The John McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Briefing

When: Wednesday, October 22nd 2025, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT

Location: Unknown

Join the virtual briefing on Thursday, October 22, 2025, at 1 pm ET, where you will learn all the details for the upcoming John McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship.  The application will open between October and November.  The Department of War (formally the Department of Defense) is projecting that Cohort 6 participants will enter on duty on or before Monday, March 9, 2026. Applicants who obtain their advanced degree with a conferred date between March 2024 and September 2026 are likely eligible for appointment into the Program, considering this specific target date. However, an individual’s entry on duty date is contingent upon their ability to meet all pre-employment requirements, including obtaining a clearance as deemed necessary by their Sponsoring Component. As such, Cohort 6 applicants with advanced degrees received in May 2024 should be aware that if selected and there is a delay in meeting all pre-employment requirements, they may ultimately be deemed ineligible to participate in the Program.At the virtual briefing, you will meet MAIA'13 Alum Kevin Bilms, the current Director for Southeast Asia Policy at the United States Department of War, and SPS'20' 20 Alum Ryan P. Kelleher, Management Analyst at the United States Department of the Army.  Kevin, Ryan, and Senior Career Coach Josh Lissauer will lead a discussion featuring the application requirements for the 2025 Fellowship, Ryan's experience serving as a Fellow who later converted to a full-time Analyst, and Kevin’s experience at the DOD, including the hiring and management of McCain Fellows.  Ryan and Kevin will share their expertise, strategies, and tips to enhance your knowledge of the complete hiring process. You will discover the vital criteria that make a successful John S. McCain Fellow.  Please bring all your questions and contribute to the evocative dialogue. ESIA NO-SHOW POLICYIn order to ensure the effectiveness of the services offered by the Elliott School's Graduate Student Services and maintain professionalism and courtesy between graduate students, alumni, professional staff, and our Employer Partners, the No-Show Policy is in effect for this event.