1. Early-career scholars will be appointed at the rank of Visiting Research Scholar. Eligible are scholars who received their Ph.D. or equivalent generally no earlier than September 1, 2016 and no later than September 1, 2023. 
2. Early-career applicants must hold a faculty appointment, a professional research appointment, or be established independent scholars outside the United States at the time of application, to which they are expected to return at the conclusion of the fellowship.
3. Fellowships will be awarded to candidates who have already demonstrated outstanding scholarly achievement and exhibit unusual intellectual promise but are still at the beginning of their careers. Criteria for the fellowship include the strength of the candidate’s research projects, the relationship of those projects to the program’s theme, the candidate’s previous scholarly work, the candidate’s ability to contribute to the intellectual life and intellectual exchange of the program, and the candidate’s work experience outside the United States. The selection committee is looking to establish a cohort of fellows whose work represents diverse analytical approaches and disciplinary backgrounds and addresses a wide variety of regions.
4. Princeton University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. To maximize excellence, we seek talent from all segments of American society and the World, and we take steps to ensure everyone at Princeton can thrive while they are here. That is the sole rationale and purpose of our diversity and inclusion programs, all of which are voluntary and open to all, and which comply with federal and state non-discrimination laws. Princeton does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, disability, or any other protected characteristic, and Princeton does not provide special benefits or preferential treatment on the basis of a protected characteristic. 

The following items must be submitted by the applicant, in English, by November 15, 2025 (11:59 p.m. ET):

• Applicants must apply online.
• Cover letter (1.5 pages maximum)
• Curriculum Vitae (including publications)
• Research proposal (maximum of 3 pages, single spaced)
• One writing sample (article or book chapter, maximum of 50 pages)
• For those applicants with a faculty appointment or a professional research appointment, an official letter from the applicant’s current employer affirming that, should an offer be made, the applicant would be permitted to accept it and to spend the academic year at Princeton University.  If an independent scholar, then a note stating this status must be uploaded.
• The names and email addresses for three referees, who will be contacted automatically by the online application system with an invitation to upload their letter of recommendation to the system by the application deadline.
  **Please note: all letters of reference should be submitted by your referees before the November 15, 2025 deadline**

Applicants must apply online. Applications are due on November 15, 2025 (11:59 p.m. EST).

Only applications submitted through Princeton University’s online portal will be considered. The Fung Global Fellows Program cannot accept mailed, faxed, or emailed applications.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that all requested materials are submitted with the online application by the stated deadline. The online application portal will not be accessible after the deadline. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

Yes. We recommend that applicants, as a courtesy to their referees, submit their application form early enough to give the referees sufficient time to upload their recommendations to the online portal by the application deadline.

The three referees submitted will be contacted automatically via the email provided by the applicant with a link and instructions to upload their reference letters to the online portal once the applicant submits their application. 

Please note: it generally takes up to 48 hours  after your application falls out of the system’s editing grace period for referees to receive the automated email from the online system. This means it can be up to 5 days before referees will receive the automated email. Please do not contact the administrator - we will reach out to you if there is an issue with your letters of reference.

Include only the requested items; supplementary materials such as additional recommendations or publications will not be taken into consideration.

Candidates will be contacted in approximately early-to-mid February 2026.

Applications will be reviewed by the director of the Fung Global Fellows Program and a search committee.

Please address your cover letter to: “Dear Search Committee”

All application materials and the selection committee’s evaluations remain confidential. The committee will not provide feedback on individual applications.