International Affairs Fellowship
Hear From Past International Affairs Fellows
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 550 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.
It’s not an exaggeration to say it played a critical role in the rest of my career path… I’m nothing but a fan of this program. I applaud the Council for having it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If given the rare opportunity to have an experience that redefines your career trajectory … take it! That’s what my IAF did for me!
Government Track
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 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.
CFR Track
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, where they contribute to ongoing projects at CFR by researching and writing on policy-relevant issues.
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.
How to Apply
Interested candidates who meet the program’s eligibility requirements can apply online between September 15 and October 31, 2025, for the 2026–27 fellowship cycle. Awardees will be notified by spring 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
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
Contact Us
For more information, please contact [email protected]