There are think tank fellowships and there are think tank FELLOWSHIPS. And one of the most generous fellowships is Council on Foreign Relations' (CFR) International Affairs Fellowship (IAF).
IAF, launched in 1967, is targeted toward mid-career scholars and professionals between the ages of 27 and 35. CFR awards around 10 IAF fellowships annually.
One can apply online between July 1 and October 31 on an annual basis, and finalists are notified between December and January.
Most importantly, the 12-month fellowships awards of stipend of $85,000. Let me say that again. A stipend of $85,000! But don't get too excited, because fellows are considered independent contractors and are not eligible for employment benefits, including health care.
But that is not all that CFR offers. Even more generous is the Stanton Foundation-sponsored International Affairs Fellowship in Nuclear Security (IAF-NS), which pays $125,000 for 12 months. But CFR awards only around two of those annually.
CFR also has the International Affairs Fellowship in Japan (sponsored by Hitachi, Ltd.), the National Intelligence Fellowship, the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellowship (with a $65,000 stipend and a "modest" travel grant), Military Fellowships, and the Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship (which ranges from $50,000 to $100,000),
A list of the 2014-2015 IAF fellows can be found here. And a historical roster of IAF fellows can be found here.
A list of former CFR fellowships can be found here.
Can't seem to snag a CFR fellowship? Don't fret. Plenty of other think tanks offer fellowships. Third Way says it offers a "competitive" stipend for its 12-month fellowship program. The US-China Exchange Fellowship at Brookings offers a stipend of $36,000 for its nine-month program. Among others, Brookings also has a joint visiting fellowship at the Brookings Doha Center and Qatar University.
US Institute of Peace's (USIP) Jennings Randolph Senior Fellowship is being redesigned. RAND Corp. has a Transatlantic Post-Doctoral Fellowship for International Relations and Security (TAPIR), which pays a monthly stipend of 1,800 Euros, a 200 Euro per month health insurance allowance, and a one-time travel allowance of 3,500 Euros.
The Heritage Foundation is another think tank that offers a variety of fellowships, as is the Wilson Center, which offers 9-month residential fellowships (and round-trip travel is provided). The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) offers a Junior Fellows Program for graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year. Each year CEIP offers approximately 10-12 of those one-year fellowships.
The Atlantic Council has the Young Atlanticist Program, and recently announced the Arctic Climate Change Emerging Leaders (ACCEL) Fellowship. The German Marshall Fund (GMF) offers a variety of fellowships, and although not called a fellowship, the Center for American Progress (CAP) has a Leadership Institute that one can apply to. New America Foundation (NAF) also offers fellowships, and NAF's X-Lab just announced its inaugural class of fellows..
The Stimson Center has the Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship, offering six and nine-month stints at the think tank focusing on arms control, peace, and international security issues. And the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has the AILA International Fellowship (AIF) through the think tank's Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy.
Happy fellowship hunting.