PIPS Research Fellowships

The Project on International Peace & Security is taking a programmatic pause until the 2027-2028 academic year. The deadline for research fellowship applications for 2027-2028 is TBA.

PIPS is looking for juniors and seniors who are interested in conducting policy-relevant work in the area of international security. Successful applications for PIPS fellowships have outstanding writing skills, excellent analytical ability, the capacity to conduct independent research, superb time management, self-motivation, and responsibility. The application guidelines can be viewed here.

Students who receive a PIPS fellowship will:

Write a policy white paper and executive summary on a topic related to international peace and security. PIPS students have written white papers on wide variety of topics, such as: biofuels, climate change, counterinsurgency, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, crypto-currencies, foreign aid, international development, public diplomacy, military affairs, sovereign wealth funds, and U.S. grand strategy. To learn more about previous paper topics, see White Papers section of the website;
Interact with members of the policy community visiting William and Mary or through travel to Washington, D.C;
Supervise a freshman or sophomore research intern during spring semester;
Present their work to policy analysts and officials at a variety of venues in Washington, D.C. at the end of the academic year policy retreat;
Have the opportunity to earn academic credit during the spring semester for their PIPS project; and
Receive support in preparing and submitting PIPS projects for publication or presentation at academic conferences.

Students who receive a PIPS fellowship are required to:

Attend weekly PIPS meetings every Friday from 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Pass a series of progress evaluations before being permitted to present his or her work in Washington, D.C.

Working with PIPS

The estimated work load for PIPS Fellows is:
Fall Semester: 5-10 hours per week
Spring Semester: 10-15 hours per week

For more insights into the program, visit the Student Endorsements page of this website. We also encourage you to contact former fellows.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply for a PIPS fellowship, students must:

Have a minimum 3.7 cumulative GPA
Have completed one of the following courses: GOVT 204: Introduction to International Politics; HIST 192: Global History Since 1500; or SOCL 205: Global Social Problems
Be a rising junior or senior
Be a full time William & Mary undergraduate student during the 2024 academic year
Students cannot participate in the program if they will be away for study abroad during the fall or spring semesters.

Preference will be given to applicants who:

Have also completed GOVT 329: International Security or GOVT 328: International Political Economy
Can demonstrate a strong prior interest in international relations (e.g., by having taken courses on international relations, foreign policy, completed classes on regions of strategic interest to the United States, and/or completed internships in fields related to the study and practice of IR, etc.)
Can demonstrate strong knowledge of current events in international relations.