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The Truman Security Fellowship
The Truman Security Fellowship is a highly competitive award for professionals who show early promise to become our country’s future progressive leadership. The one-year Fellowship offers unique hands-on training in national security, access to a powerful network of peers and leaders across the country, and assistance with obtaining positions of national security leadership around the country.
What the Truman Security Fellowship Offers
The Fellowship is intended to develop a strong group of leaders around the country who deeply understand America’s national security needs.
Truman Security Fellows spend a year in their home cities taking part in monthly seminars with their peers and with guest speakers to enhance their national security policy knowledge, as well as deepen understand of the rich philosophical and historical background of the progressive national security tradition. The seminars explore our shared values, the role of development, human rights, democracy, military force, alliances, and international institutions in national security strategy. Fellows also take part in experiential learning such as visits to military bases, emergency response centers, and FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force headquarters; and engage in discussion with guest speakers who are experts in the security field.
Twice a year, in June and January, Truman Security Fellows are invited to Washington for high-level conferences with senior policy experts and political leaders. In Washington, Fellows take part in skill-building workshops to enhance their communication and media skills. At these two conferences, participants meet the national network of Fellows and interact with top progressive leaders so that they can become powerful voices for security leadership in their communities.
Who are Truman Security Fellows
The Truman Security Fellowship is a highly selective program for men and women who are generally between 27 and 40 years of age. We seek exceptionally accomplished and dedicated men and women who share President Truman’s belief that strong national security and strong progressive values are not antagonistic, but are two sides of the same coin.
Truman Fellows need not be policy experts. Nor will Fellows necessarily think of themselves as national security people,” whose jobs focus on defense or foreign policy. A key benefit of the Fellowship is bringing together a diverse group of committed leaders to form strong bonds with which they can assist one another across professions.
In each region, we look for:
- Elected officials and individuals interested in running for public office, political staffers, campaign workers, speechwriters, and press secretaries;
- Military veterans, those working on the front lines of homeland security, and law enforcement, such as prosecutors, police officers, and FBI agents;
- Community leaders, including opinion-makers such as journalists and leaders in business or key nonprofit organizations;
- Policy experts, including those who have served or wish to serve in appointed state and national security positions, and those who work on security issues that touch each of us every day, from immigration, to public health, to trade and attracting foreign investment.
We particularly welcome women, people of color, and other minorities.
The Truman Security Fellowship currently operates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, New Haven, New York, and D.C.. We are expanding this year to Philadelphia and the Denver region.
Alumni of the Truman Security Fellowship may take part in our sister 501c4 organization, where they put their skills to work in the public sphere in their localities. They have served in key posts in Sen. Obama, Sen. Clinton, and Sen. Edwards’ campaigns as foreign policy advisors, speechwriters, and communications staff. They worked in over a dozen key campaigns in 2006 from Montana and Missouri to Virginia and Pennsylvania. And they are appearing in the national media across the country, spreading the progressive security worldview.
Applying for Fellowship
Individuals who would like to be considered as Truman Security Fellows should generally be between 27-40 when applying. Applicants should be committed to taking part in monthly dinner seminars in their regions and to attending two weekend conferences in Washington; the Fellowship is not renumerated.
Pleases submit a completed application form, resume, the names and contact information for three references, and, if you have one, a published writing sample (op-ed or article length—no academic work, please). Send these materials, together, to mattl {at} trumanproject {dot} org, with Membership Application, in the subject line of your email—or mail them to our office.
The Membership Committee considers new Truman Security Fellows twice a year—applications are due October 15, and March 15. Our interview and selection process takes place in April and November of each year.
You may download the Truman Security Fellow Application Form by clicking here.
If you are interested in learning more about the Truman Security Fellows program, please contact mattl (at) trumanproject {dot} org.
My association with the Truman Project has been a tremendous experience. At Truman I have found more than just a group of bright people who espouse progressive ideals. I have met passionate people of integrity who care deeply about our country’s most cherished values. I have found more than just a network of like-minded professional associates. Rather, I have found a group of individuals I am proud to call friends and with whom I look forward to working together to strengthen our nation in the coming years. Truman monthly seminars and annual meetings have provided opportunities to learn from peers with diverse national security experiences, to be mentored by senior progressive leaders in foreign policy, and to be challenged by intellectually stimulating topics. Through Truman workshops I have learned how to more effectively articulate my progressive values while also gaining a firmer understanding of the progressive tradition. Truman media training was a confidence-building experience that helped minimize fear of the camera and taught me how to simplify in order to effectively articulate a strong, progressive national security message”
As an Iraq war veteran, I was impressed by the familiarity with and knowledge of the military in this progressive, highly accomplished group. It gives me great confidence to know that the future of progressive foreign policy will be crafted here in Truman by [these] emerging leaders”
The Truman Project has quickly made an impact on political discourse in the Bay Area. Truman has brought together a great group of young professionals, and helped us organize to contribute to a progressive vision of America’s security. Our professional backgrounds are varied, and include people from technology, military, law, venture capital, and non-profit backgrounds, to name a few. The Truman Project has done a great job connecting us to other Fellows nationwide through trainings, bi-annual conferences, and weekly publications. We are a fairly new chapter, but are already making a difference!”
Creative, in-depth discussions on every aspect of foreign policy… And with the most creative, in-depth people I’ve ever met. After four years in the Truman Project, I’ve found a home, for my world outlook, for my perspective on America’s place. I often look around our gatherings wondering where this movement was before the Truman Project. It now roars so loud, it seems impossible there was a time when each of us was alone!”
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