Robin Copeland Memorial Fellowship 2025

The U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF Global) will conduct a five-month Robin Copeland Memorial Fellowship (RCMF) on the theme of nuclear security and women leadership in the workplace for professionals from the Indo-Pacific region. The RCMF will be implemented in three phases as follows:

• Phase I: Participants will complete a virtual onboarding program the month before the in-person fellowship, with additional time allocated for preparation and travel.
• Phase II: Fellows will engage in a one-month immersive fellowship with partner institutions, focusing on their capstone projects and fostering connections within the cohort.
• Phase III: Following the in-person fellowship, fellows will complete their capstone research. This phase will culminate in an in-person Capstone workshop, featuring additional professional development programming and an opportunity for fellows to present their Capstone research. We aim for this Capstone workshop to take place on the sidelines of a notable regional or global conference or event.

The Robin Copeland Memorial Fellowship (RCMF) supports early-to-mid-career women in the nuclear security field through a three-phased exchange program on the theme of nuclear security and women’s leadership.

Women with technical or policy nuclear backgrounds from the Indo-Pacific region, such as:

• Emerging women leaders with a background or interest in nuclear security
• Early-to-mid-career women in the nuclear field
• Currently employed women with two or more years of relevant, nuclear-focused professional work experience

Expertise Requirement:

• Self-directed and able to work effectively in a cross-cultural setting
• Interest in developing an individual project of the applicant’s selection in their home workplace or community

To be considered for the program, please submit the following (in English) to CRDF Global. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.

• A completed RCMF application form
• A detailed curriculum vitae (CV)
• A letter of support from the applicant’s institutional sponsor
  • The program requires each applicant to have an institutional sponsor (either the applicant’s immediate supervisor or upper management) to commit their support to the candidate’s professional development following the program. The sponsor will need to provide a letter of support for the applicant, described below.
  • The letter should be on official letterhead, signed and dated by the applicant’s sponsor, and confirm the sponsor’s approval of the applicant’s participation in the program, as well as include:
    • The applicant’s full name (as appears on the applicant’s passport)
    • The applicant’s position title and institution name
    • The applicant’s intended fellowship focus area
    • The applicant’s supervisor’s consent to fellowship duration

Please submit the above as well as any application questions to CopelandFellowship@crdfglobal.org and cc cfatigato@crdfglobal.org.