Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When is the application deadline?


A: Applications for the 2019-2020 fellowship competition must be submitted
online by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, October 1, 2018.

Q: Where can I find the online application?


A: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/fellowshipapplication/

Q: Can I use a Mac to apply online?


A: Yes.

Q: What happens if I receive an error when applying online?


A: Please contact us at fellowships@wilsoncenter.org so that you may successfully
submit your application.

Q: How will I know that you have received my application online?


A: You will receive an email stating that you have successfully submitted your
application.

Q: When will I know if I have received a fellowship?


A: Decisions on appointment will be made in March 2019.

Q: Who is eligible to apply?


A: Scholars, practitioners, journalists, and public intellectuals with project
proposals on global issues are invited to apply. Topics and scholarship should
relate to key public policy challenges. Academic applicants must have a doctorate
or JD. For other applicants, an equivalent level of professional achievement is
expected.

Q: I am not a U.S. citizen. May I apply?


A: Yes. The Center welcomes applications from citizens or permanent residents
from any country. Important: Applicants from countries outside the United States
must hold a valid passport and be able to obtain a J1 visa even if they are currently
in the United States. Please contact the Center if you have any questions about
your eligibility to obtain a J1 visa.
Q: What do you mean by topics and scholarship should relate to key public
policy challenges?
A: The Center aims to unite the world of ideas to the world of policy by supporting
preeminent scholarship and linking that scholarship to issues of concern to officials
in Washington. The Center distinguishes itself from policy institutions in its
consideration of issues in a broader and more reflective manner beyond a narrow
analysis of current crises and policy options. Applicants should think in terms of
what they have to say to policy makers in Washington and how they can inform
policy decisions through their work.

Q: I have completed all requirements for my Ph.D. except for my dissertation.


May I apply for a fellowship?
A: No. An applicant working on a degree at the time of the application (even if the
degree is to be awarded prior to the proposed fellowship year) is ineligible. Your
degree must be conferred by October 1, 2018 to apply.

Q: I have received my Ph.D. and would like to come to the Center to continue
working toward publication of my dissertation topic. May I apply?
A: No. Your project must be an entirely separate project from your dissertation.
Your application should be new research.

Q: I have a Ph.D. but have not published a book yet. Is it worth applying?
A: For most academic candidates, a book or monograph is required. Unless you are
in a field like law where publications are usually comprised of articles, we advise
waiting to apply until you have published a book.

Q: I am retired, and do not have an institutional affiliation. May I apply?


A: Yes, you do not need an institutional affiliation to apply.

Q: Are there age limits for eligibility?


A: No. However, all applicants should present evidence of their ability to carry out
the proposed project, such as publications and other relevant experience.

Q: I was a fellow at the Center five years ago. May I apply again?
A: Yes. The Center asks that applicants who have previously held a Wilson Center
fellowship wait at least five years before applying again, and they must apply with
a new project.
Q: Can fellowships be deferred?
A: No. If you are selected for a fellowship and cannot or do not accept, you must
apply again in the next competition.

Q: What is the selection process?


A: Applications that satisfy the eligibility requirements are entered into a
multistage review process involving both internal evaluations by Wilson Center
experts and external evaluations by a panel of specialists with relevant experience.
Final decisions about fellowship awards are contingent on the approval of the
Center’s Fellowship Committee of the Board of Trustees and subject to available
funding.

Q: What are the residency requirements?


A: Each fellow is assigned an office available around the clock. Fellows must
devote full time to the fellowship and may not accept a teaching assignment,
another residential fellowship, or undertake any other major activities that require
absence from the Center during the tenure of their fellowship. Fellows must devote
a proportionate amount of time to the daily life of the Center. Absences of more
than one week should be discussed with the Scholars and Academic Relations
Office Director.

Q: What are the Center’s expectations of its Fellows?


A: Fellows are expected to work from their offices at the Center and to participate
in appropriate meetings organized by the Center. Fellows are required to give a
Work-in-Progress presentation and to attend presentations by other fellows,
internal meetings at which fellows can speak about their work, share ideas, and
receive feedback from their peers. Fellows are encouraged to make a more formal
presentation to the public such as a colloquium, seminar, workshop, or other form
of meeting. The Center expects fellows to seek ways to share their expertise with
the Washington policy community. A major benefit of being a fellow is having the
time to do research, write, and reflect, and to interact and share ideas with
colleagues from many different disciplines.
Q: When could I start my Fellowship?
A: If awarded a fellowship, the earliest you can begin your tenure is Tuesday,
September 3, 2019. Most fellows are in residence for the entire U.S. academic
year, but fellowships are occasionally awarded for shorter periods, with a
minimum of four months.

Q: You require two reference letters. May I send three?


A: The Center requires two letters of reference. If more than two letters are sent we
will accept the first two letters we receive.

Q: How do I know the Center has received my reference letters?


A: It is up to the applicant to follow up with their referees to confirm that they
have sent their letters to the Center through the online system.

Q: I applied for a fellowship last year and didn’t get one. If I reapply this year
with the same proposal, can I use the same references?
A: Yes. The Center can use the same references from last year for your current
application. However, we prefer that you ask your referees to resend the letter to us
with a current date on it. If you have completed substantial new work on your
project during the year, you may want to ask those same referees to read your
revised proposal and send updated reference letters. You may also choose to send
two different references. You may contact the Center and we will be happy to work
with you on the best course of action.

Q: How is my financial form used in the application process?


A: Financial forms are placed in an applicant’s file and are available only to staff
making decisions on stipend amounts once final decisions are made. Outside
reviewers making decisions on selection never see your financial form so it has no
bearing on the final outcome.

Q: How are stipends awarded?


A: Money for stipends comes from allocated federal funds. The Center tries to
ensure that the stipend provided under the fellowship, together with the fellow’s
other sources of funding (e.g. grants secured by the applicant and sabbatical
allowances), approximate a fellow’s regular salary.
Q: Does the Center offer health insurance?
A: Yes. In addition to stipends, the Center provides 75 percent of health insurance
premiums for fellows who elect Center coverage and for their accompanying
family members.

Q: Does the Center pay for fellows’ travel?


A: Yes. Round trip travel is provided for fellows. If spouses and/or dependent
children will reside with the fellow for the entire fellowship period, money for
their travel will also be provided. Please note that the total round trip travel amount
given to you will be divided equally among your monthly stipend payments. The
Center cannot give advance payments to scholars for travel. You will need enough
personal funds to cover travel for you and any family members who accompany
you to Washington. The Center does not pay for short-term research trips a fellow
may wish to take during his/her tenure.

Q: Is the Center looking for particular topics this year?


A: The Center does not have a quota for any particular topic in a given year.
Priority is given to proposals which align with the programmatic work of the
Center. Please visit www.wilsoncenter.org/wcprograms to learn more about each
of the Center’s programs in more detail. It is very important to explain how your
work aligns with the Center’s programmatic work and the relevance of your
project to contemporary policy issues. Reviewers look for original, fresh research.

Q: Can Center staff look over my proposal before I submit it?


A: No. Unfortunately Center staff is not able to read or comment on draft
proposals. It is important to maintain a fair and impartial process. Please see the
Social Science Research Council’s “The Art of Writing Proposals.” The Center
recommends that you show your proposal to colleagues who are knowledgeable in
your field so that they may make constructive comments.

Q: May I ask to see an example of an awarded proposal?


A: The Center does not provide examples of awarded proposals because each
application is reviewed on an individual basis according to the criteria for selection
in the application guidelines.

Q: If I am in the D.C. area, may I come in for an interview?


A: No. In fairness to applicants who live outside the area/outside the U.S., the
Center does not conduct fellowship interviews.
Q: Do fellows get research help?
A: Yes. The Center offers each fellow a part-time research assistant during his/her
time in residence. These assistants are usually advanced undergraduate or graduate
students, who work approximately 15-20 hours per week over a four to nine month
period. To the extent possible, the Center matches the goals and interests of the
research assistants with those of the scholar to whom they are assigned. The
Center’s Internship Coordinator consults with incoming fellows and assigns them a
research assistant.

Q: What kind of access does the Center have to the Library of Congress?
A: The Wilson Center enjoys generous loan privileges with the Library of
Congress. Through the Wilson Center Library, fellows may request material as
needed from the general collections and keep it for up to six weeks. Center
librarians also provide access to university and special libraries in the area, and
other research facilities.

Q: I would need to move to Washington, D.C. from out of state. Does the
Center help to find housing for its Fellows?
A: To help with finding housing in the area, the Center sends each incoming out of
town fellow a comprehensive packet of housing materials. The Center does not
sign leases, but tries to help the incoming fellow find appropriate housing.
Information on schools and daycare centers for fellows with children is also
available.

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