2025 Stanford in Government Fellowships (National Security, Early Deadline)
Stanford in Government (SIG) is a nonpartisan, student-run organization dedicated to promoting political awareness, providing public service opportunities and fellowships, and assisting students in their search for quality experiences in the public policy arena. SIG's Fellowships Program provides highly qualified, ambitious students with meaningful exposure to the public policy process through a number of paid summer fellowships pre-arranged by SIG. These are offered in government and nonprofit agencies locally in the Bay Area, Sacramento, Washington, D.C., and internationally.
The main deadline for SIG fellowships and stipends is February 4th, 2025. The early deadline is for a select few national security positions, with lengthy security clearance processes. The available positions for the early deadline are:
- U.S. Commercial Service
- U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM)
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Note that students are eligible to apply both for the early deadline and the regular deadline.
Fellowships and stipends require a commitment of at least nine weeks of full-time work during the summer and provide students with stipends of at least $7,000 to cover most of the essential costs associated with an unpaid service experience. Financial aid and supplemental funding is available to students who qualify. For more information visit: Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility:
- Students must be enrolled for winter and spring quarters of this year and be in good academic standing to be eligible for a fellowship.
Undergraduates from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and applicants may vary in academic interests, public service involvement, and experience. SIG only accepts applications from students who will be enrolled as undergraduates for the following academic year, so graduating seniors cannot apply. The one exception to this rule is that seniors who will be working toward a co-term degree during the following academic year are allowed to apply.
Note: Students are only eligible for one Stanford-funded full-time experiential learning opportunity during the summer.
Requirements:
Fellows are required to work at least 35 hours/week for nine consecutive weeks at their placements. Fellows are expected to have a designated full-time professional staff member as their supervisor/mentor. Selected SIG Fellows are expected to begin their fellowship following the completion of spring quarter classes and no later than July 7, 2025. Please review the entire FAQs section for program policies. Other commitments include the following:
Prior to the fellowship:
- Complete an online orientation.
- Attend the Engaging in Ethical and Effective Service workshop and/or worksheet.
- Meet with academic mentor at least once.
- Design a personal learning plan and share the plan with site supervisor and academic mentor.
- Students participating in an international service project must complete the Haas Center's international preparation requirements.
- Complete all required pre-orientation forms
During the quarter of the fellowship:
- Submit a brief preliminary report.
- Submit a final report, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with fellowship donor(s) as requested by fellowships program staff.
During the quarter after the fellowship
- Meet with academic mentor at least once.
- Participate in outreach activities to share your experiences and help publicize the program.
Selection Process:
Complete applications are screened, finalists interviewed, and fellows selected by a committee with the intention to award fellowships within six weeks of the application deadline. Applicants should respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to a fellowship offer, or the offer will be rescinded. Once an applicant accepts a fellowship offer, the student should promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied that they have accepted another offer and to withdraw their candidacy.
