Applications are now open for the 2025/26 CFR International Affairs Fellowship Program (fellowship stipend of $120,000 per year)

Ednah Carrick September 15, 2025

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Closing Date: 1 November 2025

Applications are now open for the 2025/26 CFR International Affairs Fellowship Program (fellowship stipend of $120,000 per year)

The Program

Established in 1967, the International Affairs Fellowship (IAF) aims to bridge the gap between the study and making of U.S. foreign policy by creating the next generation of scholar-practitioners. This transformational program offers fellows the chance to experience a new environment and gain a different perspective at a pivotal moment in their careers. The IAF program’s more than 650 alumni constitute a who’s who of the U.S. foreign policy community, including a former secretary of state, several undersecretaries of state and defense, ambassadors, and many other influential leaders in government, academia, and the private sector.

IAFs coming out of academia or the private sector work in the U.S. government or at an international organization. IAFs coming out of government work at the Council’s offices in New York or Washington, DC, where they contribute to ongoing projects at Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) by researching and writing on policy-relevant issues.

Described as the “Jewel of the Council,” the International Affairs Fellowship (IAF) programs aim to bridge scholarship and practice by giving participants transformative opportunities to work in a new environment that will give them a different perspective at a critical point in their careers.

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.
Applicants cannot have applied for another Council on Foreign Relations fellowship program in the same year.

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, sponsored by Janine and J. Tomilson Hill.

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 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

Interested candidates who meet the program’s eligibility requirements can apply online before the deadline, for the 2025–26 fellowship cycle. Applicants selected for interviews will be notified by February 2026. Awardees will be notified by March 31, 2026.

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

Applicants who apply for the International Affairs Fellowship are not eligible to apply for other Council on Foreign Relations fellowship programs in the same year.