Deadlines
- Northeastern: 07/19/2026
- Fellowship: 07/19/2026
Contact
If you meet the eligibility criteria and are interested in applying for this fellowship, please fill out a preliminary questionnaire. You may contact the office with any questions.
Award Details
The presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson assemble leaders from across the nonprofit, military, public, and private sectors to learn about leadership through the lens of these four presidencies. The partnership amplifies the impact of bold and principled leaders who are committed to solving our greatest challenges, both domestically and around the world.
A first-of-its-kind experience with unparalleled opportunity to develop meaningful, productive relationships within a diverse network of changemakers. Over six modules, the program sharpens participants' skills and introduces them to new ideas and ways of approaching leadership. Scholars are led through an exploration of principles that help them better address the needs of the populations they serve.
Term Length: 6 Months
US Citizenship Required
- Applicants must be at least 21 years of age.
- To be considered for the PLS program, all applicants must fit one of the following criteria regarding citizenship and country of residence:
- A citizen of the United States living and working in the country;
- A citizen of the United States living and working outside of the country, but who can pay for all non-domestic costs associated with traveling to each module;
- A legal resident of the United States living and working in the country.
The program assembles a unique and diverse cohort of high-potential leaders from all sectors. Scholars most successful in the program share certain characteristics:
- Civically minded: Acts to improve their community, organization, or profession.
- Open to feedback: Seeks, mindfully accepts, and actively responds to assessments of their behavior and performance.
- Accepting of diverse points of view: Welcomes opportunities to interact with and learn from others with different backgrounds or perspectives.
- Meaningful professional experience: Has a breadth and depth of professional experience — typically 10+ years — and will build on the PLS experience for years to come.
- Demonstrated leadership: Presents an established record of engagement and leadership. (PLS is not an introductory course in leadership.)
- Influence: Is in a position to directly influence the change they desire.
- Committed to the program: Can fully participate in a rigorous and intense six-month program.
6 Months. 20 Days of On-Location Instruction. No Cost to Participants.
Featuring sessions led by distinguished thought leaders and practitioners representing a variety of perspectives on leadership, the Presidential Leadership Scholars program is offered at no cost to participants.
- Vision and communication
- Decision making
- Influence and persuasion
- Strategic partnerships
- 20 days of on-location instruction and interaction, spread over six months
- Pre- and post-module assignments and evaluation
- Relationship building across divergent views and backgrounds
Tuition, housing, meals, and travel are fully funded.
You are required to apply with a Personal Leadership Project (PLP) that you will work on throughout the program. This project might be a component of your day-to-day work or something you are pursuing outside of your day-to-day responsibilities. It may represent an important next step in an initiative on which you are already working, or the first step in a new project. The project should involve a significant leadership challenge that can be addressed by the insights gained throughout the program. We expect Scholars to have adequately thought through many of the important elements required to achieve a significant outcome by the end of the program. The project should:
- Focus on a positive outcome for a specific group of people.
- Have an achievable six-month goal, even if the broader work itself will take a longer timeframe than six months.
- Leverage the Scholar’s existing knowledge, experience, and/or network.
- Benefit from participation in the program.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Throughout this application, you will be required to provide:
- personal background information (academic, professional, etc.)
- responses to essay questions
- recommendations
- a summary of your Personal Leadership Project.
Interested? Have Questions?
If you meet the eligibility criteria and are interested in a fellowship or opportunity, please fill out a preliminary questionnaire. Contact the office with any questions: