• April 13, 2026: Application opens
• July 9, 2026: Application deadline (5:00 PM Eastern Time)
• Mid-July to mid-August: Review of applications
• Mid-August: Applicants notified of status
• Mid-August to mid-September: Review of finalist applications by ARL
• Mid-September to October: Subset of finalists invited to give seminars at ARL
• November: Awardees announced
• December to early 2027: Fellow start dates

Fellowship Terms

• Selected Fellows must successfully complete a Department of Defense (DoD) clearance process, requiring a background security investigation. Foreign nationals must get further DoD approval, requiring a background investigation. If needed, J-1 research scholar visas may be sponsored for Fellows; this will be determined on a case-by-case basis at the time of the award.
• Fellows may renew their one-year appointments for up to three years based on performance.
• Fellows must commit full-time to the research program at ARL and must be in residence at ARL (i.e. conduct their research on site) during the entire period of the appointment. In some cases, ARL may provide for temporary location at another facility (e.g. another federal facility or a facility ARL is working with) to meet the specific needs of the research program.
• Fellows will be required to submit annual progress reports and a final report at the end of the appointment. These reports include an abstract of the research conducted and copies of publications resulting from it. If future papers are published as a result of research performed at ARL, copies must be provided to ARL.
• Fellows will be required to sign and abide by an appointment letter and an ARL IP agreement concerning discoveries, inventions, data, copyrights, and a disclaimer of liability.