Gaither (James C.) Junior Fellows Program

Overview:

Each year, through the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace offers 8-10 one-year fellowships to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year.  Applicants are judged on the quality of the written essay, related academic study and/or work experience, grades, recommendations, and personal interviews.  Fellows are selected from a pool of nominees from close to 400 participating colleges. They work as research assistants to Carnegie's senior scholars in Washington, D.C. and receive a salary and full-benefits. 

Eligibility:  

  • U.S. citizen or F1 visa-holder
  • Senior or recent alumnus/a who graduated in the past academic year
  • Must not be currently enrolled in a graduate program unless it is a joint bachelor's/master's degree program

Application Materials: 

  • A completed application (contact the office at urfm@psu.edu for our most recent version)
  • Two essays, one on why you would like to become a junior fellow (1-page) and the other based on one of the prompts in the application file (3-pages)
  • Two letters of recommendation
    • Can come from whoever can best speak to your abilities as a potential Junior Fellow
    • Letters should come directly from your references and can be emailed so long as they are on letterhead and have a signature
  • Curriculum vitae or resume (2-pages)
  • Transcript(s)

Application Procedure:

Office Application Deadline – December 6, 2024

Given that the University is required to nominate its candidates, there is an office application deadline and evaluation process.  The University can nominate up to two applicants.

To be considered for University nomination, you must email the office (urfm@psu.edu) a complete application, including letters of recommendation. Afterward, you will be notified if you’ve been nominated or not. Nominees will work with the office to revise their materials, if necessary, prior to final submission.

          National Application Deadline – January 15, 2025

Application materials required by the Gaither Junior Fellows Program must be submitted directly to our office by email (urfm@psu.edu) by 5pm (EST).  

Information
Year at Time of Application: 
Recent Alum, Senior or Beyond
Fields: 
IRPP, STEM
Duration of Award: 
Full Year or More
Other: 
Non-U.S. Citizen, Research
Procedure: 
Office Nomination
Area of Interest: 
Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, Environmental and Geosciences, Information Technology and Computer Science, International Relations Political Science and Law, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Nursing and Health Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Statistics
Earliest Application Deadline: 
Jan. – April
Location: 
Domestic
Penn-State Sponsored: 
No
Fellowship Components: 
Research