Call for Proposals: 2019 Junior Scholars Symposium

American foreign policy sits at a crossroads. The War on Terror continues, but is increasingly unpopular, while the rise of Donald Trump has reignited debates over America’s role in the world. Policy‐​relevant academic research on key questions of international security and national security policy is more important than ever.


The Cato Institute will be hosting a paper workshop for graduate students on topics broadly related to international security and national security policy in Washington, D.C. in late October 2019. Topics may include a wide range of security issues, including but not limited to U.S. foreign policy, the causes and consequences of conflict, military effectiveness, grand strategy, civil‐​military relations, alliances and security institutions, terrorism, military intervention, diplomatic history, arms control and nuclear proliferation.


Participants will be expected to produce an original paper of journal‐​article length; the workshop will focus on paper presentations, discussion and suggestions for improvement, with the expectation that authors will go on to seek publication in external journals or to build upon this research as they move towards the dissertation phase of their studies.


Participants are particularly expected to highlight the policy relevance of their work. In keeping with the Cato Institute’s commitment  to moving U.S. foreign policy towards prudence and restraint, the policy implications of papers should be broadly compatible with a pragmatic realist approach to foreign policy.


The workshop will be held at Cato’s offices in Washington, D.C. Participants will receive a stipend of $500, and will have reasonable travel and accommodation costs for the workshop covered.


To apply, submit an abstract of around 500 words to juniorscholars@​cato.​org by no later than April 1, 2019. The abstract should detail your proposed research project, and be accompanied by a CV. Candidates should have a background in political science, history, public policy or a related field, and must have completed at least one year of graduate study in a PhD program by the time of the workshop. All candidates will be notified of the status of their application by May 6th, and draft papers will be due on October 7th.