Named in honor of NED’s principal founders, former president Ronald Reagan and the late congressman Dante Fascell, the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program is funded by the U.S. Congress to enable democratic practitioners, scholars, and journalists from around the world to deepen their understanding of democracy and enhance their ability to promote democratic change.
Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows maintain full-time residence at the International Forum for Democratic Studies, NED’s research arm located in Washington, D.C. Dedicated to international exchange, the program offers a collegial environment for fellows to reflect on their experiences and consider lessons learned; conduct research and writing; develop contacts and exchange ideas with counterparts in Washington, D.C.; and build ties that contribute to the development of a global network of democracy advocates.
Recognizing the importance of intellectual contributions to the theory and practice of democracy, the program offers a scholarly track principally for professors and researchers from emerging and aspiring democracies. Accomplished scholars from established democracies are also eligible to apply. Applicants are expected to possess a Ph.D., or academic equivalent, at the time of application, and to have developed a rigorous research outline. During their stay at the Forum, scholars make at least one formal presentation and complete a substantial piece of writing (a monograph or book) for publication.