Princeton's Fung Global Fellows Program Opens Applications

Applications are now open for the 2027-2028 cohort of the Fung Global Fellows Program at Princeton University's Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS). The deadline for submissions is November 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

The program will select early-career scholars from outside the United States for a ten-month residential fellowship at Princeton. According to the program announcement, fellows are appointed as Visiting Research Scholars and receive a salary ranging from $100,000 to $135,000 for the academic year. Successful candidates must have a faculty or professional research appointment at an institution outside the U.S. And are expected to return to that position after the fellowship concludes.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

To be eligible, applicants must have received their Ph.D. Or equivalent degree generally after September 1, 2017. The program explicitly states that candidates currently enrolled in a Ph.D. Program or employed as postdoctoral researchers are not eligible to apply.

The selection committee seeks candidates who have demonstrated outstanding scholarly achievement and exhibit unusual intellectual promise. Criteria include the strength of the proposed research project, its relationship to the annual theme, the candidate's previous scholarly work, and their ability to contribute to the program's intellectual exchange. The program aims to build a diverse cohort representing any region of the world and any disciplinary background within the humanities and social sciences.

A unique requirement is that successful candidates must provide an official letter from their current employer. This letter must affirm that the candidate is permitted to accept the fellowship and spend the academic year at Princeton University.

The 2027-28 Theme: Democracy in Crisis?

The upcoming academic year will focus on the theme "Democracy in Crisis?". The program's source material notes that democratic governance faces global pressures from populist movements, declining trust in institutions, polarization, disinformation, and democratic backsliding. It also highlights democratic resilience through grassroots mobilization, institutional safeguards, and civic renewal.

Scholars are invited to apply with projects that explore challenges to democratic governance or sources of its resilience. Potential research areas include the drivers of populism, the erosion of democratic norms, the role of media and disinformation, the link between economic inequality and democratic legitimacy, and strategies for defending democratic practice. The program is equally interested in work that interrogates the conceptual and normative foundations of democracy itself.

Application Requirements

All application materials must be submitted in English through an online system. The required components are a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a research proposal, one writing sample, and three professional references.

Applicants must provide the names and email addresses for three referees. The online system will automatically contact these referees with an invitation to upload their letters of recommendation. All reference letters must also be submitted by the November 16, 2026 deadline.

Princeton University states it is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

For more details, prospective applicants are directed to the official Fung Global Fellows Program website.