James H. Billington Fellowship Grant

Funder: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (The Wilson Center)

The James H. Billington Fellowship, offered by the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, invites recent Ph.D. graduates to conduct research on Russian history and culture. Billington, the fellowship provides a $5,000 monthly stipend and access to prestigious research facilities. While in residence in Washington, D.C., fellows engage with key experts, participate in discussions, and contribute to the academic community, fostering dialogue on crucial policy issues.

NOTE: The Kennan Institute is suspending the 2025 Billington Fellowship competition until further notice. Updates will be made as they become available.
About the Wilson Center
Chartered by Congress, the Wilson Center provides nonpartisan counsel and insights on global affairs to policymakers through deep research, impartial analysis, and independent scholarship.
In 2019, the Wilson Center was named the #1 regional studies think tank in the world.
The Kennan Institute seeks applications from scholars who have received their Ph.D. within the past 10 years for the James H. Billington Fellowship to conduct research on Russian history and culture. The Billington Fellowship was established in 2016 in tribute to the co-founder of the Kennan Institute, former Director of the Wilson Center, and former Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington. Dr. He was not only the author of The Icon and the Axe (1966), Fire in the Minds of Men (1980), and Russia in Search of Itself (2004), among other seminal works; he was the visionary behind the Open World Leadership Center, which has facilitated the travel of over 24,000 individuals from Eurasia to the United States to meet with members of Congress and visit across the United States.
The Billington Fellow will be based at the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute in Washington, D.C. for a nine-month term (one academic year). Fellows will receive access to the Library of Congress, National Archives, and policy research centers in Washington, D.C., as well as the opportunity to meet with key experts and officials at the State Department, USAID, Department of Defense, and Congress. While conducting research, the Billington Fellow will be expected to actively participate in discussions with the policy and academic communities. These discussions can be in the form of speaking engagements at the Wilson Center and potentially outside of Washington D.C., as well as attending meetings, conferences, and other activities organized by the Kennan Institute and the Wilson Center. Upon completion of the fellowship, the Billington Fellow will join our growing list of alumni, for whom the Kennan Institute will continue to offer opportunities for collaboration and engagement.
Funding
The Billington Fellowship offers a monthly stipend of $5,000, research facilities, a research intern, and computer access.

Eligibility

Applicants for the Billington Fellowship must hold a Ph.D. awarded within the past 10 years.Fellows are required to be in residence at the Kennan Institute, Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. for the duration of the grant.There is no citizenship restriction on this grant.Non-U.S. applicants must be eligible to obtain a J-1 exchange visitor visa.