To apply for the Embedded Scholars fellowship in democratic institutional development, please follow the steps below.
Eligibility
This fellowship is open to all undergraduate and graduate students of any major at UT Austin. Students must have a GPA of at least 3.5 and a demonstrated interest in democracy and/or the region for which they are applying. Students must be able to take a 3-hour course in Spring 2026 to prepare for their fieldwork.
Students applying for internships in Latin America must be proficient in Spanish, as the working language of hosting organizations in Latin America is Spanish. Students applying for internships in the Balkans, Eurasia, and Europe must be proficient in English, as the working language of hosting organizations in those regions is English.
Deadline
The deadline to apply for the 2026 summer fellowship is November 1, 2025.
Process
Step 1: Review the Embedded Scholars website and eligibility requirements. Contact program directors Zachary Elkins and Ashley Moran with any questions about the program.
Step 2: Email the following materials in a single pdf file to Cat McGovern, Zachary Elkins, and Ashley Moran (copy all): a resume and a one-page statement of interest explaining your qualifications and plan for internship preparation. Students are encouraged to submit their statement of interest to the University Writing Center for feedback before submitting their application.
Step 3: Applicants are required to submit two letters of recommendation: (a) one professional letter of recommendation and (b) one academic letter of recommendation (this can be from anyone who has taught you at the university level, including faculty and teaching assistants). For students applying to the internships in Latin America, one of these recommendation letters must describe the applicant’s proficiency in Spanish.
Recommenders should email their recommendation letters directly to Cat McGovern, Zachary Elkins, and Ashley Moran (copy all).
Step 4: Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements will be invited to an interview.
Step 5: Accepted applicants will need to register for the 3-hour spring course and work with Cat McGovern at Texas Global to complete travel paperwork.
Some Informal Advice
This program is more than a traditional academic program, as students intern full-time at our partner organizations and interact with leaders across government and civil society. As such, students’ professionalism and interpersonal skills are as important as their academic records. Applicants’ interactions with us are a key indication of how successfully they will interact with our partners in the field which is, in turn, a reflection on us and the university.
Applicants’ interactions with us—from emails to interviews—are thus an opportunity for them to demonstrate the strong interpersonal skills needed for this work in the field. Professional and timely emails, proactive communication, and a high level of preparation are essential. We recommend that applicants’ review these or other resources on professional etiquette and professional communication. We look forward to talking with you!
More Information
Prior fellows’ blogs are a great source of information on the variety of projects and experiences fellows have in the field.
For more information, see the program page and the 2026 Embedded Scholars Balkans and Eurasia flyer and 2026 Embedded Scholars Latin America flyer.
Feel free to contact the program directors Zachary Elkins and Ashley Moran with any questions.