Peace Scholarship Dissertation Program for Students at U.S. Universities

Deadline: 05/01/2011
Open to:
students at U.S. universities (citizens of any country) who are writing doctoral dissertations on topics related to peace, conflict, and international security
Fellowships: $20,000 for 10 months starting in September

The Jennings Randolph (JR) Program for International Peace awards nonresidential Peace Scholar Dissertation Scholarships to students at U.S. universities who are writing doctoral dissertations on topics related to peace, conflict, and international security.

Each year the program awards approximately ten Peace Scholar Fellowships. Fellowships last for 10 months starting in September. Fellowships are open to citizens of any country.

Dissertation projects in all disciplines are welcome.

The 2011-2012 Peace Scholar competition deadline is January 5, 2011.
Apply Now!

Applicants MUST use the online application system.

The JR Program for International Peace awards Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellowships to students enrolled in U.S. universities who are researching and writing doctoral dissertations on topics related to peace, conflict and international security.

Proposals from all disciplines are welcome.

Proposals should be consistent with the Institute’s mandate and present a research agenda with clear relevance to policy issues. Historical topics are appropriate if they promise to shed light on contemporary issues. Area studies projects and single case studies will be competitive if they focus on conflict and its resolution, apply to other regions and cases, or both.

Peace Scholar awards may not be made for projects that constitute policymaking for a government agency or private organization, focus to any substantial degree on conflicts within U.S. domestic society, or adopt a partisan, advocacy, or activist stance.

Eligible Candidates

Citizens of any country may apply. Applicants must be enrolled in recognized doctoral programs (for example, Ph.D., S.J.D., Ed.D., Th.D.) in accredited universities in the United States. Successful candidates must have completed all course work and examinations towards their doctoral degrees by the time their fellowships begin.

Selection Process

Peace Scholar applications are vetted through a rigorous, multi-stage review that includes consideration by independent experts and professional staff at the Institute. The final authority for decisions about Peace Scholar awards rests with the Institute’s Board of Directors.

Selection Criteria

Selection of fellowship candidates is based on the following factors:

* Project Significance. Does the project address an important topic of relevance to the USIP mandate and the field of international peace, conflict, and security studies?
* Project Design. Is the project soundly conceived? Does it identify a key problem to be analyzed, and does it have a clear methodology?
* Potential as a Peace Scholar. What is the applicant’s record of achievement and/or leadership potential? What is the applicant’s capacity to benefit from and make professional use of the fellowship experience in subsequent years?

Terms of Award

Peace Scholar Awards are currently set at $20,000 for 10 months and are paid directly to the individual. Peace Scholar awards may not be deferred. They generally may not be combined with any other major award or fellowship except in special circumstances and with the written approval of the Institute.

Peace Scholars carry out their fellowship work at their universities or other sites appropriate to their research. They are expected to devote full attention to their work and provide periodic reports to the Institute. Peace Scholars may be invited to give a presentation at the Institute and to participate in Institute workshops, conferences, and other activities.

Components of a Successful Proposal

There is no single formula for preparing a sound proposal. However, many successful applications for USIP Jennings Randolph Senior Fellowships have certain elements in common. These elements are outlined in the document attached below.

*   Read “Components of a Successful Proposal” (.pdf)

For further information: contact the JR Program at jrprogram@usip.org

Official website

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