The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 for the purpose of improving teaching about the United States Constitution in secondary schools. The Fellowships are intended exclusively for graduate study leading to a master's degree. James Madison Fellows can attend any accredited institution of higher education in the United States. Junior Fellows have two years to complete their degree, and Senior Fellowships are awarded to experienced teachers who wish to undertake work for a graduate degree on a part-time basis through summer and evening classes. Senior Fellows have up to five years to complete their degree.
Applicants compete only against other applicants from the states of their legal residence.
Application Process Persons interested in applying for a James Madison Fellowship must submit an application form, available on this web site, directly to James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation to be received no later than March 1st of each year. An independent Fellow Selection Committee evaluates all valid applications and recommends to the Foundation the most outstanding applicants from each state for James Madison Fellowships. Each year, the Foundation selects at least one James Madison Fellow, either junior or senior, from each state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and, considered as a single entity, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Funds permitting, more than one fellowship may be awarded in jurisdictions with larger populations. Normally, Fellows receive less than these maximum amounts.