James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Overview

For seniors and recent graduates who have a serious career interest in the area of international affairs, and who have significant course work and research experience in the project areas listed in the Carnegie Bulletin for the fellowship year. Junior Fellows provide research assistance to the Carnegie scholars' projects, and have the opportunity to conduct research, contribute to op-eds, papers, reports, and books, participate in meetings with high-level officials, contribute to congressional testimony, and organize briefings attended by scholars, activists, journalists, and government officials.

Campus Deadline: Wednesday, November 10, 2021, 3PM PST **This deadline is strict.**
Application Workshop via Zoom: *UPDATED DATE/TIME* Friday, October 15, 2021, 3:00-3:45pm PST via Zoom. Join the session here.
Award:
- Year-long research assistantship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC, starting August 2022
- Annual salary of $43,000 (subject to federal, state, and local taxes)
- Benefits package including medical, dental, life insurance benefits, and vacation leave
- Junior Fellows are responsible for their own housing arrangements
Campus liaison: Esther Cho, Undergraduate Research
More information at: The James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program at the Carnegie's national website

Eligibility Criteria

Nomination by Stanford through Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE)
Current graduating Stanford senior, or alumnus/alumna who has graduated within the past academic year and has not yet started graduate studies. Stanford co-terms who graduated in the past academic year with joint bachelor's / master's degree are eligible.
Must have completed a significant amount of course work and research at a high academic level related to the discipline of interest, with the requisite skills specified for individual program areas (see the Bulletin within the downloadable application documents below)
Must be available for a 30-45 minute interview, if shortlisted. Interview date(s): Tuesday, December 7, 2021 and Wednesday, December 8, 2021, morning times

How to Apply

The following steps must be completed for an application to be considered for campus nomination:

Register with Undergraduate Research to participate in the campus competition
Consult with your faculty recommenders and the campus liaison Esther Cho regarding the content and writing of your application
Download application documents and FAQs, paying close attention to the questions posed for the 3-page essay and the skills specified for each research program in the Bulletin
Prepare an application package consisting of 1 electronic copy of each of the following (the files should be separate and titled appropriately):
- Application form
- 1-2 page resume (include telephone, address, email, research and work experience)
- For the campus deadline, provide an additional longer, annotated resume that provides rich details for the experiences/achievements that you list.
- Request an electronic version of all official college transcript(s) to be sent to vpue-fellowships@stanford.edu. (Unofficial transcripts are also accepted by the foundation.)
- 1-page essay, double spaced, on why you would like to become a Junior Fellow
- 3-page essay, double spaced, an analytical thought piece (op-ed style) responding to the question pertaining to the program to which you are applying
- 2 letters of recommendation (original only, extra copies not needed)
  - it is recommended that you confer with the Gaither campus liaison before finalizing your choices for recommendations
  - request letters early to give your mentors enough time to meet the campus deadline
  - letters should be saved as a PDF and sent electronically by the writer to vpue-fellowships@stanford.edu.
  - see Tips for soliciting letters of recommendation
Submit your complete application package with attached files to vpue-fellowships@stanford.edu by the campus deadline.
Download the "Fellowship Nomination Permission Form and Waiver." Sign, scan, and attach an electronic copy in the same email as your application and send to vpue-fellowships@stanford.edu by the campus deadline.

Note: Late applications will NOT be accepted without prior approval.

Selection Process

A committee of VPUE staff and faculty will review applications to shortlist candidates for interviews, and select a maximum of two nominees.

Additional Resources

You are strongly encouraged to consult with your faculty mentors about the application, and with Academic Advisors who have experience with this competition.