Applications for the 2024 Visiting Fellowship are now closed. Please check back in Spring 2024 for information on the 2025 Fellowship.
The Stimson Center South Asia Program’s Visiting Fellowship is designed for outstanding analysts, scholars, students, and researchers in India and Pakistan who are dedicated to the study of strategic and security issues in the subcontinent. This fellowship combines professional development of research, writing, and public presentation skills with extensive exposure to the D.C. policy community. Visiting Fellows will develop a research project while meeting with senior scholars and analysts working on South Asian security issues at universities and think-tanks, as well as leading practitioners in the U.S. government. You may read more about the Visiting Fellowship here.
Fellowship Overview
Structure
Visiting Fellows spend eight weeks of the one-year fellowship in residence at the Stimson Center’s office in Washington, DC, during which engagement with the U.S.-based policy and research community is a priority. The remainder of the fellowship consists of ten months of research and writing in the fellows’ home countries.
Requirements
1. A co-authored or single-authored policy memo developed while in residence at Stimson;
2. Ten op-ed-style essays, which can include co-authored articles with other members of the 2023 Visiting Fellow cohort, to be published on the South Asian Voices platform over the twelve-month period;
3. Participation in the Stimson Visiting Fellows salon presentation to the wider D.C. policy community;
4. Occasional substantive contributions to Stimson Center products and intellectual community (i.e. peer review, podcast interviews) throughout the one-year fellowship.
Application
Application materials will include:
A 500-word essay detailing the applicant’s research interests, experience, and how the fellowship fits into their career goals;
A curriculum vitae of no more than two pages detailing the applicant’s professional and educational accomplishments;
A writing sample of no more than two single-spaced pages;
A 250-word research proposal on the topic the applicant would like to explore in their policy memo (the topic may be subject to change following selection);
A letter of recommendation from a professor or former employer explaining what qualifications, skills, and experiences make the applicant an excellent fit for the fellowship;
Fellows are selected based on criteria such as the quality of their research proposal, research and writing aptitude, and fit with the Stimson Center’s research interests. All applicants will be considered, but successful candidates will likely have some or all of the following:
Frequent and/or high-quality contributions to South Asian Voices;
Demonstrable, substantive experience researching South Asia security or strategic issues;
A track record of publications in journals, books, or newspapers/magazines;
A master’s degree or higher in a relevant field.
Candidates who have not previously received an international fellowship will also receive greater consideration.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I hear back about the status of my application?
We expect to make final decisions by the end of November/early December 2022.
Am I eligible to apply for the South Asia Program Visiting Fellowship?
Applicants must be from India or Pakistan to apply. Please bear in mind that theVisiting Fellowship is primarily intended for early to mid-career professionals and scholars with a demonstrated interest in and capacity for conducting research on South Asian security issues.
Does Stimson cover travel, housing, and living expenses during the residency portion of the fellowship?
For an in-person fellowship, Stimson will pay for visa and travel costs to and from the United States in addition to providing lodging and a living stipend for the duration of the eight-week Washington residency. Stimson also will provide the fellows with office space, a computer, and other administrative support.
Do I have to have a visa to the United States to be selected?
No. Upon being selected for theVisiting Fellowship—and for a D.C.-based residency— the fellows will apply for a J-1 visa. Please note that many participants in the J-1 Program are subject to a requirement that they return home for a minimum of two years upon completion of their program.
Is the Visiting Fellowship paid?
TheVisiting Fellowship is not paid and is not intended to serve as a substitute for full-time employment.Though, fellows will receive an all-expenses-paid stay in Washington for the duration of eight weeks in the summer of 2023.
I have a question that isn’t answered here. Whom can I contact?
Anuttama Banerji is a Political Analyst based in New Delhi. She has graduate degrees in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Jawaharlal Nehru University. She has also read History as part of her Undergraduate degree from Hindu College, Delhi University. Her research interests include International Relations Theory, South Asian Politics, Water and Maritime Security. She has previously worked as a Researcher with a New Delhi-based think tank Council for Strategic and Defense Research, and as an Assistant Information Officer in the Political Affairs division of the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi. Her recent work has been published by The Diplomat, Lowy Interpreter, The Print, and Greater Kashmir, among other leading international and national forums. She is a polyglot and is fluent in English, French, and Urdu, in addition to her native Hindi and Bengali.
Muhammad Shareh Qazi is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab Lahore. He holds a Doctorate in International Relations, with his dissertation focus on Nuclear Diplomacy in South Asia. He also holds a Certificate of Merit in Academic Excellence in Strategic and Nuclear Studies from the National Defense University Islamabad and is the author of the book titled ‘Escalation Patterns in South Asia: Future of Credible Minimum Deterrence. He frequently contributes to academic journals and policy outlets on warfighting doctrines, nuclear strategy, and emerging technologies. His research interests include maritime strategy, South Asian security issues, and nuclear deterrence dynamics.
Haleema Saadia is a Lecturer at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) and a Research Fellow at the ROADS Initiative, Islamabad, Pakistan. She is also a doctoral candidate at National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan. Prior to her transition to academia, she worked at Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division (SPD), where she conducted policy analysis on strategic affairs. She was a Visiting Fellow at the Sandia National Laboratories and James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. She is an alumna of the Nuclear History Boot Camp of the Nonproliferation International History Project. Her areas of interest include nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear policies of India and Pakistan, deterrence, nuclear strategy and diplomacy, nuclear security, cybersecurity, and arms control and disarmament. She will be Co-Chair for the Working Group on “Challenging Racism and White Supremacy in Nuclear Weapons Policy-Making” for BASIC’s 2023 policy cycle.
Ladhu Choudhary is a Jaipur-based academic and strategic analyst. He is an Assistant Professor (Senior Scale) of Political Science at the Department of Political Science, University of Rajasthan. Prior to joining University of Rajasthan in 2014, he held teaching position at the University of Delhi’s Aurobindo College; and teaching assistant for national security and international relations at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He holds Masters in International Studies, M.Phil and PhD in Diplomacy and Disarmament Studies from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His research areas include International Relations Theory, Geopolitics, Contemporary Diplomacy, Nuclear Politics, Indian Foreign and Security Policy, and Military Strategy. His research has been published in the Journal of Defence Studies, Indian Journal of Asian Affairs, India Quarterly, South Asian Studies, and Indo-Pacific Review. He has also co-edited a book – Indian Foreign Policy: Identity and Issues.
“The SAV fellowship was an enriching experience. We met numerous practitioners who offered guidance. My counterpart from Pakistan and I co-authored a report for the Stimson Center during our time, which was a deep engagement in confidence-building, communication, and perspectives from across the border.” – Jayita Sarkar
“Meeting various scholars opened my mind about the variety of views on a specific topic. It forced me to think on aspects that I never thought were extremely relevant. I learned the essence and importance of comprehensive analytical understanding on a topic as opposed to looking at something from a pre-set lens or viewpoint.” – Aditi Malhotra
“Since I am new to the academic world, this Fellowship provided me plenty of experience, exposure, and understanding that I will now be putting into practice. Moreover, for a person like me, who has had fewer opportunities in life, the Fellowship became a morale-booster and confidence-builder. I am grateful for this opportunity and recommend that Stimson and SAV continue to engage ‘Emerging Talent’ from smaller cities too.” – Daim Fazil
