Congressional Fellowship Program

Fall 2026 Class

InterAction recently announced its Fall 2026 Congressional Fellowship Program and is seeking a bi-partisan group of between 10-15 congressional staff from the House and Senate who are responsible for foreign policy and/or international assistance in their office.

As Congress and the U.S. government continue to reevaluate the billions it invests in foreign assistance, debates over these programs have sharpened. Pointed questions have even been asked about the utility of foreign assistance and how it can move beyond saving lives to advance U.S. safety, security, and prosperity.

Important questions must be asked during these debates: What is the new model of U.S. foreign assistance? How is foreign assistance part of the broader foreign policy toolbox? How and why do foreign assistance programs succeed and fail? How can assistance reach more people more effectively?

Those selected for the Program will meet over 5 Friday sessions for in-depth discussions on these very questions. Fellows will also learn how foreign assistance has been authorized and funded, how the programs are implemented, and how we measure their impact on the ground.

Topics that will be covered include:  

• A detailed discussion of how Congress has authorized and appropriated foreign aid, including an exploration of specific accounts within appropriations legislation.
• How foreign aid partners implement assistance programs with the U.S. government and other institutional donors.
• A deeper examination of how foreign aid is provided including:
  • Hearing directly from aid workers who have implemented U.S. foreign assistance in the field
  • The daily challenges aid workers face, such as limitations and reporting obligations
  • Several specific foreign assistance programs and locations.

Fellows will hear from experts in the field, as well as from U.S. government officials. Through this experience, Fellows will broaden their network on and off Capitol Hill.

Sessions will take place on Fridays from September 18 through October 16. The program begins with a full-day session on September 18 and concludes with a half-day session on October 16. All other sessions will be 90 minutes in length.

If you have any questions, please review the FAQ document or contact Tom Buttry at tbuttry@interaction.org.