James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program

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About

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a unique global network of policy research centers in Russia, China, Europe, the Middle East, India, and the United States. The mission, dating back more than a century, is to advance the cause of peace through analysis and development of fresh policy ideas and direct engagement and collaboration with decision-makers in government, business and civil society. Working together, the centers bring the inestimable benefit of multiple national viewpoints to bilateral, regional and global issues.

The James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is designed to provide a substantive work experience for students who have a serious career interest in the area of international affairs. Approximately 15 students will be hired to work as employees at Carnegie in Washington, DC on a full-time basis for a period of one year.

Gaither Junior Fellows provide research assistance to scholars working on Carnegie Endowment's projects, listed below. They have the opportunity to conduct research, contribute to op-eds, papers, reports, and books, edit documents, participate in meetings with high-level officials, contribute to congressional testimony and organize briefings attended by scholars, activists, journalists and government officials.

Eligibility

Case Western Reserve University is a participating university of this fellows program. Interested students must work directly with Dean Rajlakshmi Ghosh, the institution’s nominating official for this program. Applicants must have attended a university located in the United States and must be eligible to work in the United States for a full 12 months from approximately August 1 through July 31 following graduation. Students on F-1 visas who are eligible to work in the U.S. for the full year may apply for the program.

Applicants must be graduating seniors or students who have graduated during the last academic year. No one who has started graduate studies is eligible for consideration (except in cases where the student has completed a joint bachelors/masters degree program). The program accepts applications only through participating universities via designated nominating officials.

Qualifications

The James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is designed to provide a substantive work experience for students who have a serious career interest in the area of international affairs. Applicants should have completed a significant amount of course work related to their discipline of interest. Language and other skills may also be required for certain assignments. The selection process for the program is very competitive. Accordingly, applicants should be of high academic quality. Qualifications for Gaither Junior Fellows may vary by program.

Application Procedure

1. Connect with the Undergraduate Advising Support Office (scholarshipsandfellowships@case.edu), preferably during your junior year but no later than Nov. 1 of the senior year, to discuss your goals and plan to compete in this scholarship process.
2. If the above deadline is met and you're eligible to apply, CWRU campus representative, Dr. Raj Ghosh will grant you access to the online application portal. 
3. Submit your application materials to scholarshipsandfellowships@case.edu in one pdf document prior to the campus deadline of Dec 1, 2026. Required materials include:
   1. A resume [1-2 pages)
      1. This should reflect your research and writing experience as much as possible. 
   2. A personal statement (up to 2 pages)
      1. You should discuss why you are applying for this job, what you hope to learn from it, how you think your experience and working style would serve you well as a research assistant, and why you have chosen to apply for the program you are applying for. 
   3. Two letters of recommendation
      1. It its recommend that  you choose recommenders who can speak directly to the your ability to write and support research projects.  
   4. A writing sample
      1. This must be three to five pages, and it may be either a completed work or an excerpt from a longer work. The writing sample must be accompanied by a brief explanation of no more than half of one page explaining why you chose that writing sample (note: the explanation is not counted towards the page limit of the writing sample). The writing sample can be on any topic, but it is recommend that you submit a writing sample that is relevant to the program you are applying for either in subject matter or in style of analysis
   5. A transcript
      1. An unofficial transcript is preferred, though an official transcript is also acceptable. If you have transferred, please make sure to also submit a transcript from your first institution or make sure that the information is reflected by your current transcript. 

• The Campus Selection Committee will review completed applications to determine who will advance to the next stage, which is an interview with the Campus Selection Committee.
• Following campus interviews, up to four applications will be endorsed and nominated by CWRU.
• If selected as one of the two candidates to represent CWRU, candidates will work directly with Dr. Raj Ghosh on submission to the national competition, including contacting letter writers.

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