Who this is for: Students, researchers, journalists, community leaders and professionals looking for a paid or fully covered fellowship. Every fellowship below is open now, with deadlines from mid-November 2026 to late January 2027.
We’ve picked 25 funded and free fellowships from our guides, sorted by deadline: leadership programmes, journalism fellowships at Harvard and Stanford, AI and technology research, and postdocs. Each links to our full guide, with eligibility, benefits and how to apply. For a longer list just for African applicants, see Fellowships for Africans: Open Now.
Deadlines at a Glance
The 25 Fellowships
1. East-West Center Advanced Leadership Program 2027
A funded two-month fellowship in Hawai‘i, 1 June to 31 July 2027, for 3–4 people.
Who: Experienced professionals. Deadline: 15 Nov 2026.
2. State of Black Entrepreneurship Fellows Program 2027
US$10,000 research fellowships from the Center for Black Entrepreneurship.
Who: Researchers studying Black entrepreneurship. Deadline: 16 Nov 2026.
3. Sir Cyril Taylor Young African Leaders Program 2027
A fully funded 12-month fellowship with a trip to Geneva and project seed funding, for 10 leaders.
Who: Young leaders aged 18–35 from Sub-Saharan Africa. Deadline: 19 Nov 2026.
4. Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship 2027
A 12-month placement at the African Development Bank in Abidjan, with a stipend, travel and insurance.
Who: Experienced African professionals. Deadline: 20 Nov 2026.
5. Tarbell Fellowship 2027–28
US$75,000–120,000 (up to US$135,000 for senior fellows) for a year of AI journalism, including a nine-month newsroom placement.
Who: Journalists and AI experts, mainly with the right to work in the US, UK or Hong Kong. Deadline: 22 Nov 2026.
6. GovAI UK Summer Fellowship 2027
£14,000 plus travel for three months of AI governance research in London, with UK visa sponsorship.
Who: Researchers and policy professionals from any country. Deadline: 22 Nov 2026.
7. Internet Society Fellowship Program 2027
Up to US$5,000 for a project, plus mentorship and event travel.
Who: Open to all. Deadline: 22 Nov 2026.
8. IBCI Blue Carbon Fellowship 2027
One US$60,000 two-year fellowship from Conservation International’s Blue Carbon Institute.
Who: Experienced blue carbon scientists and practitioners; Africa is the priority this cycle. Deadline: 23 Nov 2026.
9. IREX Community Solutions Program 2027
A fully funded three-month practicum in the United States.
Who: Community leaders aged 27–39 from eligible countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda. Deadline: 24 Nov 2026.
10. Hurford Youth Fellows Program 2027
A funded four-month democracy fellowship in Washington, D.C., for up to three people.
Who: Democracy leaders aged 30 or under from any country. Deadline: 30 Nov 2026.
11. JIAS Writing Fellowships 2027
A two-month writing residency in Johannesburg with accommodation, meals and a monthly stipend.
Who: Writers and researchers from all countries and fields. Deadline: 30 Nov 2026.
12. MIT Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship 2027–28
Ten-month stipends of US$75,000–137,000 at MIT.
Who: Pre-docs, post-docs and junior faculty from anywhere in the world. Deadline: 30 Nov 2026.
13. Nieman-Berkman Klein Fellowship at Harvard 2027–28
A US$90,000 stipend over nine months at Harvard, on technology and the future of news.
Who: Journalists with 5+ years’ experience; international applicants close first. Deadline: 1 Dec 2026.
14. Harvard Environmental Fellows Program 2027
A two-year postdoc paying US$92,000 a year, with health insurance, relocation and travel allowances.
Who: Recent PhDs, including foreign nationals. Deadline: 1 Dec 2026.
15. Belfer Center Technology and Geopolitics Fellowship 2027–28
Up to about US$70,000 (pre-doctoral) or US$80,000 (post-doctoral) for AI and emerging-tech research at Harvard.
Who: Doctoral candidates and recent PhDs from any country. Deadline: 1 Dec 2026.
16. IQMR 2027 Fellowships for Researchers in Africa
Five funded places at a two-week qualitative methods institute at Syracuse University, with flights, lodging and meals.
Who: Researchers at African institutions. Deadline: 1 Dec 2026.
17. JSK Journalism Fellowships at Stanford 2027–28
A US$135,000 stipend for nine months at Stanford, plus tuition and health insurance.
Who: Journalists with 5+ years’ experience, from the US and around the world. Deadline: 2 Dec 2026.
18. MCW Global Young Leaders Fellowship 2027
A year-long fellowship with 10 days of training in New York and Vermont; flights, housing and meals covered.
Who: Ages 18–26 from any country. Deadline: 3 Dec 2026.
19. Obama Foundation Leaders Africa 2027–28
A free eight-month leadership programme for 35 changemakers (priority deadline 23 November).
Who: Changemakers aged 24–45 living in Africa. Deadline: 4 Dec 2026.
20. Mozilla Fellowship 2027–28
US$100,000–125,000 for 10 internet and technology changemakers (letter of intent).
Who: Technologists, researchers and builders worldwide. Deadline: 17 Dec 2026.
21. Global Burden of Disease Fellowship 2027 at IHME
A two-year postdoc in Seattle paying US$105,000 in year one, with visa sponsorship.
Who: Quantitative researchers from any country. Deadline: 21 Dec 2026.
22. FASPE Fellowship 2027
A fully funded two-week professional ethics fellowship in Berlin and Poland.
Who: Graduate students and early-career professionals of any nationality. Deadline: 3 Jan 2027.
23. NED Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowship 2027–28
A funded five-month fellowship in Washington, D.C.
Who: Democracy activists, journalists and scholars, with priority for developing democracies. Deadline: 5 Jan 2027.
24. Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity 2027–28
Full MSc tuition at LSE, a £23,000 stipend, travel and visa (residential track).
Who: Mid-career change-makers with 7+ years tackling inequality; Global South prioritised. Deadline: 11 Jan 2027.
25. CRASSH Cambridge Visiting Fellowships 2027–28
A funded term at Cambridge: flights, visa, college accommodation and £175 a week.
Who: Arts, humanities and social science academics from the Global South. Deadline: 22 Jan 2027.
Eligibility
- Each fellowship has its own rules on nationality, age, degree and experience. Open the guide before you start.
- For Africans: Sir Cyril Taylor, Mo Ibrahim, IQMR, Obama Foundation Leaders Africa and IREX (eligible countries only), with Africa the priority for IBCI.
- Open to any nationality: GovAI, Internet Society, Hurford, JIAS, MIT Stanton, Belfer, MCW, Mozilla, IHME, FASPE and the Harvard and Stanford journalism fellowships.
- Global South: CRASSH Cambridge and Atlantic Fellows (prioritised); NED Reagan-Fascell favours developing democracies.
- Tarbell is mainly for people who can already work in the US, UK or Hong Kong.
How to Stand Out
- Pick three. A strong application to a few fellowships beats a rushed one to ten.
- Ask referees now. Most fellowships need one or two letters, and December holidays slow everyone down.
- Show your track record. Name projects, publications, stories or communities you’ve led, with numbers.
- Check the time zone. US deadlines often close at midnight Eastern time, which is 6 am the next day in Lagos.
More Roundups
- Last Call: 20 Funded Opportunities Closing Before 1 December 2026
- 22 Fully Funded Scholarships for Africans Open Now (2027 Intake)
- 14 Paid Fellowships and Grants for People Shaping AI and the Internet
- 20 Funding Opportunities for Startup Founders Open Now (November 2026)
Want only the fellowships you qualify for? Get your free matches on the OpportunityLab Portal.
