NATO Defense College Fellowships 2026-2027 (Fully Funded)

Great news! Applications for the NATO Defense College Fellowship are now open. In this article, we provide full details about this fellowship program, its financial coverage, and the step-by-step application procedure.

The NATO Defense College Fellowship 2026-2027 is a fully funded research award for international scholars. The fellowship provides a stipend to cover living costs in Rome as well as travel expenses.

This fellowship is available for international candidates to pursue research studies in Italy. Each year, the NATO Defense College offers eight fellowships focusing on NATO and partner-related defense and security policy research.

The primary aim is to promote academic study and policy analysis in fields of relevance to NATO Member States, and to countries engaged through the Partnership for Peace (PfP), Mediterranean Dialogue (MD), and Other Military Cooperation (OMC)/Partners Across the Globe (PAG) initiatives. Since its launch in 1993, the program has awarded 109 fellowships up to 2017.

The NATO Defense College’s mission is to conduct advanced academic research and to further the broader objectives of the Alliance.

Its overarching goal is to support policy studies of significance to NATO Members and partner countries within the PfP, MD, OMC, and PAG frameworks.

The Resident Fellowship Programme pursues specific objectives such as:

• contributing to the Research Directorate’s agenda by addressing NATO-related themes;
• advancing research on NATO priorities in both member and partner states;
• providing fellows with exposure to NATO’s academic and professional environment;
• strengthening understanding of NATO’s role among member and partner nations;
• delivering lectures to the Senior Course (SC) and NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC), as required;
• supporting NATO Defense College educational programs;
• and fostering the next generation of scholars in NATO-focused studies.

Scholarship Summary

• Level of Study: Research
• Institution(s): NATO Defense College (NDC)
• Study in: Italy
• Opportunity Focus Areas:
  – PhD Candidate Eisenhower Fellowship
  – Early-Career Nuclear Strategists Workshop (ECNSW)
  – Annual Future Leaders’ Conference (AFLC)
• Program Period: From 3 to 5 months
• Number of Scholarships: Eight fellowships each year
• Deadline: May 2026 (23:59 CET) (Applications for Fellowships are closed until 1 April 2027)

Scholarship Coverage

NATO Defense College Fellowships provide the recipients with below benefits:

• Each Fellow will receive a stipend to cover the costs of his/her stay in Rome and his/her travel expenses.

Eligibility Criteria for NATO Defense College Fellowships

To be eligible for NATO Defense College Fellowships, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Required Languages:
  • A very good level of English language proficiency is required.
  • Knowledge of French and/or Italian would also be of benefit but is not essential.
• Eligible Countries: NATO Member States, as well as countries that are part of the Partnership for Peace (PfP), Mediterranean Dialogue (MD), and Other Military Cooperation (OMC) / Partners Across the Globe (PAG) frameworks.
• Candidates must have a good working knowledge of English or French and be computer literate.
• English Language Requirements: A very good level of English language proficiency is required. Knowledge of French and/or Italian would also be of benefit but is not essential

How to Apply for NATO Defense College Research Fellowships?

Please follow the instructions to avail this scholarship.

1. Fill out the online application.
2. Send separately in a single PDF file a CV, ID (Passport or national ID), and a short biography to the following email address: [email protected]

Website

To learn more about NATO Defense College Fellowships, please visit the official website:

Official Website