Deadline: August 14, 2026
Applications are open for the Kennan Institute Digital Fellowship 2026-2027. The Kennan Institute Digital Fellowship program is meant to promote original scholarship and quality non-fiction writing about Russia and the former Soviet Union. Fellowships will be awarded to ten outstanding figures from academia, journalism, and the expert community.
The program will give fellows six months of financial support, integrate them into a network, and assist them in communicating their ideas to the public and to the policy community in Washington, DC. This program will also establish an international cohort, which upon completion of their fellowship will be incorporated into the Kennan’s alumni network. A selection committee will choose awardees for a six-month fellowship, beginning in late October 2026 and concluding in March 2027.
Fellows will meet virtually once a month, and in the course of their fellowship they will be required to publish a piece for the general public and policy community, working with Kennan Institute staff to develop and edit ideas. The Digital Fellowship is designed to support a diverse range of research proposals and meet the fellows’ needs during the research process, from making professional connections to providing a platform for sharing findings.
Benefits
Each selected participant will be provided with:
- A monthly stipend of $2,000 to support their research and participation in the program.
- Mentorship and consultation from the Kennan community of experts, where applicable.
- 6 virtual webinars tailored to the cohort’s unique needs.
- Inclusion in the Kennan’s alumni network of over 4,500 individuals across the globe.
Eligibility
The envisaged participants of this Fellowship are those engaged in study of Russia and/or broader Eurasia that are seeking an opportunity to foster their skills, professional network, and body of research.
The desired qualifications of applicants include the following:
- The Fellowship is intended for individuals with several years of experience working on, studying, or otherwise examining Russia and/or broader Eurasia.
- Applicants must have a good working knowledge of English as the fellowship will be conducted only in this language. Any publications produced by fellows for the Kennan Institute will be published initially in English, with the possibility of future translation into regional languages.
Application
The inaugural Digital Fellowship program will take place from October 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, to be followed by several months of possible integration into the Kennan Institute’s event schedule.
For more information, visit Kennan Institute Digital Fellowship.
