Eligibility

ACONA welcomes applications by highly qualified candidates of all nationalities who demonstrate 3-5 years of advanced professional or research experience in one of the following broad fields:

Arms control and nuclear issues;
Negotiation and mediation;
International peace, security, and global affairs, particularly U.S.-Russia-China-EU relations.

The most highly-qualified candidates will be able to demonstrate several years of professional or research experience in their field, international experience, an advanced degree, and public recognition of their achievements.

Timeline

The call for applications for the 2026-2027 ACONA Fellowship will open on April 20, 2026, and close on May 31, 2026. Candidates will be notified of their application decision in July 2026. The fellowship will start on September 1, 2026, and end on June 30, 2027.

Application Materials

The following application documents must be submitted:

Motivation letter (1-2 pages) that documents passion for arms control, negotiation, and/or international peace and security. In your letter, please state that you have reviewed the curriculum and requirements (including adherence to a camera-on-policy during all virtual, interactive sessions of the boot camps), confirm that you intend to participate in all parts of the 10-month ACONA program, and explain what you would bring to the ACONA community.
CV/resume (max. 5 pages) that reflects relevant experience.
Letter of recommendation that highlights exceptional relevant work.

Submission Process

Applicants must submit both the motivation letter and CV/resume in PDF formats through our application form.

The recommendation letter must be submitted via email to acona@armscontrolnegotiationacademy.org directly by the recommender (not by the applicant). Recommendation letters should be saved as "[Applicant Last Name]_[Recommender Last Name]_Recommendation.pdf"

If you have any questions about the application process, please see here or email us.