July 30, 2026
Now Accepting Applications for the 2027 Class of the Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Leaders Fellowship
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is now accepting applications for the 2027 class of the Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Leaders Fellowship.
Each year, CNAS selects a bipartisan group of 20–25 emerging national security leaders ages 27–35 to participate in the program. The year-long, part-time fellowship was renamed in 2018 in honor of the late Shawn Brimley, one of the founding members of CNAS, for his incredible contributions to the Center and to the broader national security community.
The NextGen Fellowship aims to bring together a diverse group of young professionals from across the national security field to develop their leadership skills. NextGen Fellows will engage with key national security leaders through various events, including a monthly dinner series, a week-long international study tour, and a leadership seminar.
“Preparing the next generation of national security leaders is a core CNAS mission,” said Michèle Flournoy, cofounder of CNAS and chair of the NextGen program. “We fully expect that many members of this fellowship’s 2027 class will help to chart the future of U.S. national security policy, and we’re proud to play a role in the professional development of such impressive up-and-coming leaders.”
Previous classes have traveled to Asia and the Middle East and have taken part in leadership roundtable dinners with Antony Blinken, former secretary of state; General David Berger, former commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps; Christian Brose, president and chief strategy officer at Anduril; Christine Wormuth, former secretary of the Army; Ambassador Nate Fick, former inaugural U.S. ambassador for cyberspace and digital policy, and many other current and former national security leaders.
Applications are open now until 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, August 30, 2026.
For more information about the program and application process, please visit our FAQs webpage. For questions concerning the program, please contact [email protected].
Learn More
The Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Leaders Fellowship
The Next Generation National Security Leaders Program is a central part of the Center for a New American Security’s mission to prepare and foster the next generation of nation...
Read More