The Chamberlain Project is pleased to welcome applications for the 2025-2026 academic year. In partnership with higher education institutions and Blue Star Families, The Chamberlain Project supports retiring officers as they transition to civilian careers by helping with their entry into academia. 

The program aims to: 

• Foster connections and understanding between the United States Armed Services and civilian institutions. 

• Enrich and diversify students’ educational experiences. 

• Ease the transition of retiring officers into civilian life. 

For the 2025-2026 academic year, The Chamberlain Project will be offering two awards (only one application is needed to be considered for both fellowships): 

• Up to four applicants will be selected as Chamberlain Fellows, with a $5,000 fellowship award paid directly to the recipient. 

• Up to two of those Chamberlain Fellows will then be selected for placement support through the Retiring Officer Teaching Fellowship (ROTF). Those candidates will receive additional assistance with job interviews at U.S. colleges and universities, and, if hired for a qualifying teaching position, the partner school will receive a one-year grant supporting the fellowship placement.  

Retiring officers with appropriate academic credentials are invited to apply for teaching fellowships for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Program Details

Chamberlain and ROTF Fellowships will run for one year (August 1, 2025, to August 1, 2026). Fellowships are non-exclusive and do not preclude other engagements. 

All Chamberlain Fellows (up to four) will receive a $5,000 fellowship award to support research activities, travel to U.S. colleges and universities, access to academic journals, and more.

For ROTF Fellows (up to two), the institution at which they are hired will receive a grant of $40,000 for the fellowship period. ROTF Fellows’ salaries will be determined by the institution and fellows may receive health benefits through the school’s health program. Additional benefits and final compensation details will be in accordance with the host institution’s policies as they pertain to similarly-situated faculty members. 

Selection, Placement & Timeline

After the October 1, 2024, application deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year, the following process will take place:

1. Selection: The Chamberlain Project will select Chamberlain Fellows, who will receive a one-time fellowship award of $5,000 that can be applied to activities related to transitioning into civilian life, such as campus visits for interviews, travel to meet with faculty, access to scholarly journals behind a paywall, access to software for research purposes, etc. Chamberlain Fellows will be notified of their selection by December 2, 2024.

2. Application Sharing: From that group, The Chamberlain Project will select up to two ROTF Fellows by December 2, 2024, whom they will then work with to assist in their job application process, including sharing the fellows’ applications with a select list of partner institutions as determined through conversation between the fellow and The Chamberlain Project staff. If a partner institution identifies a candidate of interest, those two parties will coordinate the interview and hiring process according to their internal protocols and procedures. The Chamberlain Project does not have a role in the interview process or hiring decisions. 

3. Outreach and Preferences: For ROTF Fellows who have existing relationships with institutions, or who have specific preferences of where they want to teach (including schools that The Chamberlain Project has not previously partnered with), The Chamberlain Project will collaborate with the fellows to determine outreach to those institutions.

4. Funding: Once an ROTF Fellow has been offered and accepted a teaching position, the host institution will receive a one-time $40,000 grant to support the total salary and benefits of the fellow. Total salary and benefits offered to a fellow will vary by host institution. 

5. Teaching and Responsibilities: ROTF Fellows will be required to teach at least two full-credit courses, one in each of the fall and spring terms. They may also be asked to teach additional courses. Fellows are expected to mentor students, participate in departmental activities, and engage in campus life. The specific details of the fellowship, including course assignments, will be agreed upon between the fellow and the host institution.

6. Partner Institutions: The Chamberlain Project will work with ROTF fellows to help with their connections to colleges and universities. Past partner  institutions include Amherst College, Bard College, Barnard College, Bowdoin College, Colorado State University Pueblo, Hamilton College, Howard University, Lehigh University, Norwich University, Oberlin College, Swarthmore College, Vassar College, Wellesley College, and Wesleyan University.

To Apply

Candidates must complete the online application form, including a letter of interest and a current curriculum vitae. In the letter, applicants should, at a minimum, describe their motivation for applying for the fellowship, include a statement of teaching philosophy, outline at least one of the courses they propose to teach, and describe how they anticipate their courses and their presence on campus serving the goals of The Chamberlain Project.

The curriculum vitae must include educational background, publications, prior teaching experience (including course titles), and other relevant experience. Applicants must have a PhD or appropriate terminal degree in their field of study, and must have retired or plan to retire from the U.S. Armed Services after August 1, 2025. Prior teaching experience is not a required qualification.

Applicants may submit all materials through our online application.

You may email applicants@thechamberlainproject.org with any questions.

Summary

• Title: The Chamberlain Project Fellowships (Chamberlain Fellowships and Retiring Officer Teaching Fellowships)

• Term: One year, between August 2025 and June 2026 (exact dates will vary by school)

• Requirements: PhD or appropriate terminal degree in field of study

Partner Institutions