The Kroc Institute Visiting Research Fellows Program 2027 at the University of Notre Dame hosts scholars who hold a doctorate or equivalent for one semester or a full academic year. Fellows receive a $30,000 stipend per semester and free furnished housing. Applications for 2027-28 are due November 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
One thing trips people up. Plenty of applicants search for this program as a scholarship, but it works like a paid research residency. The official application page lists no tuition fee, because fellows are visiting scholars rather than degree students. You apply with a research proposal, not an admission file.
If that sounds like your situation, this guide covers eligibility, subjects, benefits, working hours and payment, documents, the Interfolio application, and the questions the official pages leave open. Where a fact is missing from the source, it says so instead of guessing.
- What Is the Kroc Institute Visiting Research Fellows Program 2027?
- Who Is Eligible to Apply?
- Available Subjects: Which Research Themes Count?
- What Benefits Does the Kroc Fellowship Include?
- What Are the Working Hours and Payment Terms?
- Which Documents Are Required?
- How Do You Apply? Application Procedure Step by Step
- When Is the Application Deadline?
- How Are Visiting Fellows Selected?
- What Mistakes Should You Avoid?
- Is This Fellowship Right for You? Decision Checklist
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Verification Note
- Official Sources
- Disclaimer
What Is the Kroc Institute Visiting Research Fellows Program 2027?
The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame invites scholars to spend a semester or a full academic year on campus in Indiana, working on peace research. Fellows pursue their own project while connecting it to the Institute's existing research. The 2027-28 round closes November 30, 2026.
Terms start in August or January and run for one semester or a full year, depending on the applicant's preference and available funding, according to the official application page. The Institute describes the program as one that brings outstanding scholars focused on peace research to Notre Dame each year.
"Visiting fellows will receive a stipend of $30,000 per semester."
Source: Kroc Institute application page
Quick Facts
Kroc Institute Visiting Research Fellows Program 2027: key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Program | Kroc Institute Visiting Research Fellows Program, 2027-28 cycle |
| Host | Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame |
| Level | Doctoral degree or equivalent, completed before the fellowship begins |
| Funding | Partial: $30,000 stipend per semester plus furnished housing at no cost |
| Length | One semester or one full academic year |
| Deadline | Monday, November 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET |
| Status | Open since September 10, 2026 |
| Country | United States (Notre Dame, Indiana) |
| Nationality | No restriction stated on the official page |
| Decision | Selected applicants notified in February 2027 |
| Apply through | Interfolio application portal |
| Source | Kroc Institute application page |
Numbers at a Glance
$30,000
per semester
10 pages
maximum, double-spaced, bibliography included
2 pages
maximum
2
confidential recommendation letters
7 years
before a past Kroc fellow can reapply
3
research areas in the 2027-28 call
Every number above comes from the official application page. One figure is not on the page: if you are funded for two semesters, the stipend adds up to $60,000. That is simple arithmetic on my part, and the page does not state a yearly total.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
Applicants must have completed a doctoral degree or an equivalent one. Students still in a Ph.D. program can apply if they finish before the fellowship begins. Anyone who has already been a Kroc Visiting Research Fellow has to wait seven years to apply again. The official page lists no age, GPA or nationality rule.
Beyond the degree, the application page says fellowships go to scholars with substantial research experience whose work connects to ongoing Kroc Institute research initiatives. That second condition matters more than most applicants expect, and the proposal tips below come back to it.
Eligible Nationalities
The application page does not restrict nationality or country of residence, so scholars from any country can submit a proposal as far as the page shows. It also does not say whether you will need a visa, which category applies, or who sponsors it. Treat immigration as an open question and put it to the program contact early.
The contact listed on the page is Juan Flores Ramirez at jfloresr@nd.edu.
Eligibility Decision Table
Who can apply to the Kroc Visiting Research Fellows Program: a quick decision table
| Your situation | Can you apply? | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| You hold a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree | Yes | Meets the stated qualification |
| You are in a Ph.D. program and will finish before the fellowship starts | Yes | Degree must be complete before the start date |
| Your Ph.D. will still be unfinished when the fellowship begins | No | The page requires completion first |
| You were a Kroc Visiting Research Fellow within the last seven years | Not yet | A seven-year wait applies |
| You are a senior practitioner without a doctorate | Unclear | The page says doctoral or equivalent but does not define equivalent |
| Your project falls outside the three themes | Weak fit | The 2027-28 call invites proposals in three themes |
| You want only one semester | Yes | Applicants choose one semester or the full year |
International Applicant Guidance
International scholars face three practical gaps the page leaves open: immigration paperwork, costs the stipend may not cover, and timing between the February 2027 notification and an August or January start. None of these is a reason to skip the application, but each deserves a written question to the Institute before you accept.
- Which visa category the Institute expects, and whether it supports the process.
- Whether health insurance is required or provided.
- Who pays for airfare and moving costs.
- Whether family members can join you, and what housing exists for them.
- How the stipend is paid and when the first payment arrives.
The page applies one set of rules to every applicant, so I have not added separate U.S. or Pakistan sections. For readers in Pakistan, the main practical difference is the clock. The deadline falls on the morning of December 1 in Pakistan, and the time zone table below shows the exact hour.
Available Subjects: Which Research Themes Count?
The 2027-28 call invites proposals in three areas: gender, race, class and peacebuilding; international mediation; and sustainability, climate change and peace. Applicants must name their field in the cover letter, and the page says preference goes to proposals with direct relevance to policy or practice.
Gender, Race, Class and Peacebuilding
Interdisciplinary work using qualitative, participatory or feminist methods. Questions about intersectionality, identity, power, representation, and direct and structural violence.
International Mediation
Mediation, preventive diplomacy and national dialogue as ways to prevent or end high-intensity conflict.
Sustainability, Climate Change and Peace
Peace and sustainability, or environmental peacebuilding in vulnerable regions. Examples named include illegal mining, deforestation, food security and livelihoods.
Theme 3 comes with a perk. Its fellow gets to interact with the wider cohort of sustainability fellows led by Notre Dame's Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative. The page names themes, not disciplines, so what counts is the question you ask rather than the department you come from.
What Benefits Does the Kroc Fellowship Include?
Fellows receive a stipend of $30,000 per semester, a furnished Institute apartment at no cost, library and internet access, and document retrieval services. The page lists nothing else. That makes the package partial funding: your travel, health coverage and daily living costs beyond housing are not described.
- Stipend: $30,000 per semester.
- Housing: furnished Institute apartment at no cost.
- Research support: library access, internet access and document retrieval services.
- Community (Theme 3 only): contact with the sustainability fellows cohort.
Free housing changes the math. Your stipend does not have to cover rent, which is usually the largest fixed cost of a temporary move. Source: the official application page.
Funding Breakdown and Tuition Chart
No tuition fee appears on the official page, so there is nothing to subtract for classes. Money in: $30,000 per semester plus a furnished apartment at no cost. Money out, still unknown: airfare, health insurance, visa fees and daily expenses. The chart below separates what the page confirms from what it leaves blank.
Out-of-pocket cost checklist for the Kroc fellowship
| Cost | Listed on the official page? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | No fee listed | Confirm there is none |
| Housing | Yes, furnished apartment at no cost | Ask about family and move-in dates |
| Airfare | Not listed | Budget it yourself until told otherwise |
| Health insurance | Not listed | Ask what is required |
| Visa fees | Not listed | Ask about category and sponsorship |
| Meals and local transport | Not listed | Plan from the stipend |
What Are the Working Hours and Payment Terms?
The official page publishes the payment amount but not the working hours. It confirms $30,000 per semester and names participation in the Institute's intellectual life as a selection factor. It says nothing about weekly hours, teaching duties, office presence or a payment calendar. Get those answers in writing before you accept.
Working hours and payment: what is published and what is not
| Item | Published? | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Stipend amount | Yes | $30,000 per semester |
| Yearly total | No | Not stated; two funded semesters would be $60,000 by arithmetic |
| Payment schedule and method | No | Not stated |
| Tax treatment | No | Not stated; ask a qualified tax adviser |
| Weekly working hours | No | Not stated |
| Teaching duties | No | Not stated |
| Expected output | Partly | The proposal must list expected products |
Because the proposal has to list expected products, think of the fellowship as output-driven. The two current fellows on the Kroc fellows page both describe a concrete product: a book on women ex-combatants in Colombia, and a conceptual framework for mediation. That is my reading of the profiles, not an official rule.
- How many hours per week do fellows spend on campus?
- Are there teaching, seminar or presentation expectations?
- When is the stipend paid, and how?
- What happens to the stipend if my visa is delayed?
Which Documents Are Required?
A complete application has four parts: a cover letter of no more than two pages, a research proposal of no more than ten double-spaced pages including the bibliography, an up-to-date CV, and two confidential recommendation letters. Everything runs through Interfolio, and the page lists no transcript, English test or fee.
Required documents for the Kroc Institute Visiting Research Fellows Program 2027
| Document | Limit | What it must contain |
|---|---|---|
| Cover letter | 2 pages | One semester or two, and your field among the three themes |
| Research proposal | 10 pages, double-spaced, bibliography included | Sources, data, methodology, analysis, timetable and expected products |
| Curriculum vitae | Not stated | Up to date |
| Recommendation letters | 2 | Confidential, requested and submitted through Interfolio |
The page also asks you to explain the significance of the project, why the Kroc Institute is the right place for it, and how it builds on existing research. If you need help with the letter, our guide to writing a winning motivation letter covers the basics. If a PDF is too large to upload, try the free PDF compressor.
How to Shape the Research Proposal
Write the proposal for a faculty committee that weighs three things: academic excellence, a clear link to existing Kroc research, and your expected contribution to the Institute's intellectual life. The tips below are my editorial advice, not official rules, and they follow directly from those published criteria.
- Name your theme in the first paragraph, using the same wording as the call.
- Point to the Kroc research area your project joins. The Research menu lists areas such as Peace Processes and Accords, Intersectionality and Justice, and Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding.
- Say who could use your findings. The page gives preference to policy or practice relevance.
- Build the timetable around one semester or two, matching the term you chose.
- List realistic products, such as a chapter, an article or a framework, and tie each to a month.
- Ask referees early, because they submit their letters in Interfolio themselves.
How Do You Apply? Application Procedure Step by Step
Apply through the Interfolio system before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 30, 2026. First choose one of the three themes and decide between one semester and a full year. Then assemble the cover letter, proposal and CV, request two recommendation letters, and submit.
Pick one of the three themes and decide whether you want one semester or a full academic year. You will state both choices in your cover letter.
You need a completed doctoral degree or equivalent. If you are still enrolled, you must finish before the fellowship begins.
Keep it to two pages. Say whether you are applying for one semester or two, and name your field.
Use no more than ten double-spaced pages including the bibliography. Cover sources, data, methodology, analysis, a timetable and expected products.
Prepare an up-to-date curriculum vitae for the application.
Ask two referees to submit confidential letters through Interfolio. Give them the deadline and the time zone.
Open the Kroc application in Interfolio and submit all materials before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 30, 2026.
A faculty committee reviews applications and recommends candidates to the Institute Director. Selected applicants are notified in February 2027.
Start in the Interfolio application portal, which the official page links for the 2027-28 cycle.
Application Flowchart
When Is the Application Deadline?
The deadline is Monday, November 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Because Eastern Standard Time applies that night, the same moment falls at 8:59 p.m. Pacific, 4:59 a.m. Tuesday in London and 9:59 a.m. Tuesday in Pakistan. Aim to submit a day early.
Monday, November 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET (U.S. Eastern Time)
Deadline time zone table (official time is Eastern)
| Time zone | Local time |
|---|---|
| U.S. Eastern (EST), official | Mon, Nov. 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. |
| U.S. Pacific (PST) | Mon, Nov. 30, 2026, 8:59 p.m. |
| UK (GMT) | Tue, Dec. 1, 2026, 4:59 a.m. |
| Pakistan (PKT) | Tue, Dec. 1, 2026, 9:59 a.m. |
The conversions are my calculations. Only the Eastern Time deadline is official. Add the date to our scholarship deadline tracker so you see it again before the week closes.
Key Dates From Opening Day to Start Date
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| September 10, 2026 | Applications for 2027-28 open |
| November 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET | Application deadline |
| February 2027 | Selected applicants notified |
| August or January | Fellowship begins with the Notre Dame semester |
The page does not name an exact start date. My reading is that the 2027-28 cycle points to August 2027 or January 2028, so confirm yours with the Institute.
How Are Visiting Fellows Selected?
A Kroc Institute faculty committee reviews the applications and recommends candidates to the Institute Director. The published criteria are academic excellence, a clear link to existing Kroc research, and expected participation in the Institute's intellectual life. Selected applicants hear back in February 2027, and the page gives no number of awards or acceptance rate.
The fellows page shows two recent examples. One fellow is a longtime mediator who spent a year working on a framework drawn from decades of practice. The other earned a Ph.D. in June 2026 and is writing a book from her dissertation research. The mediator's listed degrees on that page do not include a doctorate, which hints that equivalent may be read broadly. The program does not define the term, so ask before you rely on it.
"outstanding scholars focused on peace research"
What Mistakes Should You Avoid?
Most avoidable errors come from skipping one line of the instructions. The ones below follow directly from the official application rules, so each is easy to prevent if you read the page once more before you submit. Take ten minutes with this list.
- Leaving out the semester-or-year choice or the field name in the cover letter.
- Running past two pages for the letter or ten for the proposal.
- Writing a general peace proposal with no link to Kroc research.
- Forgetting that referees must submit through Interfolio.
- Treating the fellowship as a degree scholarship.
- Applying again within seven years of a previous Kroc fellowship.
- Waiting until the last evening to upload.
Is This Fellowship Right for You? Decision Checklist
Apply if you hold a doctorate or will finish one before the start date, your project fits one of the three themes, and you can explain how it connects to work already underway at the Kroc Institute. Skip this round if you cannot meet the November 30 deadline or need a degree-seeking scholarship.
- My doctorate is complete or will be before the term starts.
- My project fits one theme and I can say which.
- I can name the Kroc research area it joins.
- I know whether I want one semester or two.
- Two referees have agreed to write.
- I have a plan for travel, insurance and visa costs.
Looking for another U.S. research opportunity to compare? See the NOAA Margaret Davidson Graduate Fellowship 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply for the Kroc Institute Visiting Research Fellows Program 2027?
Scholars who have completed a doctoral degree or equivalent can apply, and current Ph.D. students qualify only if they finish the degree before the fellowship begins. Proposals are invited in gender, race, class and peacebuilding, international mediation, or sustainability, climate change and peace. Past Kroc fellows must wait seven years before applying again.
What is the deadline for the Kroc Institute Visiting Research Fellows Program 2027?
Applications are due Monday, November 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time through the Interfolio system. The 2027-28 application cycle opened on September 10, 2026. Confirm the date on the official Kroc Institute page before you submit, because institutions can change deadlines after a post like this one goes live.
How much does the fellowship pay, and is housing included?
The official page lists a stipend of $30,000 per semester. Housing is provided in furnished Institute apartments at no cost, and fellows get library access, internet access and document retrieval services. The page does not list airfare, health insurance or visa costs, so ask the Institute about those before you plan your budget.
Can international scholars apply?
The official application page states no nationality or residency restriction, so scholars from any country can apply as far as the page shows. That is not a visa guarantee, because the page does not describe visa type or sponsorship. Ask the program contact about immigration steps early, and plan for them after notification in February 2027.
Is the Kroc Visiting Research Fellows Program fully funded?
It is best described as partial funding. The official page confirms a $30,000 stipend per semester and free furnished housing, but it does not list travel, health insurance or visa costs. Funding is also tied to available funds, so confirm what applies to your fellowship term with the Institute before you accept.
How long does the fellowship last?
A fellowship runs for one semester or one full academic year, based on your preference and available funding. You must say in your cover letter which one you want. Terms begin when the university's semester starts, in August or January. The stipend is $30,000 per semester.
What documents do I need to apply?
You need a cover letter of up to two pages, a research proposal of up to ten double-spaced pages including the bibliography, an up-to-date curriculum vitae, and two confidential recommendation letters. Everything goes through the Interfolio system, including the recommendation letters, which your referees submit there.
Can I apply if I am still finishing my Ph.D.?
Yes, but only if you will finish your doctorate before the fellowship begins. The official page says current Ph.D. students must complete the degree before the start date. If your defense or degree conferral could slip past the August or January start, talk to the program contact before you apply.
When will I hear back about my application?
The official page says selected applicants will be notified in February 2027. A Kroc Institute faculty committee reviews applications and makes recommendations to the Institute Director. The page does not publish the number of fellows chosen or an acceptance rate, so any figure you see elsewhere is not officially confirmed.
Does the program publish working hours?
No. The official page does not publish required weekly hours, teaching duties or office schedules. It names participation in the Institute's intellectual life as one selection factor, but it sets no fixed hours. Ask the program contact, Juan Flores Ramirez, what weekly expectations apply before you accept an offer.
Verification Note
I checked the Kroc Institute's application page and its Visiting Research Fellows page on November 2, 2026. The two pages are consistent on the program format and do not conflict anywhere. I did not contact the Institute, apply, or test the Interfolio portal, so anything the pages do not state is marked as unconfirmed.
Items the official pages leave unconfirmed
- Weekly hours, teaching duties and payment schedule.
- Visa category, sponsorship and health insurance.
- Travel funding.
- Number of fellows chosen and acceptance rate.
- Exact start date of each term.
Official Sources
- Applying for Visiting Research Fellowships, Kroc Institute (checked November 2, 2026)
- Visiting Research Fellows, Kroc Institute (checked November 2, 2026)
- Interfolio application portal (linked from the application page; not opened)
- Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative, University of Notre Dame (linked from the application page; not opened)
Ready to apply?
Read the official call one more time, then submit in Interfolio before the deadline.
Apply on InterfolioOfficial Kroc pageDisclaimer
This article is educational information from an independent blog. It is not an official Kroc Institute or University of Notre Dame publication, and details can change. Check the official application page before you act. For site policies, see our disclaimer page.
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