The Fellowship events and related requirements span a period of approximately four months, during which time the Fellows engage in the following:

Strategic Negotiation and Communication Training Led by an expert facilitator and former State Department negotiator, Fellows begin their program with a half-day of training and skill-building exercises that introduce them to one another as individuals rather than partisans.

Simulated NSC Deputies Committee Meeting – Building on the skills learned in their initial training, Fellows participate in a focused three-hour simulation with each person playing the role of a key Cabinet official at a high-level meeting. In the past, former officials Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr. and Assistant Secretary of State Lincoln Bloomfield played the roles of National Security Advisor, giving the Fellows invaluable advice based on their own personal experiences navigating the Federal interagency process.


Meetings With Former Officials – PSA Advisory Board members and other former officials meet with Fellows to discuss key foreign policy and national security issues with a particular focus on bipartisanship in policymaking decisions. In the past, Fellows have had dinners with former Governor Thomas Kean (R-NJ), former National Security Advisor Tony Lake, former UN Ambassador Donald J. McHenry and former White House Chief of Staff Kenneth Duberstein.



Meetings with NSC and Executive Branch staff – Fellows have previously met with then NSC senior staff, including Chief of Staff Mark Lippert, Chief National Security Speechwriter Ben Rhodes, and Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough, at the White House.

Wye River Retreat – The House and Senate Fellows are brought together for a two-day retreat that includes outdoor team-building exercises and policy breakout discussions with PSA Board of Directors Members such as Chip Andreae, former chief of staff to Sen. Richard Lugar, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Semmel. The retreat also includes talks with officials such as former Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT).




Final Project – Working with colleagues from across the aisle, each Fellow completes a final project that applies the consensus-building skills that they acquired during the Fellowship to real problems they face in their legislative positions. These bipartisan projects range from writing joint policy papers to convening a briefing on a national security topic. These briefings not only give the Fellows an opportunity to work together, they also create opportunities for all Congressional staff from both parties to attend and participate in a bipartisan policy discussion. See examples of previous final projects.

Graduation- Following successful completion of the events and final project, Fellows attend a graduation ceremony on Capitol Hill and join the active PSA Fellows Alumni Network, which offers exclusive opportunities for continued exposure to high-level bipartisan leaders, discussion and education on key foreign policy challenges, and social events to maintain relationships forged in the program.