Young Security Conference Fellowship

The Young Security Conference, a Berlin think tank founded in 2020, runs this fellowship with Amerikahaus Munich and several Bavarian and German partners. Up to 8 fellows under 35 spend December 2026 to February 2027 working on how the crisis of liberal democracy threatens European security, ending with a side event they organise themselves at the Munich Security Conference.

What you get:

• Free participation in the 4th Bavarian Winter School on Trade and Security
• Travel cost subsidies for journeys to and from Munich for all mandatory in-person phases (amount not stated)
• Accommodation allowances covering hotel and lodging during the Munich residencies
• Access to workstations, research resources and event spaces at Amerikahaus Munich
• Invitations to closed-door roundtables, networking sessions and institutional study visits, such as the German Bundestag or Federal Foreign Office
• A place in the YSC Alumni Network

What you'll do:

• Attend the Bavarian Winter School on Trade and Security in Munich, 4 to 5 December 2026
• Join Policy Lab Phase I, a 3 to 4 day residency at Amerikahaus Munich straight after the Winter School, forming working groups and hypotheses

• Under 35 years of age
• A proven background in International Relations, Security Studies, Political Science, Economics or Law
• Open to applicants from anywhere: 2 of the 8 places are for non-EU international or transatlantic partners
• Submit in English, as a single PDF: a CV of at most 2 pages including date of birth and contact details
• A letter of motivation of at most 1 page
• A short proposal or working hypothesis of at most 500 words on one of two set questions: how the EU and UK can strengthen resilience against external hybrid threats, or which governance mechanisms can protect European foreign and security decisions against illiberal vetoes
• In-person attendance in Munich in December 2026 and February 2027