As part of its global mission to improve the quality of public policymaking through research, teaching, and policy engagement, the Sanford School of Public Policy hosts both short- and long-term Visiting Scholars on a highly selective basis.

For this highly selective program, preference is given to requests from universities and other research and public policy-oriented organizations with which the Sanford School has collaborative institutional relationships.  It is strongly recommended that  visiting scholars communicate with prospective faculty members prior to submitting an application to discuss their proposed research project.

Visiting research scholars may visit the Sanford School for up to one year, during which they have full access to Duke University libraries and computing resources in the Sanford and Rubenstein Hall Buildings.

The minimum monthly living expenses required by Duke University for visa issuance purposes for an individual is $2,578 per month for 2024-25 academic year.

Who Should Apply

  • Candidates with a PhD or significant work experience (e.g. 15+ years) who are interested in performing independent research related to their field of expertise in collaboration with a faculty sponsor or collaborator.
  • Candidates with some work experience in the field of development or who are pursuing a PhD and wish join the Sanford School to further their knowledge through an externally funded independent research project.

Admissions

  • The candidate must have a research proposal of interest to one or more Sanford faculty members and a faculty member must be available to advise the scholar. 
  • The candidate must have a strong command of the English language. 
  • The candidate must be highly recommended by professional colleagues. 
  • The candidate must have appropriate institutional sponsorship/financial support from their sponsoring organization. 
  • Preferably, an institutional relationship exists between the candidate’s employer/university and the Sanford School.
  • Letter indicating your:
    • Reasons for interest in the Sanford School
    • General agreement with the goals and criteria of the Visiting Scholar program
    • Proposed dates of visit
  • Source of funding to cover the minimum monthly living and health insurance expenses required by Duke University for visa issuance purposes
  • Research proposal (500 words)
  • CV or resume
  • Letter of support regarding your scholarship/policy work from two professional supervisors or colleagues 
  • A copy of your top two publications (if applicable)

Applicants will upload these documents in the application portal. The application is not considered complete until we receive all supporting materials.

Proof of English language proficiency, if coming from a non-English speaking country.

  • You may submit TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE scores (not older than two years):
    • A minimum of 90 must be scored on the TOEFL internet-based test. 
    • A minimum overall band score of seven (7.0) must be scored on the IELTS. 
    • A minimum of 115 is required for the Duolingo exam. 
    • A minimum of 64 is required for the PTE test.
Loading...

When to Apply

Sanford reviews visiting research scholar applications twice a year.

  • To join Sanford for the fall (August), apply and provide all additional material no later than March 15.
  • To join Sanford for the spring (January), apply and provide all additional material no later than October 15.  
Apply now

Current & Previous Visiting Scholars

Learn more about Sanford’s Visiting Scholars by reading their biographies.

Questions?

Interested candidates should contact sanfordvisitingscholars@duke.edu with questions about the Sanford School’s Visiting Scholar program.