The O’Brien Notre Dame International Security Center Hans J. Morgenthau Fellowship
The O’Brien Notre Dame International Security Center Hans J. Morgenthau Fellowship is now taking applications. Deadline to apply is April 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
The O’Brien Notre Dame International Security Center (ONDISC) invites applications for its seventh cohort of Hans J. Morgenthau Fellows. In the spirit of Morgenthau, a deep thinker about international relations and an engaged participant in debates about American foreign policy, ONDISC seeks to help the next generation of scholars think more about grand strategy in its larger conceptual and historical context.
Over the course of the fellowship year, Fellows will discuss the burgeoning literature on U.S. grand strategy, become part of the broader network of junior and senior scholars engaged with these topics, and hone their teaching skills. Successful applicants need not have any particular view of the optimal grand strategy – just a willingness to discuss the topic seriously and debate the alternatives civilly.
The Fellowship will be directed by professors Michael Desch and Eugene Gholz. The Fellowship lasts one year and is non-residential.
Fellows contribute to the program’s mission by participating in three in-person events throughout the year. They will begin with an intensive week-long seminar, reading foundational texts and debating critical issues in contemporary grand strategy at the University of Notre Dame (early August 2026). Fellows will then embark on a week-long international study trip, where we will combine seminar discussions of strategy with walking the terrain and learning how history, geography, tactics, and strategy intersect (early June 2027). The fellowship will conclude with a workshop where Fellows will start to plan and practice an approach to teaching a course about grand strategy (late July 2027).
In addition to the three in-person events, fellows will also convene roughly once a month for virtual speaker and seminar events over the fellowship year.
The Fellowship includes travel expenses and accommodations during in-person activities.
Who Should Apply?
The fellowship is open to doctoral candidates or postdoctoral fellows in political science, international relations, global affairs, public policy, history, and allied fields, but we will consider applications from candidates at other levels. The Fellowship is open to candidates in the U.S. or around the world.
We particularly welcome applications from individuals of backgrounds not widely represented in foreign policy discussions.
Qualifications
Ideally, applicants will be ABD doctoral candidates in political science, international relations, global affairs, public policy, history, and allied fields. However, we will also consider applications from exceptional candidates at other levels. We welcome applications from individuals of backgrounds not widely represented in foreign policy discussions.
Application Instructions
Applicants should submit a 1-page cover letter explaining their interest in the program, a CV, and a letter of recommendation through Interfolio by April 24, 2026.
Please direct any questions to Eugene Gholz (egholz@nd.edu) and Jenna Gibson, assistant director of ONDISC (jgibson6@nd.edu).