CFR 2013-2014 International Affairs Fellowship in Nuclear Security, sponsored by the Stanton Foundation

The International Affairs Fellowship in Nuclear Security (IAF-NS), sponsored by the Stanton Foundation, offers university-based scholars valuable hands-on experience in the nuclear security policymaking field and places selected fellows in U.S. government positions or international organizations for a period of twelve months to work with practitioners. The IAF-NS closes the gap between research and practice and enriches the teaching and scholarship of academics, while also benefiting policymakers by exposing them to cutting-edge scholarly research.

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) awards approximately two fellowships annually. The fellowships will be awarded on the basis of academic and professional accomplishments, and on the merits of the specific research projects proposed. Potential topics appropriate for the fellowship include nuclear terrorism, nuclear proliferation, nuclear weapons, nuclear force posture, and the security implications of nuclear energy. During their fellowship tenures, fellows will be invited to attend CFR meetings and participate in select events, such as the annual International Affairs Fellows Conference in New York City.

Interested candidates who meet the program’s eligibility requirements must submit a cover letter, a CV, and a proposal (maximum 1,000 words in length). Each applicant should arrange to have two letters of recommendation sent assessing the policy relevance of the applicant’s proposed project as well as the applicant’s qualifications for carrying it out. All application materials must be submitted to [email protected] by November 1.

The IAF-NS is only open to faculty members with tenure or on tenure-track lines at accredited universities and who propose to conduct policy-relevant research on nuclear security issues. Qualified candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are eligible to work in the United States and be between the ages of twenty-nine and forty. CFR does not sponsor for visas.

Selection as an IAF-NS is based on a combination of the following criteria: scholarly qualifications, achievements and promise, depth and breadth of professional experience, firm grounding in foreign policy and international relations, and an application proposal that focuses on nuclear security issues. The proposal will be judged on the proposed work’s originality, practicality, potential, likelihood of completion during the fellowship period, and the contribution it will make to the applicant’s individual career development.

The duration of the fellowship is twelve months, preferably beginning in September. Though deferment is not an option, requests to do so, for up to one year only, will be considered on a case-by-case basis and under special circumstances. The program awards a stipend of $125,000. Fellows are considered independent contractors rather than employees of CFR, and are not eligible for employment benefits, including health insurance.

If you are interested in the fellowship, please contact [email protected] or 212.434.9740. For more information, please visit www.cfr.org/fellowships.