Opportunités

NATO Defense College (NDC) Resident Fellowship Programme – NDC Research Division

Eisenhower (EIS) ,
Partnership for Peace (PfP), Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) and
Partners Across the Globe (PatG) Fellowships

Applications for Fellowships are NOW OPEN.

Deadline for applications: 30 September 2026 (23:59 CET)

Who We Are and Why We Offer Fellowship Opportunities

The NDC Research Division serves to boost NATO’s capacity to solve complex problems through a combination of research and education. The Division’s strength lies in its mix of in-depth subject expertise and methodological creativity. Success requires access to new thinking and scholarship. Each year, we offer nine funded research fellowships tailored to both junior and senior scholars, as well as to nationals of Allied and NATO partner countries. Fellows are expected to contribute to the Research Division’s mission. In return, they will gain insight into NATO’s decision-making needs, access to upstream information, and membership to a network of 150 alumni from previous generations of this programme.

Objectives, Responsibilities and Eligibility

The NATO Defense College serves as NATO’s portal to the world. It is a place where interested parties can learn how NATO functions and how to inform the organization’s thinking and work. The NDC Research Division not only serves as a forum for exchange, but also offers NATO a kind of radar, looking out into the world and into the future to flag emerging trends and signals. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the themes and style of our work and explain how their research will be policy-relevant.

During their fellowship, fellows are required to:

• write a research essay for eventual publication by the College;
• present their research project to the College prior to completing their fellowship;
• act as mentors on the College’s Senior Course;
• align with the College’s overall research agenda.
  

Focal Areas / Topics

We are seeking candidates who can contribute to innovative problem-solving approaches or generate novel outputs that address NATO priorities and challenges.

More specifically, the research themes will focus on:

1. (political and/or military) strategic challenges for the next decade in relation to
   • NATO’s Treaty Area and/or
   • NATO’s Area of Interest (North Africa, Middle East, Central and East Asia),
   • including (sea) Lines of Communications relevant to NATO (partners);
2. Geopolitical developments and trends, including diplomatic, informational, economic and cultural dimensions, which may impact on NATO’s mission over the next 5-10 years and its Area of Interest;
3. Non-nuclear and cross-domain deterrence, the cognitive dimension (including cognitive ‘warfare’), hybrid conflict, or new or accelerating technologies, including ICT.

Period / Timeframe

• Period 1:  15 February  2027 – 16 July  2027
• Period 2:  26 August 2027 – 28 January 2028

1. Eligibility for the Eisenhower (EIS) Fellowships (NATO Allies)

The four Eisenhower (EIS) Fellowships are for researchers and analysts who hold the nationality of one of the NATO Allies. The three sub-programmes are directed at:

• Senior Scholars: The NDC offers one 5-month long fellowship per year in this category.Candidates applying to the Senior Eisenhower Fellowship must have a PhD in a relevant discipline, a minimum of four years’ relevant professional experience since receiving their doctoral degree, and a solid publication record on international security-related issues.
• Junior Scholars: The NDC offers one 5-month long fellowship per year in this category.Candidates applying to the Eisenhower Defense Fellowship must have a PhD in a relevant discipline and a publication record on international security-related issues.
• PhD candidates: The NDC offers two 5-month long fellowships per year in this category. Candidates for the Eisenhower PhD Candidate Fellowship must be PhD students enrolled in a university programme at PhD level, with a thesis topic that is directly relevant to NATO policy. Candidates for this fellowship must be at the final stage of their research and provide evidence of their advanced work.

Candidates applying for the Eisenhower PhD Candidate Fellowship may apply for both periods and spend two 5-month periods at the College, for a total duration of 10 months.

2. Eligibility for Partnership for Peace (PfP) Fellowships

Up to two 5-month long fellowships are awarded each year in this category. The Partnership for Peace (PfP) Fellowship is designed for scholars, academics and researchers from PfP countries.

3. Eligibility for Partners across the Globe (PatG) Fellowship

Up to two 5-month long fellowships are awarded each year in this category. The Partners across the Globe (PatG) Fellowship is designed for scholars, academics and researchers from PatG countries.

4. Eligibility for Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) Fellowship

Up to two 5-month long fellowships are awarded each year in this category. The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) Fellowship is designed for scholars, academics and researchers from ICI countries.

Stipend and Payment

The 5-month fellowship provides a stipend intended to cover the fellow’s stay in Rome, travel expenses to and from Rome, and other related costs.

• Senior Eisenhower, PfP, PatG and ICI Fellows: €18,000
• Eisenhower Defense Fellow: €14,000
• Eisenhower PhD Candidate Fellow: €11,000

Payment Schedule

The stipend is paid in three instalments:

• €18,000 stipend: €8,000 upon arrival, €5,000 after three months, and €5,000 upon submission of the Research Draft and presentation.
• €14,000 stipend: €6,000 upon arrival, €4,000 after three months, and €4,000 upon submission of the Research Draft and presentation.
• €11,000 stipend: €5,000 upon arrival, €3,000 after three months, and €3,000 upon submission of the Research Draft and presentation.

Application Procedure

Candidates must check the 2027 Terms & Conditions, fill in the online registration form NDC 2027 Fellowship Programmes – Application Form, and separately submit a short CV, maximum two pages, to the following email address: [email protected].

Selected candidates and alternates will be required to sign the 2027 Terms & Conditions agreement and send a copy of their passport as proof of nationality.

The research proposal submitted through the online registration form must have a clear focus on NATO-related challenges, bring innovative problem-solving approaches or novel types of output, and should ideally align with themes such as “futures”, “future war”, “hindsight”, and “foresight”. The proposal must be concise and no longer than 550 words. The Resident Fellowship Programme is supervised by Dr Florence Gaub, Director, Research Division.

Application deadline: no later than 30 September 2026 (23:59 CET).

Selected candidates will be notified by November 30, 2026.

The Research Division cannot provide comments on applicants’ proposals either during or after the selection process.