Jefferson Scholars Foundation National Fellowship Programme 2025.

The National Fellowship Program supports outstanding scholars at leading institutions of higher education who are completing dissertations in United States politics, with an emphasis on historical and institutional analyses of politics, public policy, and foreign relations.

National Fellows have the opportunity to connect with and be a part of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation’s interdisciplinary community of world-class Scholars, Fellows, and Professors at the University of Virginia.

Benefits

Under the leadership of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, the National Fellowship Program:

Funds up to four National Fellows per year to support dissertation research and writing
Awards each Fellow a stipend of $30,000 in their first year; $30,000 should they qualify for a second year
Pairs each Fellow with a renowned senior scholar in his or her field. These senior scholars serve as Mentors, suggesting relevant literature to frame the Fellows’ work, offering a critique of the Fellows’ writings, and providing general advice on research.
Supports Fellows in assembling collaborative research networks focused on their area of expertise as it concerns broader policy-facing publics. In addition to the Fellow, who is responsible for leading and maintaining the network, and the Mentor, who will assist in recruiting collaborators, networks may include former Fellows, Mentors, and faculty as well as graduate students of the University of Virginia.
Provides Fellows with training in skills relevant to leadership in academic research and institutions of higher education and policy-making more generally. Skills may include grant writing, data analytics, budgetary and statistical analysis, and public engagement (including social media curation, crafting op-eds and blogs, as well as expressing ideas through techniques employed by the digital humanities).
Provides up to $5,000 in research funds.

Requirements

Must be a PhD candidate either expecting to complete their dissertation by the end of the Fellowship year or having a detailed two-year plan for completing their dissertation.
Not a post-doctoral fellowship; applicants who have completed their Ph.D. are not eligible.
Open to both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens.
Fellows must work with a Mentor to create a network of scholars focused on their research area, which addresses important policy-related questions.
Fellows are required to participate in on-campus residential visits of up to two weeks at the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, except for Galambos Fellows, who hold residencies at the Hagley Library.
All Fellows must attend a fall conference to discuss dissertation drafts, build scholarly networks, and set professional development goals.
Participation in a spring conference is required, where Fellows will workshop their research with junior and senior scholars and prepare for potential publication.
Fellows are expected to be actively involved in the interdisciplinary community of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation.