Class of 2025 Call for Applications

We are no longer accepting applications for the Class of 2025. The application deadline was Thursday, February 1, 2024, at 11:59 pm EST.

Two letters of reference must be submitted ​by ​Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at 11:59 pm EST​ via the application platform.

Please ensure you send the correct reference form submission link to your two references. You are responsible for ensuring we receive your reference letters by February 6. Applications missing reference letters will be considered incomplete​.

Please download and review the application instructions before starting your application: Class of 2025 application instructions (PDF).

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.

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 2024 Class of New America Fellows, our alumni page, as well as our featured work page.

Thank you again for your interest in the New America Fellows Program.

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 phase of the process and select candidates who will advance to the next phase. At each phase 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:

• PHASE 1: Application Due
  Applications and reference letters were due Thursday, February 1, 2024, 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 between 40 and 50 finalists.
  
• PHASE 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 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 2025 National Fellows will be publicly announced when they begin their fellowships in September 2024.

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.

National 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 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 to 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 2024, stipends will be paid in three installments from January 2025 through May 2025 (consolidated to be paid during the 2025 calendar year).

Please note: This is information about the New America National Fellows Program. If you're interested in applying 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.