Date April 3, 2019
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With $1M Carnegie Corporation grant, Watson Institute to launch military fellows program

The grant will bring up to eight military fellows to Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs over the next two years.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The Carnegie Corporation of New York has awarded $1 million to Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs to establish a military fellows program.

The 24-month program, which will open in September 2019, will bring to Brown up to eight mid-level military officers from across the country who plan to serve in policy-related positions later in their careers.

Two cohorts of fellows will each spend a year auditing graduate-level courses, engaging in security-related seminars and participating in a security research working group with faculty and students. Each fellow will cap off the yearlong experience with a written policy analysis focused on a security issue of their choice.

According to Ed Steinfeld, director of the Watson Institute, the program presents a key opportunity to build bridges between the U.S. military and the academic world.

“For scholars, a key part of developing sound security-related research involves engaging directly with military personnel who have firsthand experience in challenging security environments,” Steinfeld said. “And for the Brown community as a whole, it’s important to better understand this aspect of public service.”

The Watson Institute plans to issue a call for applications to the fellows program later this spring. The first cohort of fellows will start at Brown in September.