Reagan-Fascell Scholarship Program

The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program is an international exchange program that supports the work of civic leaders, human rights defenders, innovators, journalists, scholars, and activists who are leading the global struggle for freedom. During their stay in Washington, D.C., at the International Forum for Democratic Studies, fellows conduct independent research, develop bold initiatives, and build long-term international connections by sharing experiences with colleagues from other countries and testing new approaches to strengthening democracy. 

The program offers two types of fellowships: practical (for practitioners—activists, human rights defenders, journalists, trade union leaders, party activists, diplomats, and employees of public and humanitarian organizations) and academic (for scholars, professors, researchers, and authors). Both tracks usually last five months and culminate in an analytical product (report, article, book, manual, etc.) and a public presentation of the results.

Basic eligibility requirements:

• citizens of any country may apply;
• for the practical track, significant experience in the field of promoting democracy or human rights is expected;
• there are no requirements regarding academic degree or age, but typical candidates are mid-career professionals with several years of experience in the field of democracy and human rights;
• for the academic track, a degree (Ph.D. or equivalent), a proven track record of publications, and a detailed research plan are required;
• examples of candidates: human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, trade union leaders, political party activists, diplomats, employees of non-governmental and humanitarian organizations, as well as teachers and researchers from developing countries and established democracies.

Persons who are not eligible to apply: students enrolled in a program, PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows, persons without a sufficient level of English, projects unrelated to democracy and human rights, etc.

Participants in the program receive financial support in the form of:

• a monthly living allowance;
• medical insurance;
• compensation for round-trip airfare/travel expenses;
• research support.

• Conducting independent research on democracy in specific countries or regions.
• Developing new initiatives, strategies, and best practices to strengthen democracy.
• Preparing analytical products (reports, articles, books, manuals, policy analyses, etc.).
• Public presentations of work results.
• Building international professional networks, exchanging experiences with colleagues from other countries, participating in events and discussions of the International Forum for the Study of Democracy.

• Fall session 2026: October 1, 2026 – February 28, 2027;
• Spring session 2027: March 1 – July 31, 2027.

The National Endowment for Democracy is accepting applications for the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows scholarship program. All materials must be submitted in English.

The organizer pays attention to the following aspects:

• significant practical experience in promoting democracy and human rights;
• the project's relevance to the political, social, economic, legal, or cultural aspects of democratic development;
• a clearly formulated research plan (for the academic track) and the ability to produce a substantial publication;
• ability to view one's work in a transnational context and the usefulness of ideas for other regions, partners, and NED's activities to promote freedom abroad; 
• fluency in English;
• availability of the candidate to reside in Washington, D.C. for the entire duration of the fellowship.

The deadline for submitting applications has been extended to January 14, 2026.

• The project ends with the preparation of a written product (report, article, book, manual, etc.) and at least one public presentation of the results (a requirement for the results).
• The organizer complies with the requirements of the J-1 visa program.
• Finalists must confirm their level of English during a short video interview with program staff.

Under the new visa rules, the organizer must confirm the English language proficiency of potential J-1 visa program participants; finalists undergo a short video interview with program staff.