Questions

There is a deadline of Jan 15 2018 for questions. Could you please explain what is due by the 15th and what is due by Feb 1? Many thanks! Maya

We placed a 1/15/18 deadline for the open question period. The application deadline remains COB 2/1/18.

Is it permissible to submit for a work sample an excerpt from a forthcoming book?

Yes, this is not a problem.

I am an academic and would like to submit as part of my work two samples of written work and a short video clip of the ideas, designed in collaboration with a multi-media artist. Is this sufficiently different from a TED talk to submit? I want my ideas to have an aesthetic reach as well as an intellectual one and it is part of my future impact strategy. Thank you

Unfortunately, the ability to submit videos is reserved for filmmakers only.

For the writing sample, do you want single or double-spaced pages?

Double-spaced pages are preferred when possible. Oftentimes PDF files of published work are included within the writing sample packet, and so exceptions can be made in light of submitting already published work.

Are there any formatting requirements (font type, font size, margins, etc.) for the resume and/or writing samples, in consideration of the page limits?

Please use your best judgment as you prepare your resume, though text under 10pt is not ideal. That said, we are not looking for an extremely detailed resume that outlines your entire writing/professional history, so please don't feel the need to fill the five-page limit.

The application asks for a list of any writing or reporting fellowships and grants received in the past 5 years. Does this include book advances and/or non-monetary writing awards?

No need to list book advances. Just writing/reporting fellowships; both paid and unpaid.

Is this Fellowship open to non-US citizens/international applicants?

Per our FAQ:

"Can I apply for the Fellows Program if I am not based in Washington, DC or am not a U.S. citizen?"

Yes! New America is headquartered in Washington, DC, but we also have an office in New York, San Francisco and a newly-opened office in Chicago that can serve as local hubs for fellows. That said, we welcome applications from those located outside of these metropolitan areas.

The important consideration is that no matter where you are based, we expect Fellows to be involved in the New America community. That may involve traveling to our various offices for events, attending or calling into our Fellows Program sessions, and otherwise being engaged in conversations we are having at New America.

We also consider applications from those who may be based abroad for all or part of the year. We generally look for those who have compelling reasons to be based abroad (e.g., we have current Fellows developing projects related to Russia and Syria, and we understand how important it is for them to do their reporting from those respective regions).

We also accept applications from non-U.S. citizens under the same considerations as above.

Is it OK to submit a writing sample that I co-wrote with another author?

Yes, your writing sample can include material co-written with another author.

Are novelists encouraged to apply if their fiction addresses broader issues of policy?

Yes. We have supported works of fiction, but, to your point, the project must address broader issues of policy.

Is it possible to apply as a group? More specifically, is it possible to apply as a pair of individuals who plan to work on the same project?

As answered on our FAQ page:

The short answer is yes, we do consider teams of two or more (co-authors or otherwise).

We also have supported individual members of pairs and larger teams in the past.

Although applying as a team would not disqualify you, especially if an outstanding project was proposed, it would raise funding concerns that single applicants usually do not. We will also note that only once have we funded two or more members of a project team in the past, but we've only had a handful of applicants who have applied as such.

If you would like to apply as a team, we suggest that one of you apply and explain what kind of team arrangement you would like to have—if you would be co-Fellows, one Fellow and an outside collaborator, etc.—either in the statement of interest or in a separate addendum.

Would you accept/encourage applications from current doctoral students working on dissertation research that speaks to the themes New America is committed to, and which they plan to publish as a book?

Thank you for your interest in the New America Fellows Program and for your question.

The short answer is yes, you're welcome to apply to the program as a doctoral student. That said, if awarded a fellowship, we would fund the individual and not the institution. Further, as added advice, please be very specific in your statement of interest in explaining the mechanics of how you would publish your dissertation into a book, else, it will be very challenging for the committee to support a project that is both very narrow in its focus as well as in its dissemination.