Deadline: June 19, 2026
Applications are open for the PRRI Public Fellows Program 2026-2027. Created in 2017, the PRRI Public Fellows program is an 11-month, non-residential fellowship that helps researchers develop and hone their ability to bring academic research to a broader public audience. This program is ideal for mid-career scholars who want to engage broader audiences by shaping their work for public consumption and to generate impactful commentary and analysis at the intersection of religion, culture, and politics.
The PRRI Public Fellows program seeks a diverse cohort of 9 scholars working across the following key areas of PRRI’s research:
- Pluralism and Democracy
- Immigration and American Society
- LGBTQ Rights and Gender Politics.
Benefits
PRRI Public Fellows in the 2026-2027 cohort will receive the following:
- An 11-month fellowship with a cohort of 9 diverse scholars engaged in public scholarship;
- Fellowship stipend of $5,000;
- Course release funds up to $10,000 for the Spring 2027 semester;
- Access to annual microgrants of up to $10,000 in each area of PRRI’s work for new interdisciplinary scholarly projects within the cohort;
- Virtual monthly meetings and quarterly trainings/workshops;
- A Spring 2027 in-person convening in Washington, D.C., with travel expenses paid by PRRI. During the convening, fellows will meet with writers from major media outlets, receive media training, and dialogue with experts in writing for trade, crossover, and non-academic books;
- Advance access to PRRI data and archives;
- Collaborative work with PRRI’s research and communications teams;
- For fellows from primarily qualitative and humanities backgrounds, PRRI will provide training, support, and advice on how to connect public-opinion survey research to their field of expertise
Eligibility
- Fellows must have a Ph.D. or comparable terminal degree plus a formal affiliation with an accredited college, university, seminary, or research institute in the United States;
- Fellows must have earned their terminal degree at least three years ago and no more than 12 years ago;
- Fellows should have demonstrable academic expertise in at least one of the following key areas of PRRI’s work (Pluralism and Democracy; Immigration and American Society; and LGBTQ Rights and Gender Politics);
- Fellows must be authorized to work in the United States.
Application
The application includes:
- Statement of interest: In 800 words or less, explain your interest in pursuing this fellowship opportunity and your professional development goals in public scholarship.
- Current curriculum vitae
- Work samples (3): Provide links to and PDF copies of three articles, op-eds, or blogs published within the last three years, preferably in publications or sites aimed at the general public. These samples should be your best recent work.
For more information, visit PRRI Public Fellows Program.
