The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program hosts democracy activists, scholars, and journalists for five-month fellowships, bringing fresh insights and perspectives to Washington, DC. The fellowship offers an important opportunity to explore new ideas in a comparative context, undertake individual research, and share best practices with one another.

A Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowship offers fellows an important opportunity to step back from the field, reflect upon their work, and explore new ideas in a comparative context. Moreover, fellows benefit from the support of Research Associates (“RAs”), who provide you with vital assistance in the areas of research, writing, outreach, and international exchange. RAs offer substantive input on the shape and direction of fellows’ projects; provide research and editorial assistance; facilitate fellows’ outreach; and contribute to presentations and products.

Research conducted by former fellows has culminated in an impressive range of presentations and products, as well as initiatives and institutions implemented after their fellowship period.

Fellows Exchange

During their time in residence, fellows have an opportunity to learn from colleagues in the program and from their U.S. counterparts. By sharing best practices and common experiences, fellows deepen their understanding of challenges to democracy in other parts of the world and strengthen solidarity.

Exchange between democracy practitioners and scholars enriches cross-disciplinary engagement, as each fellow learns about both the theoretical and pragmatic aspects of democratic development. Fellows also learn from one another through formal roundtable discussions and informal interactions.

Cultural Exchange

The program encourages fellows to partake in the rich cultural life of the nation’s capital through organized group activities or by exploring the city on their own. In addition to visiting cultural landmarks, such as the U.S. Capitol Building and Library of Congress, the fellowship program also plans team-building activities.

The fellowship program seeks to:

• build knowledge about the work of the Endowment family and its Core Institutes;
• encourage fellows’ thinking about the theory and practice of democracy;
• support networking for intellectual exchange with the nongovernmental, academic, media, and policy communities; and
• promote a sense of collegiality within the fellowship cohort.

Important Dates

The Reagan-Fascell Program is now accepting fellowship applications for Fall 2018 (October 1, 2018 – February 28, 2019) and Spring 2019 (March 1 – July 31, 2019). The deadline for submitting an application is October 15, 2017.