Class of 2020 Call for Applications

Thank you for your interest in the New America National Fellows Program. We are no longer accepting applications for the Class of 2020 (September 2019-August 2020 term). The deadline to apply for the Class of 2020 fellowships was February 1, 2019. You can learn more about the Class of 2020 here.

However, we are currently accepting applications for the Class of 2021 fellowship. You can access the online application via the link below. Please download the application instructions from the Class of 2021 call for applications page before you begin your application.

The deadline to apply is Sunday, February 2, 2020 @ 11:59 pm EST. Under no circumstances will we extend the deadline.

Not applicable at this time.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of interest in the program, we will not be able to take any calls. If you have questions about the program or the application process, please visit our FAQ page as your first source of support. If any questions remain, you may submit them via the application questions page as others may have the same question and would also benefit from seeing our response to you.

You can find out more about the Fellows Program by exploring our website, and you can learn more about the types of projects we've supported over the years by reviewing the bios and project summaries of our 2019 Class of New America Fellows as well as of our alumni.

Thank you again for your interest in the New America Fellows Program, and best of luck with the application process!

In general, the timeline for reviewing applications is subject to change and depends on the number of applications we receive. Our selection team will carefully review submissions and participation at each stage of the process, and select candidates who will advance to the next stage. At each stage of the application process, all candidates will receive communication from our team about the progress of their application.

There are two phases to the selection process:
STAGE 1: Applications Due
Applications are due Friday, February 1st 2019 at 11:59 pm EST. All applications must be completed and submitted online here. The Fellows Program staff review all of the applications from February to April. This first review winnows the entire applicant pool down to 40 to 50 finalists.

STAGE 2: Finalist Interviews & Committee Review
All candidates will be made aware of the status of their application in May, and finalists will be asked to schedule interviews with the program staff at that time. Once we determine our finalists, we send all of the applications for review by our Selection Committee, which is comprised of New America’s President, Fellows Program staff, current and former New America National Fellows, and other issue experts in New America’s network. Applications are private—we ask anyone involved in the selection process not to share or discuss any of the candidates or materials with outsiders.

FINAL SELECTION:
We expect to make our final selections in early July and will contact finalists about our decisions at that time. The Class of 2020 National Fellows will be publicly announced when they begin their fellowships in September, 2019.

New America’s Fellows Program invests in thinkers—journalists, scholars, filmmakers, and public policy analysts—who generate big, bold ideas that have an impact and spark new conversations about the most pressing issues of our day.

Fellows advance ideas through research, reporting, analysis, and storytelling. We look for projects that are original and ambitious, with viable plans for their implementation. There is no set template for a successful fellowship project. Some projects focus on furthering a new public policy idea through either a domestic or international lens, while others illuminate longstanding dilemmas of American life from new angles. Our goal is to find bold, impactful thinkers and to fund them for a year; long enough to make progress on a book, develop a series of articles, produce a documentary, or work on another project that is accessible.

The Fellows Program aims to support National Fellows in three primary areas: provide funding to support talented individuals to pursue ambitious endeavors; build a community grounded in cohort gatherings that take place throughout the year; and provide access to platforms and partners that can support their work.

Stipends generally fall into the following levels: $15,000-$30,000. The mix of stipends offered each class varies widely depending on the type of applicants we take on and the funding we procure for that year. There is no need for candidates to address stipends, budgets, etc. in their proposal—you should use the space in your “Statement of Interest” to pitch your idea.

While you will officially become a National Fellow in September, 2019, stipends will be paid in eight monthly installments starting in January of 2020 through August, 2020 (consolidated to be paid during the 2020 calendar year).

Please note: This is the application for the New America National Fellows Program. If you're interested in applying to the California fellowship, or to another fellowship at New America, please visit the fellowships page to learn more about other opportunities at New America.

You are welcome to apply to more than one fellowship at a time but you must submit a separate application to each program.