Thank you for your interest in the Next Generation fellowship. We are no longer accepting applications for the 2008–2009 fellowship year. Please return to our website in September 2008 when we will have updated information regarding application deadlines for the 2009–2010 Next Generation fellowship.
The Next Generation Fellowship is a post-master's degree program that is cultivating a new generation of Asian affairs specialists committed to and capable of bridging the gap between the best scholarly research and the pressing needs of U.S. foreign policy toward a rapidly changing Asia.
NBR invites recent master's and professional degree holders (e.g., MA, MBA, LLM, JD, etc.) to apply for a year-long fellowship at NBR’s headquarters in Seattle. Fellows will collaborate with leading scholars to conduct independent research and participate in the briefing of research findings to the policymaking community in Washington, D.C.
This one-year fellowship is designed to further the professional development of Asia specialists in the year just after the completion of their master's degree. Successful applicants will gain further knowledge of Asia and an understanding of the U.S. foreign policymaking process by: conducting independent research under the guidance of an NBR project director; collaborating with senior scholars on academic publications; and traveling to Washington, D.C., to participate in the briefing of research findings to relevant constituents within the policy community.
The application deadline for 2008-2009 was January 14, 2008. Fellowships begin June 2, 2008 and conclude May 29, 2009.
The Next Generation Fellowship Program will grant a one-year award to four fellows annually. Next Generation fellows will work on NBR research projects and participate in the effective delivery of that research to the policy community. The four major components of the Next Generation Fellowship are:
As part of the fellowship, each new class of fellows will participate in a two-day orientation in Washington, D.C. These two days will include meetings with individuals in several branches of the U.S. government, including Congress, as well as with senior academics who have successfully bridged the scholarship-policy gap. The Next Generation orientation session will immerse the fellows in the program’s vision, allow them to meet with American political and academic leaders, and provide opportunities for discussions between the fellows and the constituents of their forthcoming research.
NBR conducts advanced independent research on strategic, political, economic, globalization, health, and energy issues affecting U.S. relations with Asia—Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Eurasia, and South Asia. At any given time, NBR directs 20–30 major research projects involving 150 scholars at universities and research centers worldwide. Each fellow will be placed on projects that best match his/her qualifications and research interests.
NBR organizes its research around three broad topics: politics and security, economics and trade, and societies and health. Our current research initiatives within these topics include:
Politics and Security: Innovative, forward-looking policy research on a range of issues, including Asian security—with a particular focus on China security issues and nuclear proliferation; Muslim Asia; strategic studies—through NBR’s signature Strategic Asia Program; energy security; futures studies; and political cultures. NBR’s research on politics and security spans the entire Asia-Pacific region, from Northeast and Southeast Asia through South Asia to Russia and Central Asia.
Economics and Trade: Policy research on the rising economic importance of Asia to the United States. Specific initiatives focus on issues relating energy, the environment, and natural resources; on policy issues affecting innovation; on developments in trade and investment relations, including free trade agreements and other forms of regional economic cooperation; and on the economic trajectories of China, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia.
Societies and Health: NBR’s work on health issues is the focus of the Center for Health and Aging (CHA), which organizes the flagship Pacific Health Summit, an annual Davos-level meeting that brings together global leaders from science, policy, medicine, and industry to launch a transformation of healthcare based on the early detection and treatment of disease through emerging science and technology.
Each fellow will collaborate with a senior scholar on an independent research project to produce at least one journal-quality article. The fellow will have full-time research and project management responsibilities for this effort. Fellows will map the constituencies for their particular project and will participate in the briefing of research results for the relevant actors in the U.S. government, including Congress.
Applicants are required to submit the following:
Please email the above materials to nextgen@nbr.org. Should you have any questions about the application process, please email Kailani Chin-Hidano, also at nextgen@nbr.org. All application materials including reference letters, must be received no later than January 14, 2008.
U.S. citizenship or permanent residence status (by time of application deadline) is required. The applicant must have completed a master's degree by the time the fellowship begins. Individuals who have received their master’s degree diplomas up to twelve months prior to the application deadline may apply to the program. Prospective fellows should apply only for the year that they expect to participate. No deferrals are permitted.
For each fellow, regardless of his or her career trajectory, the program provides an extraordinary opportunity. Fellows who go on to specialize in Asia scholarship will have been exposed to the policy relevance of research, just as those who choose a policy-related career will have been exposed to the importance of quality scholarship. Fellows who choose other career paths, whether in the private, nonprofit, or media sectors, will also have been exposed to the dynamic intersection of policy and scholarship.
One thing will hold true for all alumni of The Next Generation Leadership Program: They will be young leaders, with life-long friendships, capable of making a significant difference in how the United States relates to Asia. Their exposure to the critical need of informing policy will shape their contributions as leaders and strengthen their impact in their various fields. Fellows will acquire or refine skills in:
Each fellow will receive a $32,500 fellowship award (with benefits), as well as a stipend for relocation expenses.
| January 14, 2008 | Applications due at nextgen@nbr.org |
| January–February 2008 | Applications reviewed and evaluated by NBR Program Committee and Selection Committee |
| March 2008 | Finalist interviews |
| April 2008 | Awards made |
| June 2–3, 2008 | Travel to Seattle: Seattle orientation |
| September 2008 | Next Generation orientation session in Washington, D.C. |
| May 30, 2009 | Fellowship concludes |
If you have a question that is not answered below, please contact us at nextgen@nbr.org.
What kinds of research projects will I be working on?
NBR has an evolving research agenda that addresses a range of
critical policy relevant issues. A sample of research topics drawn
from NBR’s current work includes the following:
On the webpage it says that out of the three references, one must be from outside
academia. Does that mean the other two must be from within academia?
At least one must be within academia, and at least one must be from outside of
academia. Please limit the total number of references to three.
May I participate in the Next Generation program for less than the one-year
period?
No. Fellows are required to commit to completing the full one-year program
beginning June 2, 2008 and ending May 30, 2009.
May I seek additional employment during my time as a fellow at NBR in Seattle?
No. Fellows are expected to work full-time for NBR and are not permitted to
obtain additional employment.
Is there a set deadline for publication? What happens if my article is not
published before the end of the fellowship term?
The article the fellow writes will be published according to the
journal's normal production schedule. That may or may not occur during the
fellowship term.
May I enroll in graduate classes during my time as a fellow at NBR in Seattle?
To ensure that selected fellows participate fully in their experience at NBR,
fellows may not be enrolled in graduate classes during the fellowship period.
May I apply if my degree is anticipated during the fellowship year, but not yet
awarded?
No. The degree must have been awarded by the time the fellowship commences.
This is why individuals may apply to the program up to twelve months after
receiving a master's degree.
Is this fellowship only for students who have a master's degree in international
affairs?
NBR’s research spans a breadth of geographic and functional areas. It
is anticipated that this nationwide program will attract a similarly broad
range of graduating master's degree students that range from international
relations degrees to degrees in, for example, business, public health, and law.
Most important is that the candidate “makes the case” in the application of how
he/she would benefit from the fellowship experience.
Will NBR provide housing for my stay in Seattle?
No. Fellows will need to make their own housing arrangements.
I am a Boren fellow interested in the Next Generation fellowship. I have two years to secure government employment following the completion of the Boren fellowship. If I participate in the Next Generation program, will that mean I have just one year to secure government employment?
No, participation in NBR's Next Generation fellowship does not count toward the two-year period before you have to secure government employment. For example, if you participate in the Next Generation fellowship you will still have two years from the date you complete the program to secure government employment as required by the Boren fellowship.
The Next Generation Leadership Advisory Board comprises a select group of respected academics and policymakers who have demonstrated commitment and success in the practical work of bridging the academic and policy worlds. The board will provide inspirational leadership to the program and meet individually, as possible, with program fellows in Washington, D.C. to share their vision for the need to strengthen the development of a cohort of young Americans with expertise on Asia.
2006-2007 fellows from left to right: John Graham, University of
Michigan; Tim Cook, University of Washington; M. Anne Yu,
Georgetown University; and Teresa Reimers, Ohio University
2007-2008 fellows from left to right: Torrey Goad, University of
Wisconsin, Madison; Andy David, University of Texas, Austin;
Mike Cognato, Johns Hopkins University; and Winston Le, University of
California, San Diego
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