Established in 1986, USIP’s Jennings Randolph Senior Fellowship program has supported research, writing and in-house advising on a wide variety of topics related to peace and violent conflict. The program's more than 320 past fellows have studied everything from the influence of Track Two Diplomacy on U.S.-Russia relations to the effects of oil and other natural resources on prospects for peace.

Since 1988, USIP's Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellowship program has supported the dissertations of roughly 300 young scholars, most of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in research, teaching and policy making. This annual award program also partners with the Minerva Research Initiative to offer additional pre-doctoral fellowships on peace and security topics.

The Institute also hosts Military Fellows serving in a Senior Service College Fellowship capacity.

The Senior Fellowship program supports targeted research, analysis and writing that is closely integrated with the work of the Institute, with high flexibility in terms of application opportunities.

The Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellowship program awards non-residential fellowships to students enrolled in U.S. universities and who are writing doctoral dissertations on topics related to international conflict management and peacebuilding.

Each year, USIP offers a limited number of additional fellowships focusing on specific issue areas and/or conflict zones to outstanding scholars, policymakers and other professionals who work in areas that advance our understanding of issues central to USIP’s mandate. This includes Military Fellows serving in a Senior Service College Fellowship capacity.

The U.S. Institute of Peace, in conjunction with the International Studies Association (ISA), is proud to announce the 2019 Peace Dissertation Award. This award is given annually to the best, policy-relevant dissertation in peace and conflict studies. Dissertations in all disciplines are eligible.

To be eligible for this award, the dissertation must be completed at a U.S. graduate institution and accepted between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018. The dissertation must be nominated by the head of the department in which the dissertation has been accepted, and only one dissertation may be nominated per department.

Submissions are due January 22, 2019, and the finalist will be notified mid-February, 2019. Submissions should be sent to the U.S. Institute of Peace, jrprogram@usip.org and must include:

• A nomination letter from the university’s department head;
• The candidate’s curriculum vitae (including contact information);
• Abstract of the dissertation (1500-2000 words);
• PDF copy of the dissertation.

For more information, email jrprogram@usip.org.

The award will be announced and presented during the Peace Studies Distinguished Scholar Reception at the ISA Annual Convention 2019 in Toronto, Canada. Please join us for the announcement on Wednesday, March 27, from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM, at Civic South, Sheraton Centre Toronto!