The Princeton Fung Global Fellows Program is a residential research fellowship for early-career scholars from around the world. Fellows spend an academic year on Princeton’s campus, working on their own research within a shared annual theme and exchanging ideas with a cohort drawn from many regions and disciplines. It is run through the Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) at Princeton University. For the 2027–28 call, the theme is “Democracy in Crisis?”
This is not a degree scholarship. It is for scholars who already hold a PhD, work outside the United States and plan to return to their home institutions afterwards. If you are an undergraduate or a master’s student, this guide shows you what to work towards. If you are a recent PhD graduate with a research agenda that touches democracy, the Princeton Fung Global Fellows Program could be a career-defining year, and the 2027–28 deadline is close.
One point before we go further. The official application page does not describe the funding package (stipend, housing or travel). I will not guess at it. I explain below what to ask and where to look.
What is the Princeton Fung Global Fellows Program?
The Fung Global Fellows Program brings early-career scholars to Princeton for ten months. Fellows hold the rank of Visiting Research Scholar, work in person on campus and join a program built around exchange: researching, presenting and discussing ideas with a cohort that is deliberately diverse across regions and disciplines.
Each year centres on a theme. For 2027–28, the call invites projects connected to “Democracy in Crisis?”, including:
- Populism and democratic erosion
- Media and disinformation
- Inequality and legitimacy
- Civic and institutional resilience
- The conceptual foundations of democracy
Projects can address any region of the world, and can draw on historical or contemporary perspectives, from the humanities or the social sciences. That openness is important. You do not need to be a political scientist. A historian, sociologist, legal scholar, economist, anthropologist or literary scholar can all make a strong case, as long as the project speaks clearly to the theme.
Key benefits: what the fellowship offers
The official page is clear about the structure of the fellowship, but quiet about the money. Here is what it does say:
- A ten-month residential appointment at Princeton, in person on campus.
- The title of Visiting Research Scholar.
- Time and space for research, within a cohort sharing a theme.
- Contact with a worldwide, cross-disciplinary group of early-career peers.
- A return path. You are expected to go back to your home position afterwards.
What the page does not specify: the stipend or salary, housing, or travel support. I could not confirm any of these. Please ask the program before you rely on any figure you see elsewhere, and treat third-party sites that quote exact amounts with caution. The program’s question email link on its website is the right place to ask.
One more practical point. The page says that H-1B visas requiring consular processing are not sponsored, though other visa options may be available. If you are chosen, you will need to work out which visa category applies to you, so raise it early.
The real benefit, beyond any financial package, is the year itself: sustained time to write, a place in Princeton’s intellectual life and a network that can lead to collaborations and publications.
Who the Princeton Fung Global Fellows Program is for
Undergraduate students
The fellowship is not open to undergraduates. It requires a completed PhD or equivalent and a research or faculty appointment.
Master’s and PhD students
It is also not open to current PhD students or postdocs. If you are still in a master’s or doctoral programme, this is a goal for later. A recent PhD graduate can apply, but only if the degree was awarded within the window below, and only if you hold an appointment outside the US to return to.
Early-career scholars and researchers
This is the target group. The program is for early-career scholars who have a PhD, an employment base outside the United States and a research project that fits the annual theme. Typical applicants include assistant professors, lecturers, research fellows at universities or think tanks and professional researchers whose institutions will welcome them back.
Detailed eligibility criteria
The official call lists these requirements:
1. Doctorate
A PhD (or equivalent) generally awarded after 1 September 2017. The word “generally” matters. If your degree date is close to the line, or your qualification is not a standard PhD, ask the program rather than assuming.
2. Not a current student or postdoc
You must not currently be a PhD student or a postdoctoral researcher.
3. Employment outside the United States
You must be employed outside the US in a faculty or professional research position.
4. Return to your position
You are expected to go back to that position after the fellowship, so your employer needs to agree to your absence. If you are offered the fellowship, you must provide an official letter from your current employer confirming permission to accept and spend the year at Princeton.
5. Scholarly achievement and early-career promise
You need a record of scholarly work and clear potential. This usually means publications or other research output suited to your field.
6. Fit with the theme
Your project should relate to “Democracy in Crisis?” The selection criteria say the strength of the project and its relation to the theme are assessed.
What the page does not state: a citizenship rule, an age limit or a language test. Materials must be submitted in English, which tells you the working language of the application.
Step-by-step application process (with practical tips)
Step 1: Check the basics
Confirm your PhD date, your employment outside the US and your employer’s willingness to release you. These are the most common reasons an otherwise strong application is a non-starter.
Tip: Talk to your head of department early. Even an informal “yes, we would support this” gives you confidence, and you will need a formal letter if you are offered a place.
Step 2: Define your project around the theme
Do not stretch an existing project to fit. Ask what question you can address that is genuinely about democracy, its strains or its renewal, and why it needs a year at Princeton.
Tip: Name a specific question, a place or period and a method. “Democratic backsliding in Africa” is too vague. A clearly bounded question reads like a real research plan.
Step 3: Draft your research proposal
The proposal can run to a maximum of three pages, single spaced. In that space, explain the problem, your contribution, your approach and what you will produce during the year.
Tip: Write for an intelligent reader outside your sub-field. The committee reviews applicants from many disciplines, so avoid heavy jargon.
Step 4: Write a short, specific cover letter
The cover letter is limited to 1.5 pages and addressed “Dear Search Committee.” Use it to show why this theme, why now and why you.
Tip: Mention what you would offer the cohort, not just what you would get. The selection criteria include your ability to contribute to the program’s intellectual life.
Step 5: Choose your writing sample
You submit one writing sample, an article or a book chapter, up to 50 pages. Pick the piece that best shows your strongest scholarship and connects to your proposal.
Step 6: Line up three referees
You provide the names and email addresses of three referees in the application. After you submit, the system contacts them automatically, and they upload their letters through the portal before the deadline.
Tip: Tell your referees in advance, and warn them that an automatic email is coming. The page says not to contact the program administrator about referee letters, so the chasing is on you and your referees, not the administrators.
Step 7: Apply through the online portal
Applications go through the Interfolio portal only. Email, fax and mail are not accepted. You cannot edit after you submit, so finish and proofread everything first.
Step 8: Prepare for interviews
Virtual interviews for finalists are expected between mid-December and early January. Candidates are expected to hear the outcome by early February 2027.
Required documents checklist
All materials must be in English. The call lists:
- Cover letter, 1.5 pages maximum, addressed “Dear Search Committee”
- CV, including publications
- Research proposal, 3 pages maximum, single spaced
- One writing sample (article or book chapter), 50 pages maximum
- Names and email addresses of three referees, who upload their letters through the portal
- Employer letter, only if you are offered the fellowship, confirming permission to accept and spend the year at Princeton
No supplementary materials are accepted, so do not plan to add extra samples, appendices or recommendations. Follow the page limits exactly.
Important deadlines and timeline
- Application deadline: 16 November 2026, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The portal locks at the deadline, and late submissions are not accepted.
- Virtual interviews for finalists: expected between mid-December and early January.
- Notification: by early February 2027.
- Fellowship year: the page describes ten months in person on campus for 2027–28. Exact start and end dates are not given on the page I read, so confirm them with the program.
Today is 14 October 2026, so you have roughly four weeks. For readers in West Africa, remember the time difference: 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time falls in the early morning of the next day in Lagos. Submit well before the deadline, ideally days earlier.
A realistic plan:
- This week: Confirm eligibility, speak to your employer and choose your referees.
- Next two weeks: Draft the proposal and cover letter and select the writing sample.
- Week before the deadline: Get feedback from a colleague outside your field, finalise the CV and double-check formats.
- At least two days before: Submit and confirm that your referees received their requests.
Dates can change, so check the official page again before you submit.
Common mistakes to avoid and insider tips
Mistakes that sink applications
- Ignoring the theme. A strong project that does not connect to “Democracy in Crisis?” has little chance, because relation to the theme is a selection criterion.
- Going over the limits. The call sets maximum lengths for the letter, proposal and writing sample. Exceeding them looks careless.
- Applying while still a PhD student or postdoc. The call excludes both.
- No institutional base outside the US. You must have a position to return to.
- Submitting early drafts. You cannot edit after submission.
- Leaving referees to the last minute. The system emails them only after you submit, and their letters must be in before the deadline.
- Emailing the program about referee letters. The page asks applicants not to.
- Writing only for specialists. Reviewers read across disciplines.
- Assuming funding details. Ask the program rather than relying on rumours.
Insider tips that improve your chances
- Show why Princeton, why this year. Explain what the time, the cohort and the setting will let you do that you cannot do at home.
- Be explicit about your contribution to the group. Mention seminars you could lead, perspectives from your region or collaborations you could build.
- Use regional strength. The program values work experience outside the United States and diversity across regions, so your local expertise is an asset, not a limitation.
- Make the proposal a plan, not a topic. State your questions, sources, methods, outputs and a rough timeline for the year.
- Pick a writing sample that matches your proposal. The committee will read the two together.
- Choose referees who can compare you with peers. Specific comments on your originality and impact carry more weight than praise.
- Get an outsider’s read. Ask a scholar from a different discipline whether your proposal is clear.
These tips come from general experience with competitive fellowships, not from Princeton, so use them alongside the official instructions.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Princeton Fung Global Fellows Program fully funded?
The official page does not describe a stipend, housing or travel support. Ask the program directly before you plan your finances.
Who can apply?
Early-career scholars with a PhD generally awarded after 1 September 2017, employed outside the United States in a faculty or professional research role, who are not current PhD students or postdocs and who will return to their position.
Can I apply while doing a postdoc?
No. The call says applicants must not currently be a PhD student or postdoc.
Do I have to be a political scientist?
No. Projects can come from the humanities or the social sciences, and from historical or contemporary perspectives, as long as they speak to the theme.
How long is the fellowship?
Ten months, in person on campus.
What title do fellows hold?
Visiting Research Scholar.
Will Princeton sponsor my visa?
The page says H-1B visas requiring consular processing are not sponsored, though other visa options may be available. Ask the program about your situation.
How do I submit the application?
Through the online portal only. Email, fax and mail are not accepted.
Will I get feedback if I am not selected?
No. The page says feedback is not provided.
Who reviews the applications?
The program director and a search committee.
Who can I contact with questions?
The program site has a questions email link, and the page lists a phone number for portal technical help. Check the official page for the current details.
Conclusion: your next steps
The Princeton Fung Global Fellows Program is a rare chance to spend a year at one of the world’s leading universities, working on democracy’s hardest questions alongside scholars from across the globe. The application is short but demanding, and the deadline is near.
Here is your action list:
- Check your PhD date, your appointment outside the US and your employer’s support.
- Sharpen a project that speaks directly to “Democracy in Crisis?”
- Write the 3-page proposal and the 1.5-page cover letter, and choose your writing sample.
- Brief your three referees.
- Submit comfortably before 16 November 2026, and email the program about anything the page leaves unclear, such as funding.
If you are not eligible yet, use the time to publish, build your research profile and keep an eye on future calls. Our guides to the Harvard LEAD Fellowship, Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships and Gates Cambridge Scholarship cover other options for scholars at different stages.
A strong application is clear, specific and honest about what you would bring. Good luck.
Apply HERE: Princeton Fung Global Fellows Program
Author’s note: I put this guide together from the official Princeton Fung Global Fellows Program call for the 2027–28 cohort, as I read it in mid-October 2026. The page does not describe the stipend, housing or travel support, so I have not stated any amounts. Deadlines, themes and eligibility rules can change from one call to the next. Please check the official program page and the application portal before you apply.