Deadline: November 11, 2026
Applications are open for the Dalai Lama Fellows Program 2027. The Dalai Lama Fellows (DLF) offers a one-year fellowship program for emerging changemakers aiming to cultivate leadership practices rooted in wisdom and compassion. The interdisciplinary and deeply contemplative program provides a curriculum, coaching, group learning, and additional forms of support to help Fellows apply what they are learning in the fellowship to their important work in the world.
During the fellowship year, each Fellow implements an original field project addressing a local challenge. With the program’s support, Fellows cultivate capacities of self-awareness, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, listening and communication, systems-thinking, and much more to help their work make a genuinely positive impact on the communities they serve. Fellows’ learning is also supported by instruction in a range of contemplative practices that foster a deeper connection to self, others, and ecosystems.
DLF integrates the local and global, helping its Fellows carry out important work in their local communities while connecting them to a global network of kindred spirits. Upon graduation, Fellows join the community of LifeLong Fellows, with whom they connect in mutually supportive ways while continuing to advance their leadership journeys.
Program Components
- For most of the fellowship, Fellows participate remotely. They work on their compassion-in-action projects while engaging with DLF’s online leadership curriculum and receiving virtual coaching and mentorship. At the beginning and end of the fellowship year, Fellows gather for a week-long Contemplative Leadership Assembly in the United States.
Eligibility
Candidate must demonstrate:
- Be 20-36 years old as of April 1, 2027
- Fluency in written and spoken English
- Current engagement with or well-articulated plans for a social change project and sustained engagement with the project throughout the fellowship year (NOTE: due to the difficulty of launching a social innovation project from scratch, we give preference to applicants who have ongoing projects, but each year we have selected Fellows who have a concrete vision for a project and plans to launch during the fellowship year, given they have the adequate expertise, resources, and community connections at the time of applying)
- In-depth knowledge of the community and the issue that the project is seeking to address, preferably with at least one year of previous experience working with the community
- Interest in learning and engaging in contemplative practices throughout the year
- Commitment to participating in all dimensions of the program, including online learning platform, 1-on-1 coaching calls, group learning calls, etc. (We estimate full participation in the fellowship requires about 12 hours per month, not including Fellows’ work on their projects)
- Attendance at the virtual Contemplative Leadership Assembly in May 2027
Application
The application for Dalai Lama Fellows consists of five main parts:
- Applicant background and overview
- Short essay questions
- Video submission
- Resume/CV
- Letter of recommendation
For more information, visit Dalai Lama Fellows Program.
