The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowships 2027–2028 offer experienced practitioners and scholars a supported residency at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC. Applicants should have a substantive democracy-related project and the availability to concentrate on it during the fellowship.
Checked 9 November 2026. Applications are open according to the official announcement. Review the provider’s current instructions before submitting.
Table of Contents
Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowships 2027–2028: Overview
| Provider | National Endowment for Democracy |
|---|---|
| Location | Washington, DC |
| Duration | Five months |
| Tracks | Practitioner or scholarly |
| Applications due | 5 January 2027 |
| Recommendations due | 12 January 2027 |
Eligibility and choosing a track
Practitioner applicants should be mid-career professionals with substantial democracy or human-rights experience; no specific degree is required. Scholarly applicants need a doctorate, publications and a detailed research outline. All applicants need English proficiency and availability for residency without another job or fellowship. Former Reagan-Fascell fellows cannot receive a repeat award.
Choose the track that fits your record, rather than the one whose label sounds more attractive. Describe your responsibilities clearly and distinguish your own contributions from the wider achievements of an organisation or research team.
Funding and residency
Support includes a living stipend, basic health insurance, roundtrip travel, office facilities and research assistance. Dependents’ travel and living costs are excluded.
The standard calendar has October–February and March–July sessions. The official calendar and support page explains the schedule and household-cost limitations.
Plan how you would manage existing work before accepting. A funded residency still requires practical preparation: accommodation choices, family commitments and arrangements with your employer may need attention. Check the offer carefully before making non-refundable travel commitments.
Preparing a useful proposal
The project should address democratic development, with a completed written or audiovisual output. Applicants need not study the United States.
Start with a clear question. Explain why it matters, what evidence or experience informs it and what you expect to produce. A credible scope is more useful than an ambitious list of unrelated activities. Consider who could use the finished work and how you would make it understandable to that audience.
Use concrete examples when explaining your qualifications. A reader should be able to see the connection between your past work, the problem you want to examine and the proposed output without having to infer it.
Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowships: Application steps and deadlines
- Read the official eligibility and visa conditions.
- Create an account through the NED fellowship portal.
- Prepare applicant details, the track-specific proposal, CV, biography and recommendations in English.
- Review the application for consistency and submit by 5 January 2027.
- Ensure recommendations arrive by 12 January 2027.
No closing hour or timezone is specified in the announcement. Allow time for technical problems. NED prohibits wholesale AI-generated application answers; limited editorial, translation and idea support is allowed.
Non-US participants should review J-1 conditions, including restrictions concerning prior research-scholar participation, before assuming that they can take up an award.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the Hurford Youth Fellows Program?
No. Hurford has its own youth eligibility rules, dates and application process. Do not combine the two calls.
Can I apply without a doctorate?
The practitioner track does not require a specific degree. You must still meet its experience requirements.
Does the award cover family expenses?
Do not budget on that basis. The published support is designed for the fellow; review dependent costs separately.
How can I strengthen the practical side of my proposal?
Define a manageable output and its intended audience. Explain what you can realistically complete and why your experience equips you to do it.
Opportunities Feed Assessment
This is most relevant to applicants who can turn substantial professional or scholarly experience into a focused project. Read the track and residency rules carefully before investing time in an application. A strong match depends on your work and proposal, not simply an interest in international travel.
Read the official announcement
Explore more fellowships on Opportunities Feed and compare the eligibility and deadlines before applying.
Opportunities Feed is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with the provider. We do not receive or assess applications. The official announcement and application portal take precedence if information changes.
