FPSS bridges the gap between scholarship, education and practice. Students, faculty and fellows engage directly with the debates and decision-makers shaping U.S. policy via events and research.
The program offers targeted professional development and hands-on mentorship for undergraduates and master’s students at a formative stage in their careers. Working with faculty and visiting fellows, students are not only introduced to how foreign policy works but challenged to assess alternatives, inform evidence-based decisions and translate analysis into action.
Current Projects
Faculty, fellow and student-led research assesses the strengths and shortcomings in U.S. foreign and national security policy in order to develop innovative options for the nation. The program supports applied analysis that explains policy outcomes while exploring alternative approaches to a range of pressing challenges–from navigating great power competition and evolving alliance structures to reimagining the future of development assistance and military deployments. Through publications and events, FPSS connects this research to ongoing debates in Washington and beyond.
FPSS offers two fellowship programs that integrate teaching, research and professional development. Visiting practitioner fellows contribute to the program’s research agenda and mentor students across disciplines. Student fellows conduct path breaking research on their own and in collaboration with faculty and practitioners. They drive events and take courses that prepare them to be effective policy practitioners at a time when new strategic thinking on U.S. grand strategy is needed. This model emphasizes sustained collaboration rather than one-time engagement, allowing students to learn directly from those shaping policy in real time.
FPSS organizes simulations, case studies and strategy workshops that place students in real-world policy scenarios. These exercises emphasize structured analysis, teamwork and decision-making under uncertainty – skills central to careers in foreign and national security policy. Small-group discussions and moderated forums enable substantive exchange rather than lecture-style events. Working closely with faculty and visiting fellows, students develop core skills in analytical writing, policy memo drafting and briefing policy audiences.
These experiences combine rigorous research with sustained mentorship, helping students refine their interests while preparing for advanced study and careers in foreign policy and national security. Through internships and connections to alumni and practitioner networks in Washington, FPSS helps students translate academic training into professional opportunities in government, think tanks and international organizations.