The NRI offers a fellowship program that targets emerging scholars whose work shows promise of making a substantial contribution to the public policy debate.
NRI Fellowships
The NRI fellowship program is designed to promote sound policy research by enabling talented students to spend an academic year in residence at AEI, pursuing domestic public policy research independently or in conjunction with an AEI scholar.
The fellowship program targets recent graduates interested in spending up to two postdoctoral years at AEI, as well as doctoral students engaged in dissertation research. We also encourage recent law school and business school graduates wishing to pursue public policy to apply. NRI is looking for students whose areas of study are economics, political and social science, law, or public policy. We will give priority to students whose research interests are closely aligned with those of a resident AEI scholar. The program focuses on U.S. domestic public policy; therefore, candidates whose research centers on foreign or international policy will not be considered. Applicants participate in a competitive selection process based on academic performance, writing ability, and references.
Fellowship recipients spend nine to twenty-four months in residence at AEI finishing a dissertation or pursuing independent research and writing, as well as working in partnership with an AEI scholar. While in Washington, NRI fellows are immersed in a rich public policy environment. The program exposes them to a breadth of scholarship within AEI, as well as at other D.C. institutions engaged in policy debate. Fellows are expected to produce a paper of publishable quality during their time at the Institute. Fellows are awarded generous stipends comparable to entry-level faculty positions within their disciplines, as well as health insurance and other employee benefits, office space, and access to all AEI facilities.
How to Apply
The following is a list of required application materials for the NRI fellowship. The deadline for 2010-11 fellowship applications is December 4, 2009.
- Statement of purpose
Include a description of the research you plan to conduct while at AEI, the final product (dissertation, journal article, report) you will generate from your research, and your career interests for the future. If there is a particular scholar at AEI with whom you would be interested in working, please identify and explain why you feel it would be advantageous for you to be paired with that scholar.
- Two letters of reference
Letters should be from individuals familiar with your work.
- Curriculum vitae
- Graduate school transcripts
- One writing sample
Please direct application materials to Emily Batman, Program Manager, National Research Initiative, American Enterprise Institute, 1150 Seventeenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, or send them electronically to nri@aei.org.
Apart from its postdoctoral fellowship program, full time professors seeking fellowships should contact the NRI to discuss project ideas.
The NRI also offers internship positions for current or recent undergraduates interested in domestic public policy. For more information on AEI's internship program and to apply online, click here. To learn more about employment opportunities with AEI, click here.
