TDE Fellowships

Fellowships built on a simple premise: rigorous inquiry into democracy requires time, partnership, and an intellectual community where ideas are taken seriously.

About the Fellowship

What the Fellowship Is

The fellowship offers graduate students, practitioners, activists, and members of civil society three months of sustained collaboration with a senior TDE researcher, partner, or director. It is not a research grant but a partnership — a period in which a line of work is developed in dialogue with a committed interlocutor.

“The fellowships most valuable offer is not a mentor: it is a partner.”

TDE Institute — Fellowship Program

How It Works

Structure & Eligibility

01 — The Fellowship Experience

What the Fellowship Involves

Fellows are embedded for three months in the Institute’s working life. Together with their TDE partner, they develop a project within one of the Institute’s Lines of Inquiry — or one the fellow proposes. Each fellowship culminates in a joint publication. Fellows also take part in Institute seminars, Seasonal Dialogues, and other events, presenting work in progress to a multidisciplinary community of academics and policymakers.

02 — Eligibility & Support

Who Should Apply

Applications are welcome from graduate students at any stage of their doctoral work, and from practitioners, activists, and members of civil society organisations engaged in sustained research. We look for candidates who cross disciplinary boundaries and approach difficult questions without evasion.

Fellows receive a monthly stipend, a flexible online residency, and full access to Institute activities — Seasonal Dialogues, seminars, and the Annual TDE Conference — alongside a working network of scholars and practitioners across four continents.

2027 Cohort

Applications

Applications for the 2027 cohort will open in October 2026. Candidates will be asked to submit:

A current CV.
A research statement (300 words maximum) outlining the proposed project, its relation to the Institute’s Lines of Inquiry, and what the candidate hopes to gain from the fellowship.
A statement (300 words maximum) on why sustained dialogue between scholarship and practice matters to the candidate’s work, together with three proposed TDE partners and a brief rationale for each choice.
A writing sample, published or unpublished, of no more than 8,000 words.
One letter of reference — from a doctoral supervisor, institutional director, or senior colleague.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview. Selected candidates will be announced on 28 December 2026.

The dates of the fellowship are to be arranged with each selected fellow within the year following acceptance.

For questions about the fellowship or the application process, please write to fellowship@tde.institute.

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