Stanford CISAC Security Fellowship
- Organization: Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford University
- Type: Fellowship
- Location: Global
- Deadline: December 2, 2026
- Funding: Fully Funded
Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) brings a cohort of fellows to campus each academic year to research and write on international security, from nuclear weapons policy and cybersecurity to biosecurity, terrorism and global governance. Fellows spend nine to twelve months in residence at Stanford, each mentored one to one by CISAC and Freeman Spogli Institute faculty. One application puts you in the running for every CISAC fellowship you are eligible for. **What you get:** - A stipend: predoctoral fellows receive stipends comparable to Stanford Graduate Fellowships, and professional stipends are set according to experience - Non-matriculated student tuition paid by CISAC for predoctoral fellows - Medical insurance for fellows without their own coverage (Cardinal Care for predoctoral fellows) - Visa sponsorship for international fellows, with guidance from Stanford's Bechtel International Center - One-to-one mentoring from CISAC and FSI faculty, plus fellowship dinners paid for by CISAC **What you'll do:** - Make real progress on your own research: several dissertation or book chapters, or at least one article for a peer-reviewed journal - Attend CISAC's weekly research seminar and coordinate one panel - Take part in the Fellows' Policy Workshop (usually two to three sessions a month), including a policy paper for a mock congressional testimony or NSC simulation - Write an op-ed or other media piece for the public (blog posts do not count) - Meet your faculty mentor at least once a month and file short quarterly reports **Key dates:** - Applications close December 2, 2026 - Recommenders have up to 5 days after the deadline to upload letters - Decisions in mid-February 2027 - Fellowship runs for the 2027 to 2028 academic year, nine to twelve months **More information:** - Applicants are considered for every fellowship they qualify for. Tracks open without a completed PhD: International Security Fellowship (predoctoral, junior faculty and professional), India-U.S. Security Studies Fellowship (pre-doctoral and up), Nuclear Security Fellowship, and Natural Sciences or Engineering International Security Fellowship - The three AI fellowships (AI and Laws of Armed Conflict, AI in Strategic Stability and Military Competition, Geopolitics of AI) are postdoctoral - CISAC cannot provide housing - Applicants with their own funding can apply as non-stipendiary fellows and are judged in the same pool - Questions go to cisacfellowship@stanford.edu
