Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law is inviting applications for its 2027-28 Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowships.
About the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law
The Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) is a research centre of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. The Center works across four program areas of democracy, development, evaluating the efficacy of democracy promotion, and rule of law, and engages in research, undergraduate and graduate education, policy labs and training programmes. Its goal is to provide an intellectually dynamic environment that fosters lively exchange among Center members and helps everyone to do excellent scholarship.
About the Opportunity
The Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law welcomes applications from pre-doctoral students at the write-up stage and from post-doctoral scholars working in any of the four program areas of democracy, development, evaluating the efficacy of democracy promotion, and rule of law. The application cycle for the 2027-2028 academic year will be open from Monday, September 21, 2026, through Monday, November 30, 2026.
Fellows will spend the academic year at Stanford University focusing on research and data analysis as they work to finalize and publish their dissertation research, while connecting with resident faculty and research staff at CDDRL.
Eligibility Criteria
- Pre-doctoral fellows must be currently enrolled in a doctoral programme or equivalent through the time of intended residency at Stanford and must be at the dissertation write-up (post-coursework) phase of their doctoral programme.
- Post-doctoral fellows must have earned their Ph.D. within 3 years of the start of the fellowship, or plan to have successfully defended their Ph.D. dissertations by July 31, 2027.
Named Fellowships
Gerhard Casper Fellow in Rule of Law
CDDRL welcomes research on any aspect of rule of law, including judicial politics, criminal justice, and the politicization of judicial institutions. The Center is interdisciplinary, and candidates from any relevant field, including the social sciences and law, are welcome to apply. This is a 9-month, residential fellowship, and the Gerhard Casper Fellow will be part of CDDRL’s larger cohort of pre- and postdoctoral fellows. Applicants must apply through the CDDRL fellowship application process and indicate that they would like to be considered for the fellowship.
Jan Koum Israel Studies Program Fellow
CDDRL welcomes research on any aspect of modern Israel, including Israeli politics, constitutionalism, economics, society, diplomacy, and international affairs. Candidates from any relevant field, including the social sciences and law, are welcome to apply. This is a 9-month, residential fellowship, and the Jan Koum Israel Studies Program Fellow will be part of CDDRL’s larger cohort of pre- and postdoctoral fellows. Applicants must apply through the regular CDDRL fellowship application process and indicate that they would like to be considered for the fellowship.
Important Dates
- Application cycle opens: September 21, 2026
- Application deadline: November 30, 2026
Contact
For general inquiries, candidates may reach the Center on 650-723-4581. The Center is located at Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-6055.
Application Procedure
Interested candidates may apply through the CDDRL fellowship application process.
The application deadline is November 30, 2026.
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