IIASA, jointly with the Friends of IIASA, is establishing a Howard Raiffa Fellows Program in Negotiation and Decision Science. The Fellowship will bring scholars and practitioners to IIASA to support the Raiffa Academy’s objectives of providing systems analysis tools for science-based policy decisions, negotiations, and diplomacy; facilitating breakthrough dialogues; and building a trusted global network of policy advisors with decision and negotiation analysis expertise. Separate Fellowships will be offered to early career and senior researchers and experts. 

A Raiffa Early Career Fellowship will be awarded in 2026, thanks to a gift from a former IIASA Director. This Fellowship will be offered to an all-but-thesis Ph.D. student or an early career researcher to support the Raiffa Academy Pilot Short Course and/or cooperate with one or more IIASA programs in the application of decision and negotiation analysis to critical international challenges.

The framework for the Raiffa Early Career Fellow will be roughly equivalent to the IIASA Young Scientist Summer Program (YSSP) Fellows, although the Raiffa Fellow will not be a YSSP participant, and the YSSP restrictions on timing, residency, and reporting will not apply.  The Raiffa Fellow may be invited to join YSSP activities, at the discretion of the IIASA YSSP organizers. 

Possible activities of the 2026 Raiffa Fellow:

  • Participate in the Raiffa Academy short course in mid-July of 2026 and help coordinate follow-up publications and planning;
  • Develop an IIASA-based case study for use in future Raiffa Academy Short Courses;
  • Explore impacts of AI and social media on decision and negotiation analysis.

Terms of Fellowship:

  • Propose and implement a project related to the Raiffa Academy goals; submit an interim report to supervisors 6 months after the awards; and submit a final report one year after the award.
  • Spend at least 6 weeks at IIASA, including the week of July 12, 2026 (Raiffa Academy pilot short course).
  • Fellowship provides up to two economy round trip airfares to Vienna and a stipend of $5,000 (4,300 Euros). Available to individuals who are all-but-thesis Ph.D. candidates or have earned a recent Ph.D. in a field related to IIASA’s research.
  • The Raiffa Fellow may be jointly supervised by an IIASA researcher and an off-site advisor with expertise in decision making and negotiations.

Applications for the Raiffa Early Career Fellow 2026

Submit the following materials to the Friends of IIASA Executive Director:

  • a proposal for research cooperation and collaboration with an IIASA researcher and/or a senior researcher associated with the Raiffa Academy during and after the Fellowship period;
  • current CV;
  • one or more letters of reference; if possible, include a letter of support from an IIASA staff member who could serve as your IIASA mentor.

Proposals shall be evaluated and recommendations for appointments made by a review committee appointed by the President of the Friends of IIASA, with advice from the Raiffa Academy Steering Committee and the IIASA Director General.  The invitation will be jointly extended by the IIASA Director General and the Friends of IIASA President.

For more information, or if you have questions, please contact:

Margaret Goud Collins, PhD
Executive Director
Friends of IIASA
29 Loop Rd
Falmouth, MA. 02540
[email protected]