Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program on Democracy and Development 2025 at Stanford University: (Deadline 16 January, 2025)

Applications are open for the Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program on Democracy and Development 2025 at Stanford University. The Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program on Democracy and Development is a training program hosted annually by Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI).

Launched in 2005 and formerly known as the Draper Hills Summer Fellows Program, the program brings together a group of approximately 28-30 mid-career practitioners from transitioning countries who are working to advance democratic practices and economic and legal reform in contexts where freedom, human development, and good governance are fragile or at risk. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, the program participants are selected from among hundreds of applicants every year for the significant contributions they have already made to their societies and their potential to make an even greater impact with some help from Stanford.

Costs

• Stanford asks all applicants to be prepared to contribute towards the cost of their participation in the fellowship if they are selected. Typically, this comes in the form of a fellow covering round-trip airfare to the Program. Stanford will pay for accommodations, meals, and transportation costs for the duration of the Program. In the past, some fellows have asked their employers to subsidize their travel to Stanford based on the benefits that the training will contribute to their professional and organizational advancement. Fellows may also choose to fundraise for these costs after selection decisions are issued in April 2025.
• A small travel fund is available for fellows who cannot afford their travel or need to apply for a partial subsidy. Priority for accessing the travel fund will be given based on need and destinations from which airline fares to California are exorbitant.

Eligibility

• Open to mid-career practitioners working actively in the fields of democracy, development, and the rule of law.
• Applicants can be working as policy-makers, academics, legal professionals, social entrepreneurs, business entrepreneurs, and leaders of civil society organizations (such as representatives of trade unions, nongovernmental organizations, the media, business and professional associations).
• Candidates must be at least 28 years of age at the start of the fellowship in July 2025. The average age of our fellows at the time of the program is 38.
• In their present capacity, applicants should play important and influential roles in their country’s political, economic, and social development. 
• Participants should have demonstrated professional and personal achievements in a relevant sector of democracy, development, and the rule of law.
• A working knowledge of English is an important prerequisite for participation in the program. Each fellow is expected to have a solid command of written and spoken English to fully benefit from and participate in the program. 

Application

The application contains the following sections:

• Applicant Information
• Academics & Career Information
• Resume/CV
• Essay Questions
• English Language Proficiency
• Video Submission
• Financial Information
• Personal Certification
• References/Letters of Recommendation

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Fisher Family Summer Fellows Program.