The Fund for American Studies

Woodhouse Public Policy Fellowship

Join a Select Group of Young Leaders Committed to Advancing Liberty and Improving Public Policy

Applications have closed for the 2025-26 Woodhouse Fellowship

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Dive Deep into Conservative Debates on Freedom and Virtue

Fellows explore post-war conservative thought and how thinkers like F.A. Hayek, Russell Kirk and Frank Meyer attempted to resolve the tensions between freedom and order in public policy. The program will place a particular emphasis on the post-war conservative philosophy of fusionism and its relationship to both the American Founding and contemporary policy challenges.

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The TFAS Public Policy Fellowship, unlike other professional development programs offered in D.C., is particularly excellent at forming true community and offering real mentorship.

- Kayla Bartsch

2023-24 Woodhouse Fellow

Explore the Conservative Intellectual Tradition

The Woodhouse Public Policy Fellowship offers a unique blend of networking, professional development, and rigorous academic discussions. The 2025-26 curriculum includes:

Monthly Discussions: Engage with public policy experts, academics, and political leaders in Washington, D.C., on topics including F.A. Hayek’s "The Constitution of Liberty," the political philosophy of William F. Buckley Jr. and Wilhelm Röpke’s "Humane Economy."
Fall Retreat: Travel to Mecosta, Michigan, to delve into the American political tradition at the ancestral home of Russell Kirk. Discussions will focus on Kirk’s influential work, “The Roots of American Order,” exploring his perspectives on order and virtue in American society.

Join us to deepen your understanding of the conservative intellectual tradition and its application to current policy challenges, and to build lasting connections with fellow professionals dedicated to shaping the future of public policy.

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Where Our Fellows Have Excelled

Below, you'll find prestigious organizations where our past fellows have worked during their time in the program.

As a Public Policy Fellow, I had the opportunity to better understand how the ideas of great thinkers such as Russell Kirk or F.A. Hayek apply to the very real problems our republic faces. I felt like I finished the fellowship much more deeply rooted in conservative thought.

- Michael Lucchese

2022-23 Woodhouse Fellow

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Meet Our Faculty

Learn about the tension between freedom and tradition from public policy leaders, academics and journalists. Our 2023-24 fellowship faculty are listed below.

Jonah Goldberg

Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder, The Dispatch

Richard Reinsch

Editor-in-Chief, Civitas Institute

Donald Devine

TFAS Senior Scholar

Donald Boudreaux

TFAS Senior Scholar and Professor, George Mason University

David Corey

Professor of Political Science in the Honors Program & Director of Baylor in Washington, Baylor University

Stephanie Slade

Senior Editor, Reason

Matthew Continetti

Director of Domestic Policy Studies, AEI

Gary Gregg

Mitch McConnell Chair in Leadership & Director of the McConnell Center, University of Louisville

Jeffery Polet

Director of the Ford Leadership Forum, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation

Samuel Gregg

Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History, American Institute for Economic Research

While there are many professional development opportunities in DC, TFAS’s programming truly stands out. The intimate size of the cohort lends itself to very comfortable discussion and debate, and I was pleasantly surprised at the access we had to impressive speakers.

- Clara Johsens

2022-23 Woodhouse Fellow

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Fellowship Schedule

The Woodhouse Fellowship runs from September 2025 to May 2026 and includes monthly evening sessions and two weekend retreats.

Special Events

Orientation & Welcome Reception

Thursday, September 11, 2025

6:00-8:30 p.m.

Opening Speaker Event

Friday, September 12, 2025

4:00-6:00 p.m.

Fall Retreat

October 16-19, 2025

Russell Kirk Center, Mecosta, Michigan

Winter Retreat

Date: February 20 - 22, 2026

Philadelphia, PA

Closing Dinner

May 12, 2026

Monthly Speaker Events

Monthly discussions in Washington, D.C., with public policy experts, academics are held on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

November 18, 2025

December 9, 2025

January 13, 2026

March 10, 2026

April 14, 2026