PRRI Public Fellows Open Call 2026-2027

Open Call for Fellows
PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute)

*The application deadline is 11:59 PM Eastern on Friday, June 19, 2026.* 

PRRI is announcing an opportunity to join a diverse cohort of 9 non-residential Public Fellows who are engaged in public scholarship at the intersection of religion, culture, and politics.

PRRI Public Fellows will work alongside the organization’s research and communications staff during the 2026-2027 academic year (September to July). This 11-month fellowship includes a stipend, support for a course release during the spring semester, and access to microgrants to support collaborative research. The fellowship will benefit scholars who want to shape their work for broader public consumption, receive communications support for placing public-facing work in top-tier media outlets, and integrate quantitative data into their research and teaching. Successful fellows will be eligible to apply for a one-time renewal at the end of the program year; however, renewal is not guaranteed.

The organization is seeking applicants whose research agendas align with one of three principal vectors of PRRI’s ongoing work: 1) Pluralism and Democracy; 2) Immigration and American Society; and 3) LGBTQ Rights and Gender Politics. 

The ideal candidates are mid-career scholars (three to twelve years out from earning a terminal degree) who have an aptitude and track record of socially engaged or public scholarship. PRRI is seeking a diverse cohort in terms of academic disciplines (humanities, humanistic social sciences, and empirical social sciences, including sociology, religious studies, political science, history, ethnic studies, American studies, and literary studies); research methods (qualitative and mixed methods); types of institutions (college, university, seminary, or a research institute housed within an academic institution); and geographic location. Humanities scholars are strongly encouraged to apply. Additionally, PRRI encourages applications from women, people of color, and other members of underrepresented groups who will contribute to the diversity of the cohort.

Meet the current class of PRRI Public Fellows here. 

Fellowship Benefits

PRRI Public Fellows in the 2026-2027 cohort will receive the following: 

• An 11-month fellowship with a cohort of 9 diverse scholars; 


• Fellowship stipend of $5,000;


• Course release funds up to $10,000 for the Spring 2027 semester; 


• Access to annual microgrants of up to $10,000 in each area of PRRI’s work for new interdisciplinary scholarly projects within the cohort;


• Virtual monthly meetings and quarterly trainings/workshops;


• A Spring 2027 in-person convening in Washington, D.C., with travel expenses paid by PRRI. During the convening, fellows will meet with writers from major media outlets, receive media training, and dialogue with experts in writing for trade, crossover, and non-academic books;


• Advance access to PRRI data and archives;


• Collaborative work with PRRI’s research and communications teams;


• For fellows from primarily qualitative and humanities backgrounds, PRRI will provide training, support, and advice on how to connect public-opinion survey research to their field of expertise

Application Requirements:

Applicants for the PRRI Public Fellows program must meet the following requirements:

• Fellows must have a Ph.D. or comparable terminal degree plus a formal affiliation with an accredited college, university, seminary, or research institute in the United States; 


• Fellows must have earned their terminal degree at least three years ago and no more than 12 years ago; 


• Fellows should have demonstrable academic expertise in at least one of the following key areas of PRRI’s work (Pluralism and Democracy; Immigration and American Society; and LGBTQ Rights and Gender Politics);


• Fellows must be authorized to work in the United States

Application Process: 

To apply for a fellowship, please complete and submit the form below. The application includes:

• Statement of Interest (Cover Letter): In 800 words or less, explain your interest in pursuing this fellowship opportunity and your professional development goals in public scholarship.


• Current curriculum vitae


• Work samples (3): Please provide links to and PDF copies of three articles, op-eds, or blogs published within the last three years, preferably in publications or sites aimed at the general public. These samples should be your best recent work.

The application deadline is 11:59 PM Eastern on Friday, June 19, 2026.  For questions, please contact PRRI at [email protected]