Undergraduate Research and Independent Projects

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

Thu An Pham_Carnegie

Overview

For seniors and recent graduates who have a serious career interest in the area of international policy and research and who have relevant experience in their program area of interest (e.g., coursework, research, etc). 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:  Monday, November 20, 2023, 3:00 PM PST **This deadline is strict.**
  • Application Workshop via Zoom: Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 12:00 PM PST via Zoom. Join the session here.
  • Award:
    • Year-long research assistantship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC, starting September 2024
    • Annual salary of approx. $45,000 (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 but are provided up to $1,500 in relocation support
  • 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 be able to demonstrate strong writing, research, and analytical skills (such as through course work and research related to the discipline of interest)
    • Some program areas also require additional skills such as language proficiency; these are specified for each individual program in the Bulletin section of the application (downloadable below).
  • International students on F-1 visas who are eligible to work in the United States for the full year of the research assistantship may apply.
  • Must be available for a 30-45 minute Zoom interview, if shortlisted. Interview date(s): Tuesday, December 12, 2023 and Wednesday, December 13, 2023

How to Apply

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

  1. Register with Undergraduate Research to participate in the campus competition 
  2. Consult with your faculty recommenders and the campus liaison Esther Cho regarding the content and writing of your application
  3. Download PDF of application materials 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
  4. Prepare an application package consisting of 1 electronic copy of each of the following (the files should be separate and titled appropriately):
    • 1-page document with responses to the basic information questions for the Carnegie application system (last page of the PDF in Step 3)
    • 1-2 page resume (include telephone, address, email, research and work experience)
    • For the campus deadline, ALSO 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)
  5. Submit your complete application package with attached files to vpue-fellowships@stanford.edu by the campus deadline.
  6. 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.