Applications are open for the Fall 2026 Graduate Student Intellectual Diversity Initiative Mentorship Program, an initiative designed to support prospective graduate students interested in pursuing PhD study in Political Science, Political Theory, and related areas of academic research.

The Graduate Student Intellectual Diversity Initiative (GSIDI) is a joint project led by Steve Teles of the Johns Hopkins University SNF Agora Institute and Jenna Storey of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). The initiative seeks to broaden the range of intellectual perspectives represented within higher education by strengthening the pipeline of prospective scholars considering academic careers.

For its mentorship program, GSIDI is matching a select group of prospective graduate students with faculty members from leading PhD-granting institutions. Successful applicants will receive individualized guidance during the fall semester as they prepare applications for doctoral study.

The initiative is particularly interested in students whose research questions, hypotheses, theoretical perspectives, or approaches may be described as conservative, moderate, or heterodox liberal, as well as applicants interested more broadly in questions of intellectual diversity within academia.

Importantly, the initiative does not describe its faculty network as ideologically uniform. According to the program description, participating mentors include scholars from different political perspectives who share an interest in maintaining intellectual diversity within the academic research community.

The priority application deadline is September 15, 2026.

About the Graduate Student Intellectual Diversity Initiative

The Graduate Student Intellectual Diversity Initiative was created in response to concerns about the range of political and intellectual viewpoints represented within higher education.

The initiative argues that when certain perspectives are significantly underrepresented within academic disciplines, this can have consequences for the research process itself.

One concern highlighted by GSIDI is what it describes as “field compression.”

In this context, field compression refers to a situation where the range of:

• Research questions being asked
• Hypotheses being considered
• Theoretical approaches being used
• Interpretations being debated
• Assumptions being questioned

may become narrower because certain intellectual or ideological perspectives are less frequently represented within a discipline.

GSIDI therefore focuses not only on existing university faculty but on the graduate-school pipeline that produces future academics.

The initiative aims to identify promising prospective scholars early in their academic journey and provide them with mentorship before and during the PhD application process.

Who Leads GSIDI?

The Graduate Student Intellectual Diversity Initiative is jointly led by:

Steve Teles

Steve Teles is affiliated with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

Jenna Storey

Jenna Storey is affiliated with the American Enterprise Institute.

Together, they have developed GSIDI as a program focused on strengthening intellectual diversity within higher education by supporting prospective graduate students.

The initiative has initially built a national network of scholars in:

• Political Science
• Political Theory

The organizers hope that the model may eventually inspire similar efforts in other academic fields, although the current program described in the supplied materials focuses specifically on these areas.

What Is the GSIDI Mentorship Program?

The GSIDI Mentorship Program matches selected prospective graduate students with established professors at highly ranked PhD-granting institutions.

These faculty members have agreed to serve as mentors because of their commitment to intellectual diversity within academic research and graduate education.

Successful applicants will receive advice over the course of the fall semester while preparing for graduate-school applications.

The program is therefore particularly relevant to students who are:

• Planning to apply to PhD programs during Fall 2026
• Interested in Political Science or Political Theory
• Considering an academic career
• Seeking guidance from experienced faculty members
• Interested in research questions or approaches that may fall outside dominant intellectual perspectives within their field

What Mentors Will Help With

GSIDI mentors are expected to provide general guidance on several areas of academic development.

Graduate School Applications

One of the primary purposes of the mentorship is to help students navigate the PhD application process.

For prospective doctoral students, applying to graduate school can involve difficult decisions regarding:

• Which programs to target
• How to identify faculty fit
• How to frame research interests
• How to communicate academic potential
• How to position an application strategically
• How to understand differences among departments

A mentor who already understands graduate admissions and academic culture can provide valuable perspective during this process.

Academic Research Direction

Applicants will provide information about their research interests when applying.

This allows GSIDI to consider whether a prospective student can be matched with a faculty member whose expertise or academic experience is relevant to the applicant’s goals.

Mentorship may help candidates think more carefully about:

• Research questions
• Areas of specialization
• Theoretical approaches
• Intellectual positioning
• Long-term academic interests

Peer-Reviewed Publications

The initiative states that mentors may also provide general advice concerning peer-reviewed publication.

For prospective academics, learning how scholarly publishing works can be important even before beginning a doctoral program.

Faculty mentors may help applicants better understand:

• What academic journals are looking for
• How research develops into publishable work
• The role of peer review
• How publication fits into an academic career
• What kinds of research preparation are useful before beginning a PhD

The program description does not indicate that participants are guaranteed publication opportunities. Rather, mentors provide general advice about academic publishing.

Careers in Academia

GSIDI also provides guidance about the prospects of a career in higher education.

Applicants who are considering long-term careers as:

• University professors
• Academic researchers
• Political scientists
• Political theorists
• Policy scholars

may benefit from realistic conversations with experienced faculty members about the structure of academic careers.

This could include discussions about graduate study, publishing, research agendas, academic hiring, and the long-term demands of university research.

Who Is the Program Designed For?

GSIDI is primarily designed for prospective graduate students who are actively applying to PhD programs.

The Fall 2026 application asks whether the applicant is currently applying for graduate school and is specifically aimed at students preparing applications during the fall admissions cycle.

The initiative is especially interested in candidates whose academic interests involve questions, hypotheses, or approaches that may be described as:

• Conservative
• Moderate
• Heterodox liberal

However, this does not mean applicants must adopt a particular political identity.

The initiative’s language focuses primarily on intellectual approaches and research questions, rather than requiring applicants to identify personally with a specific political party or ideology.

Political Science and Political Theory Focus

The current GSIDI network has been launched primarily within:

Political Science

and:

Political Theory

The mentorship program connects prospective graduate students with professors at leading doctoral programs in these areas.

Applicants planning PhD research in adjacent fields should carefully consider whether their proposed doctoral work fits clearly within Political Science, Political Theory, or the participating scholars’ areas of expertise.

The supplied information does not state that the Fall 2026 mentorship program is currently open across all humanities and social-science disciplines.

Why GSIDI Focuses on Intellectual Diversity

The initiative is based on the view that academic research benefits when scholars approach questions from different intellectual traditions.

GSIDI argues that limited representation of center-right and other less common perspectives within some areas of higher education may narrow scholarly debate.

From the initiative’s perspective, improving intellectual diversity can increase the range of:

• Questions researchers ask
• Explanations scholars test
• Competing hypotheses considered
• Interpretive frameworks employed
• Scholarly disagreements represented

The program therefore approaches intellectual diversity as an issue affecting both university culture and the research process.

Prospective applicants should understand this intellectual mission before applying and should be able to explain why the program is relevant to their own research interests.

Faculty Mentors

Successful applicants will be matched with faculty mentors from highly ranked PhD-granting institutions.

The initiative emphasizes that participating mentors are established scholars within Political Science and Political Theory.

Faculty participating in the network do not necessarily share the same political outlook.

Some may be conservative, while others may have liberal or other perspectives but support the principle that academic research should include a wider variety of intellectual viewpoints.

This is an important feature of the initiative: the mentorship is not described simply as ideological networking, but as an effort to connect prospective scholars with established academics committed to intellectual diversity.

How the Mentorship Works

The mentorship is intended to take place over the Fall 2026 semester.

The general process is:

1. Prospective PhD applicants complete the GSIDI mentorship application.
2. Applicants provide information about their academic background and research interests.
3. Applicants upload their university transcript.
4. GSIDI staff review the submitted materials.
5. Selected applicants are matched with appropriate faculty mentors.
6. Mentors provide advice as applicants prepare graduate-school applications during the fall.

The program description does not specify an exact number of mentorship meetings or a fixed number of hours participants will receive.

Applicants should therefore treat the mentorship as individualized academic guidance rather than a standardized course with a predetermined weekly schedule.

Application Requirements

The application appears intentionally straightforward compared with many fellowship or graduate-admissions applications.

Applicants are asked to provide information concerning their:

• Academic background
• Research interests
• Graduate-school plans

They must also upload:

A copy of their university transcript

The program states that submitted materials will only be shared with:

• GSIDI staff
• Potential faculty mentors

Applicants should carefully complete the form so that organizers have sufficient information to identify an appropriate mentor.

University Transcript

Applicants must upload their university transcript as part of the application.

The information provided does not specify:

• Whether an official transcript is required
• Whether an unofficial transcript is acceptable
• A minimum GPA
• A particular degree classification

Applicants should therefore follow the instructions shown within the official application form.

Research Interests

Applicants will be asked to provide information about their research interests.

This is likely to be particularly important for mentor matching.

Candidates should be prepared to explain clearly:

• What area of Political Science or Political Theory interests them
• What research questions they may want to investigate
• Why those questions matter
• What intellectual or theoretical approaches interest them
• What type of PhD program they hope to enter

A focused description can make it easier for GSIDI staff to understand where the applicant might benefit most from mentorship.

Applicants Should Be Preparing for PhD Applications

The program is not presented as a general undergraduate mentoring initiative.

The Fall 2026 call specifically asks for students who are currently applying to graduate school.

Applicants should therefore ideally be at the stage where they are preparing applications for PhD study during the upcoming admissions cycle.

This may involve activities such as:

• Researching doctoral programs
• Identifying potential supervisors
• Preparing statements of purpose
• Developing research interests
• Requesting recommendation letters
• Preparing academic writing samples
• Reviewing transcripts
• Considering future academic careers

Priority Application Deadline

The priority deadline is September 15, 2026.

Applicants should distinguish between a priority deadline and a final deadline.

The information provided specifies September 15 as the priority deadline but does not state a separate final closing date.

Candidates interested in the mentorship should therefore aim to submit their application by September 15, 2026 rather than assuming applications will remain open substantially later.

How to Apply

Prospective applicants should complete the official Fall 2026 GSIDI Mentorship Application.

The application asks candidates to provide details about their research background and academic interests and to upload a university transcript.

Information about the broader Graduate Student Intellectual Diversity Initiative is available through the Johns Hopkins University SNF Agora Institute website.

If you would like to receive updates about GSIDI news and events, please register HERE.

APPLY HERE

Questions About the Program

Applicants with questions can contact:

Jacob Bruggeman

Email:

Jbrugge2@jhu.edu

Prospective candidates may wish to contact the program if they are uncertain about whether their research area fits the current Political Science and Political Theory network.

GSIDI News and Events

Individuals who are interested in the initiative but are not yet applying to graduate school can also register to receive news and event updates.

This could be useful for:

• Undergraduate students considering future graduate study
• Master’s students planning to apply in a later cycle
• Researchers interested in intellectual diversity
• Students interested in academic careers

The updates form is separate from the formal mentorship application.

Tips for Preparing a Strong GSIDI Application

1. Explain Your Research Interests Clearly

Avoid describing your interests only in extremely broad terms such as “politics” or “democracy.”

Explain the questions you are actually curious about.

For example, identify:

• A political institution
• A theoretical problem
• A policy question
• A historical development
• A research puzzle
• A methodological challenge

that you may want to investigate.

2. Explain Why Intellectual Diversity Matters to Your Research

The initiative has a distinctive mission.

Applicants should therefore be able to explain why GSIDI’s emphasis on intellectual diversity is relevant to them.

The strongest explanation need not be ideological.

It could focus on:

• Testing competing hypotheses
• Challenging assumptions
• Engaging opposing arguments
• Expanding theoretical perspectives
• Improving research design
• Encouraging more rigorous debate

3. Avoid Treating Political Identity as the Entire Application

The initiative focuses on broadening intellectual perspectives, but applicants are still applying for academic mentorship.

A strong application should therefore demonstrate:

• Serious research interests
• Academic preparation
• Intellectual curiosity
• Interest in doctoral study
• Potential for scholarly development

Political self-identification alone is unlikely to communicate sufficient academic potential.

4. Be Specific About Your PhD Plans

Explain where you are in the application process.

You may want to identify:

• General subfield
• Research topics
• Types of programs
• Career objectives

This can help GSIDI determine which faculty mentor may be most useful.

5. Prepare Your Transcript Early

Because the application requires a university transcript, obtain the appropriate document before beginning the final submission process.

6. Apply by the Priority Deadline

Aim for:

September 15, 2026

rather than waiting to see whether applications remain open afterward.

Why This Mentorship Can Be Valuable

PhD admissions differ considerably from undergraduate and many master’s admissions processes.

Applicants are often evaluated not only on grades but on:

• Intellectual potential
• Research fit
• Academic writing
• Research experience
• Recommendation letters
• Clarity of scholarly goals
• Fit with faculty and departments

For students unfamiliar with academic institutions, understanding these expectations can be difficult.

A faculty mentor with experience in leading Political Science or Political Theory programs may help prospective applicants better understand how academic departments evaluate doctoral candidates.

The mentorship can also help students think beyond admission itself and consider whether a long-term career in academic research is genuinely appropriate for their goals.

What the Program Does Not Promise

Based on the information provided, GSIDI should not be described as guaranteeing:

• Admission to a PhD program
• Funding for doctoral study
• A scholarship
• A paid stipend
• Employment
• Publication
• Placement at a specific university

Its central benefit is faculty mentorship and guidance.

Applicants should therefore understand it primarily as an academic-development and PhD-application mentorship opportunity.

Important Information at a Glance

Program: Graduate Student Intellectual Diversity Initiative Mentorship Program

Cycle: Fall 2026

Academic areas: Political Science and Political Theory

Organizers: Johns Hopkins University SNF Agora Institute and American Enterprise Institute-affiliated project leadership

Program leaders: Steve Teles and Jenna Storey

Target group: Prospective graduate students applying for PhD programs

Main activity: Faculty mentorship during the PhD application process

Mentor network: Professors at highly ranked PhD-granting institutions

Application materials: Background information, research interests, and university transcript

Priority deadline: September 15, 2026

Contact: Jbrugge2@jhu.edu

Conclusion

The Graduate Student Intellectual Diversity Initiative Mentorship Program Fall 2026 offers a distinctive opportunity for prospective Political Science and Political Theory PhD applicants seeking individualized guidance from established academics.

Led jointly by Steve Teles of the Johns Hopkins University SNF Agora Institute and Jenna Storey of the American Enterprise Institute, GSIDI seeks to strengthen intellectual diversity in higher education by focusing on the pipeline through which future university researchers and professors are trained.

Selected participants will be matched with faculty mentors from leading PhD-granting institutions and receive guidance during the fall graduate-school application cycle.

Mentors may advise participants on:

• PhD applications
• Academic research
• Peer-reviewed publications
• Graduate-school strategy
• Careers in academia

The program is particularly intended for prospective scholars whose research questions, hypotheses, or approaches may be characterized as conservative, moderate, or heterodox liberal, although the faculty network itself includes scholars with different political viewpoints who share an interest in intellectual diversity.

Applicants should be preparing to apply to PhD programs during Fall 2026 and should be ready to provide information about their research interests, academic background, and university transcript.

The priority deadline is September 15, 2026.

For students considering a future in Political Science or Political Theory who want experienced academic guidance before submitting doctoral applications, GSIDI provides an opportunity to receive targeted mentorship during a particularly important stage of the academic career pipeline.

If you are currently applying for graduate school, and would like to be considered for this mentorship program, please fill out this FORM.

For more academic, fellowship, and graduate opportunities, VISIT HERE.