actions that this system has to supply, together with journeys to sporting occasions, museums, films, and comfortable hours.
• Financial Support: Each fellow receives a month-to-month stipend for dwelling bills, plus primary medical insurance and roundtrip journey to and from Washington, D.C., initially and finish of the fellowship interval. Fellowship funds are calculated to cowl value of a brief-time period, furnished rental residence, plus “cost of living” for meals, native transportation, and different requirements. Fellows are supplied with a completely geared up workplace, plus a restricted finances for lengthy-distance telephone calls {and professional} journey throughout the United States.  Please be aware that fellows who want to deliver members of the family with them to Washington, D.C., shall be anticipated to cowl the prices of their dependents’ roundtrip journey and keep throughout the United States.
• Research Associates: Research associates are assigned to work with a number of fellows and supply important assist in quite a lot of methods: consulting with fellows on the form and path of their initiatives, offering analysis, written, and editorial assist on points regarding the idea and follow of democracy, facilitating outreach, aiding within the preparation and observe-up of fellows’ public shows, and offering different help as needed.
• Democracy Resource Center: Housed at NED, the Democracy Resource Center (DRC) is staffed by 4 librarians and incorporates roughly 20,000 works, together with books, journals, grantee studies, and different publications on democracy.
• Visas: Prior to their arrival within the United States, potential fellows who’re neither residents nor everlasting residents of the United States should acquire a J-1 trade customer visa with the intention to journey to the United States. Accompanying members of the family should acquire a J-2 visa. Fellowship candidates can not have participated in a J-1 analysis scholar program throughout the 24 months instantly previous their Reagan-Fascell fellowship. Fellows who’re sponsored on our J-1 visa are sometimes required by U.S. legislation to return to their home nation for 2 years following the completion of their fellowship earlier than they could apply for an H visa, an L visa, or for authorized everlasting residence.

Eligibility

All candidates ought to:

• Demonstrate proficiency within the English language;
• Propose a venture specializing in the political, social, financial, authorized or cultural points of democratic improvement;
• Be out there to work in residence on the International Forum for Democratic Studies in Washington, D.C. through the 5 month fellowship interval (October 1-February 28 or March 1-July 31). No different fellowships or jobs could also be held presently.

Applicants on the practitioner monitor ought to:

• Have substantial sensible expertise working to advertise democracy or human rights of their nation of origin or curiosity;
• Be mid-profession professionals.

Applicants on the scholarly monitor ought to:

• Possess a doctorate (a Ph.D., or tutorial equal) on the time of application
• Have a confirmed report of publications of their discipline;
• Have developed an in depth analysis define for his or her fellowship venture.

Application

To apply, you will need to first create an account by way of a web-based portal. Once you might have arrange an account, the application course of requires you to submit:

• Applicant info
• Project proposal for the practitioner or the scholarly fellowship monitor
• Letters of advice
• Resume/CV and Biography

Submit all application supplies in English.

To apply, create an account here

For extra info, go to Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows.