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 are open for the 2026-27 Woodhouse Fellowship. Submit your application by July 8, 2026.

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 2026-27 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.
Spring Retreat: Examine the long philosophical history of the American Founding, tracing the rights and liberties of colonists from the Magna Carta to the Bill of Rights. As part of the weekend, Fellows visit Independence Hall, the Museum of the American Revolution, and have access to the numerous historical sites in the city.

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.

From start to finish, this fellowship has been a deeply grounded, human experience that emphasized true interpersonal connection and exchange of ideas. The two retreats removed us from everyday life and effectively immersed us in the great questions of what it means to live in a free, virtuous society.

- Julia Cataneo

2025-26 Woodhouse Fellow

Meet Our Faculty

Learn about the tension between freedom and tradition from public policy leaders, academics and journalists. Our 2024-25 fellowship faculty are listed below.

Samuel Goldman

Visiting Fellow, AEI

Associate Professor of Humanities, University of Florida

Richard Reinsch

Editor-in-Chief, Civitas Institute

Donald Devine

TFAS Senior Scholar

Anne Bradley

George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education and Vice President of Academic Affairs, TFAS

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

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

This fellowship was instrumental in teaching me to parse out the great ideas--and their great critiques--so the next generation can appreciate and advocate for individual rights, free markets, and limited government.

- Emily Burden

2024-25 Woodhouse Fellow