How to Apply for the Rotary Peace Fellowship 2028–29

These steps follow the order on Rotary’s official Peace Fellowship Application page, with the practical detail filled in. The 2028–29 form is expected online in February 2027.

The eight steps

1. 1
   Now

   Check eligibility and the experience guide

   Read the restrictions and the Relevant Experience Eligibility Guide. Settle which track you qualify for.

2. 2
   Now

   Research the centres

   Compare curricula. For the master’s you rank two preferred centres, and cannot pick one in your home country.

3. 3
   Oct 2026–Feb 2027

   Engage with Rotary

   Find a club with Rotary’s Club Finder. Ask about the district’s Rotary Peace Fellowship subcommittee chair.

4. 4
   Feb 2027

   Read the Application Overview

   It appears when you start the online form and explains each section.

5. 5
   Feb–Apr 2027

   Gather documents

   Résumé, recommendations, video and essays, plus transcripts and English scores (master’s) or a social impact plan (certificate).

6. 6
   By 15 May 2027 (expected)

   Submit

   Recommendations, including any club or district recommendation, must be in before you submit. Submission is final.

7. 7
   Summer–autumn 2027

   Review and possible interview

   Eligible files are reviewed; top candidates may be contacted by a university.

8. 8
   November 2027

   Results — then apply to the university

   Selected candidates learn their centre. Selection is not admission: you then apply to that university.

Documents checklist

From the official list. Tick them off as you go — your progress stays on this page only.

All materials must be in English. Allow time to request university transcripts and register for IELTS or TOEFL if your track needs them; Rotary’s English reference sheet lists accepted tests and exemptions.

The club or district recommendation

Earlier versions of the programme required candidates to be endorsed by a Rotary district before Rotary would consider them. That is no longer how the official process reads. Today a club or district recommendation is optional, but strongly encouraged, and if you get one it must be entered before you submit.

Why bother? “Compatibility with fellowship objectives and fit with Rotary” is one of the published selection criteria. A district that knows your work can speak to that. Some districts also run information sessions or mock interviews, and a peace fellowship chair may be willing to read your essays before you send them.

• Use the Club Finder to find a club near you, then ask for the district’s Rotary Peace Fellowship subcommittee chair.
• Contact them early — ideally before February. Districts set their own timelines for meeting applicants.
• Bring a one-page summary of your work and why you want the fellowship. Be ready to explain how your peace work connects to Rotary’s mission.
• Remember the restriction: you cannot be a Rotary member or a close relative of one. Getting to know a club is fine; joining it before you apply is not.

Recommendations

The form asks for academic and/or professional recommendations. For most applicants, a supervisor who has watched your peace or development work is more useful than a professor from years ago. Master’s applicants may want one academic voice to speak to research ability. Give recommenders at least a month, a copy of your résumé and a short note on what the fellowship is.

Original work only

Rotary says candidates must submit original and authentic content based on personal experience, knowledge and motivation. Use of generative AI content is “highly discouraged” and plagiarism disqualifies an application. Write your own essays and record your own video; see Essays & video.