Echidna Global Scholars 2027 at Brookings: $26,500 Stipend and a Research Residency in Washington, DC

Full Program Details

A head teacher in Kano, a researcher in Nairobi, a ministry official in Dhaka: each has watched girls drop out of school for reasons no national policy has fixed. The Echidna Global Scholars Program at the Brookings Institution exists for people like them. It brings experienced education leaders from the Global South to Washington, DC, gives them research training and a platform, and then backs them when they take the work home.

The 2027 application round is open until 1 December 2026, run by Brookings' Center for Universal Education (CUE). Since 2012 the program has hosted fifteen cohorts, and its alumni network now has more than 50 scholars working in over 25 countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Selected scholars receive a $26,500 stipend, plus single-occupancy housing in Washington, DC for the four-month residency, round-trip travel, visa costs and a limited health insurance plan.

Details at a glance:

• Host: Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC
• Focus: gender equality in and through education in the Global South
• Stipend: $26,500 in total (subject to US tax withholding)
• Also covered: visa costs, the kickoff retreat, DC housing, round-trip travel, limited health insurance
• Experience required: at least 10 years
• Degree required: a Master's degree
• Deadline: 1 December 2026, 11:59pm EST
• Fellowship period: April 2027 kickoff, then mid-June to mid-December 2027

What It Covers

This is a short-term fellowship, not a staff job. According to the official Brookings posting, scholars get a $26,500 stipend to support living costs during the pre-residency and residency periods. CUE also pays for the visa process, the kickoff and research design retreat, single-occupancy housing for the four-month residency, round-trip travel and a limited health insurance plan.

The fellowship runs in four phases:

1. Kickoff and research design retreat (April 2027): one week, in person, to sharpen your research proposal.
2. Pre-residency (from about 15 June 2027): data collection in your home country, with virtual workshops. Expect 15 to 20 hours a week.
3. Residency (August to December 2027): full time, about 40 hours a week, on site at Brookings in Washington, DC. You analyse your data and write a policy brief that Brookings publishes.
4. Post-residency (2028 to 2029): alumni support to turn your findings into an impact project at home. Scholars may be invited to apply for seed funding.

Who Can Apply

The bar is high and the official criteria are specific:

• Substantial experience in, ties to, and a clear intent to return to a country in the Global South
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in research or academia, NGOs, community or civil society organizations, or government
• A Master's degree (required)
• A background in education, gender or women's studies, international development, public policy, economics, or a related social science or humanities field
• Proficiency in English (if you need visa sponsorship, it will be checked by an objective assessment, as the US Department of State requires)
• Availability for the full fellowship, including the full-time residency in Washington, DC. Brookings says the timeframe will not change.

Scholars must get a US J-1 visa. Brookings supports the process but cannot guarantee a visa will be issued.

How to Apply

1. Read the program page and the application guidance.
2. Download the Echidna Global Scholars Program Application from the posting. It contains a written questionnaire and a 3 to 5 page research proposal aimed at improving outcomes for girls, young women and gender non-conforming people.
3. Prepare your CV with your education, experience, publications, fellowships and awards.
4. Save files as Last Name_First Name_document name (for example Doe_Jane_CV).
5. Apply through the Brookings iCIMS portal, uploading the completed application form in the "Writing sample" section.

Recommendation letters, writing samples and transcripts are not required at this stage.

Timeline

• 21 October 2026, 8 to 9am ET: virtual information session (Zoom link on the Brookings page)
• 1 December 2026, 11:59pm EST: application deadline
• 7 to 18 December 2026: phone screen interviews
• January to February 2027: final panel
• 16 February 2027: invitations sent
• April 2027: kickoff retreat
• 15 June 2027: pre-residency starts
• August to December 2027: residency in Washington, DC

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GizPulse Verdict

Who this is for: senior education professionals in Africa, Asia or Latin America who already work on girls' education or gender equality and want research training, a Brookings byline and a global network.

Who should pause: anyone with under 10 years of experience or without a Master's degree, and anyone who cannot leave their job for a full-time residency in Washington from August to December 2027.

One tip to stand out: make your 3 to 5 page proposal local and testable. Name the policy problem in your own district or country, the data you can realistically collect at home by July 2027, and the decision makers who will use your findings.

Apply for the Echidna Global Scholars Program 2027 on the official Brookings page