Call for the McCain Institute Junior Fellowships Fall 2026 Applications is now open

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Closing Date: 7 August 2026

Call for the McCain Institute Junior Fellowships Fall 2026 Applications is now open

About

Inspired by Senator John McCain and his family’s legacy, the McCain Institute at Arizona State University is non-partisan and fights to secure democracy and alliances, defend human rights, protect the vulnerable and advance character-driven leadership in all communities around the world.

The McCain Institute is now hiring junior fellows for Fall 2026!

McCain Institute Junior Fellowships

In an effort to encourage undergraduate and graduate students to pursue careers in democracy and human rights, the McCain Institute implements a junior fellowship program trimesterly.

Junior fellows have the opportunity to collaborate directly with the subject matter experts that design, implement and evaluate the Institute’s programs in addition to the Institute’s leadership and other key stakeholders.

The Junior Fellows Positions include:

Communications & Events
American Democracy
Leadership Programs
John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative

Junior fellowship program participants can expect to:

Collaborate and contribute to the development of McCain Institute programming;
Deepen and develop subject matter expertise;
Network and build connections within the foreign policy and international development industries, and
Gain experience in program design and management which will inform participants’ longer term professional path and goals.

Students who participate in the McCain Institute’s Junior Fellowship Program will receive a stipend.

Applicant Requirements

In order to be eligible for the McCain Institute Junior Fellowship program, candidates must meet the requirements outlined below:

Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate academic program in the United States;
Demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of the McCain Institute; and
Ability to successfully complete a background check.

McCain Institute must take its own side in this fight. We must be vigilant. We must persevere. And through it all, we must never, never cease to believe in the moral superiority of our own values: that we stand for truth against falsehood, freedom against tyranny, right against injustice, hope against despair — and that even though we will inevitably take losses and suffer setbacks, through it all, as long as people of goodwill and courage refuse to lose faith in the West, it will endure.