2026 Echidna Global Scholars Visiting Fellowship

If you’re a mid-career leader from the Global South passionate about advancing gender-transformative education, the 2026 Echidna Global Scholars Visiting Fellowship at Brookings offers a powerful platform. The application window is now open — apply by December 15, 2025.

Below is a full guide to help you understand and apply for this opportunity.

📌 Fellowship Summary

• Location: Washington, D.C. (residency); work in home country during pre- and post phases

• Host institution: Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution

• Program level: Visiting fellowship / research + policy + leadership

• Target group: Mid-career professionals from the Global South with experience in education, gender, development

• Focus areas: Gender & global education, evidence-based policy, educational equity, girls/young women/gender nonconforming people

• Coverage: Fully funded support including stipend, housing, travel, visa, health insurance (see details below)

• Duration: 6 months (pre-residency + residency) plus 2 years of post-residency support

• Application deadline: December 15, 2025

• Start date: Around mid year (typically June) for pre-residency → residency follows

  
  

🧭 Fellowship Structure & Activities

The fellowship unfolds in three phases, combining local research, embedded residence at Brookings, and long-term support for impact.

1. Pre-residency (in home country)

   • Scholars begin data collection, analysis, and groundwork for their research project.

   • Virtual workshops, advisory sessions, peer group meetings, and leadership orientation begin.

   • Scholars also begin to craft their impact strategy, engaging local stakeholders to ensure relevance and buy-in.

2. Residency (Washington, D.C.)

   • Scholars work full-time on completing their research, writing policy recommendations, and preparing dissemination plans.

   • They receive structured leadership training, capacity building, and guidance to maximize policy influence.

   • Networking and visibility: scholars engage in Brookings convenings, public events, and collaborate with policy audiences.

   • The residency culminates in a virtual symposium on gender equality in education, where scholars share findings and policy insights.

3. Post-residency (in home country, for 2 years)

   • Alumni receive ongoing support (strategic advisement, group meetings, leadership development) to implement their impact plans locally.

   • Engagement in the Echidna Alumni Network, the Echidna Scholar Collaborative Research & Impact Fund, and Global Scholar Dialogue series ensures sustained collaboration and influence.

🎁 Fellowship Benefits

The Echidna fellowship is fully funded, ensuring scholars can focus on research and impact without financial barriers. Key benefits include:

• Stipend: ~$25,000 USD to support living costs during pre-residency and residency periods (subject to U.S. tax rules)

• Travel: Round-trip airfare to Washington, D.C.

• Accommodation: Single-occupancy housing during the residency period

• Visa & moving costs: Covered visa processing expenses

• Health insurance: Limited health coverage during the residency period

• Access & visibility: Platforms to publish and disseminate research through Brookings, attend events, and expand networks of influence.

• Ongoing support: Post-fellowship strategic, advisory, and network resources to scale impact over time.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To be competitive for this fellowship, applicants must meet these conditions:

• Mid-career experience (10+ years) in research, academia, NGOs, civil society, government, or international development settings.

• Master’s degree or higher in education, public policy, economics, gender studies, social sciences, or a related field.

• Strong ties to the Global South and a clear commitment to returning and contributing to one’s country or region.

• Expertise or demonstrated experience in education development, gender, and related challenges.

• Leadership and collaboration skills, openness to feedback, adaptability, and willingness to learn rapidly.

• Proficiency in English (written and spoken) is required.

In addition to standard application materials, all applicants must submit:

• A cover letter

• A CV / resume

• A written questionnaire

• A 3–5 page research proposal focusing on interventions or questions that can advance evidence and practice for girls, young women, or gender nonconforming populations in education.

(Note: Letters of recommendation, transcripts, or writing samples are typically not required initially. )

📝 Application Procedure & Tips

1. Mark the deadline — submit by December 15, 2025 via the Brookings/CUE application portal.

2. Attend the virtual info session — a session is scheduled (for example, October 22 at 8:00 a.m. EDT) to clarify requirements and answer questions.

3. Develop a compelling proposal

   • Focus on relevant local challenges in gender & education

   • Include clear research questions, methodology, feasibility, and potential for policy impact

   • Show how your work will advance equity and learning outcomes for girls / gender nonconforming individuals

   • Engage and mention local stakeholders or institutions in your plan

4. Articulate your impact strategy — how will findings lead to change? Who are the decision-makers? What are the pathways to influence?

5. Highlight your experience and commitment — show evidence of past work, connections to education, gender, development, and local context.

6. Review and polish — ensure clarity, coherence, alignment with the fellowship’s objectives, and clarity on deliverables / feasibility.

7. Submit on time — no late or incomplete applications will be considered. Apply here

💡 Why This Fellowship Matters

The Echidna Global Scholars Visiting Fellowship is more than just a research award — it is a capacity-building, network-expanding, influence-enhancing opportunity. Scholars become part of a vibrant alumni ecosystem driving sustained change in education and gender equity across the Global South. The combination of research, leadership development, visibility, and long-term support makes it uniquely positioned to convert scholarship into real-world impact.