Hoover Institution (Stanford, CA) — The Veteran Fellowship Program (VFP) at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University is entering its fifth year, having successfully empowered military veterans to address challenges at the local, state, and national levels. Since 2021, the program has supported forty veterans, accelerating them to develop and lead impactful projects that address urgent issues in government and public policy.
The fellowship is a yearlong, hands-on program that provides veteran fellows with a unique opportunity to transform their ideas into action. By utilizing Hoover Institution resources, mentorship from leading Stanford scholars and Hoover fellows, and a $10,000 stipend, fellows design and execute capstone projects that focus on solving real-world challenges.
Fellows have taken on a wide range of pressing issues, among them advancing solutions for rural healthcare delivery; creating innovative approaches to affordable housing; and developing mental health programs to prevent depression, anxiety, and suicide among service members and veteran. They have also advanced innovative wildfire and flood mitigation insurance reforms to help vulnerable communities manage risk. Several fellows have worked on refugee resettlement efforts, food scarcity and accessibility, professional empowerment programs for underserved youth and for veterans, and investigation into policy options to address local health care needs.
By utilizing the resources that they receive through Hoover, fellows are able to make their projects come to life on a local, state, or even nationwide scale. The projects are driving meaningful change, both at the policy level and in communities across the country.
“The defining characteristics of our US military veterans make them natural leaders in a wide array of areas essential to the protection of democracy and national security.” said Condoleezza Rice, director of the Hoover Institution. “The Hoover community will benefit greatly from the experience and wisdom acquired from their service to this nation.”
Applications for the 2025–26 cohort open May 1, 2025. Veterans from all branches who have served on active duty within the last twenty-five years are encouraged to apply.
Learn more: https://www.hoover.org/veteran-fellowship-program
