Applications are now open for the 2025 Dalai Lama Fellowship. Dalai Lama Fellows (DLF) offers a one-year fellowship program for emerging changemakers aiming to cultivate leadership practices rooted in awareness, compassion, and integrity. The interdisciplinary and deeply contemplative program provides a curriculum, coaching, group learning, and additional forms of support to help Fellows apply what they are learning in the fellowship to their important work in the world. Â
During the fellowship year, each Fellow implements an original field project addressing a local challenge. With the program’s support, Fellows cultivate capacities of self-awareness, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, listening and communication, systems-thinking, and many more to help their work make a genuinely positive impact on the communities they serve. Fellows’ learning is also supported by instruction in a range of contemplative practices that foster a deeper connection to self, others, and ecosystems.
Eligibility Requirements
In order to fulfill the minimum requirements, through the application a candidate must demonstrate:Â
- Age requirements: 20-36 years old as of April 1, 2025
- Fluency in written and spoken EnglishÂ
- Current engagement with or well-articulated plans for a social change project and sustained engagement with the project throughout the fellowship year (NOTE: due to the difficulty of launching a social innovation project from scratch, we give preference to applicants who have ongoing projects, but each year we have selected Fellows who have a concrete vision for a project and plans to launch during the fellowship year, given they have the adequate expertise, resources, and community connections at the time of applying)Â
- In-depth knowledge of the community and the issue that the project is seeking to address, preferably with at least one year of previous experience working with the community Â
- Interest in learning and engaging in contemplative practices throughout the yearÂ
- Commitment to participating in all dimensions of the program, including online learning platform, 1-on-1 coaching calls, group learning calls, etc. (We estimate full participation in the fellowship requires about 12 hours per month, not including Fellows’ work on their projects)Â
- Attendance at the Contemplative Leadership Assembly in mid-July 2025 (DLF will cover all costs for travel, lodging, and meals for the Assembly)
Benefits
- DLF covers all costs for attending the Assembly such as visa fees, travel, and lodging.
Application Timeline:
- October 15, 2024: Application opens
- December 3, 2024: Application deadline (applications and all accompanying materials must be submitted by 22:00Â Coordinated Universal Time)
- February-March 2025: Fellows are selected and notified
- March, 2025: Virtual onboarding of new Fellows
- April 2025:Â Formal fellowship year begins (online curriculum, coaching calls, group learning calls)
- July 2025: 5-day Contemplative Leadership Assembly in United States
- April 2026: Formal fellowship year concludes, Fellows enter LifeLong Fellows global leadership and learning community
- July 2026: 5-day Contemplative Leadership Assembly in TBD location
Application Summary
The application for Dalai Lama Fellows consists of five main parts:Â
- Applicant background and overviewÂ
- Short essay questionsÂ
- Video submissionÂ
- Resume/CVÂ
- Letter of recommendationÂ
Method of Application
For More Information,
Visit the Official Webpage
Application Deadline:Â December 3, 2024.