Опубликовано:
24.08.2017 11:07:10Название компании:
National Endowment for Democracy (NED)Крайний срок подачи заявки
15.10.2017 истёк срок подачи заявокСтоимость обучения:
Full ScholarshipДата начала:
October 1, 2018Продолжительность:
October 1, 2018–February 28, 2019; March 1–July 31, 2019
Named in honor of NED’s principal founders, former president Ronald Reagan and the late congressman Dante Fascell (D-Fl.), the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program is a federally funded, international exchange program that offers practitioners, scholars, and journalists from around the world the opportunity to spend five months in residence at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), in Washington, D.C., in order to undertake independent research on democracy in a particular country or region. Located within NED’s International Forum for Democratic Studies, the program provides a rich intellectual setting for educational exchange and professional development. While in residence, fellows reflect on their experiences; engage with counterparts; conduct research and writing; consider best practices and lessons learned; and develop professional relationships within a global network of democracy advocates.
The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program hosts democracy activists, scholars, and journalists for five-month fellowships, bringing fresh insights and perspectives to Washington, DC. The fellowship offers an important opportunity to explore new ideas in a comparative context, undertake individual research, and share best practices with one another.
The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program offers five-month fellowships to practitioners to focus on strategies and best practices for developing democracy in their country of interest; and to scholars to conduct original research for publication. Projects may address the economic, political, social, legal, or cultural aspects of democratic development and include a range of methodologies and approaches.
While the two tracks share many common elements, they have different eligibility requirements and distinct goals, activities, and products associated with them.
The Reagan-Fascell program was established with the primary purpose of supporting democracy activists, human rights advocates, journalists, and others who work on the frontlines of building democracy in emerging and aspiring democracies. The program provides practitioners with a needed break from their daily routine so that they may reflect on their work, exchange ideas and experiences with counterparts in the United States, and reevaluate techniques for building democracy in their country of origin.
Practitioner fellowships are typically five months in duration and culminate in a report, short article, op-ed, handbook, or another product, as well as a formal presentation of the fellow’s analysis and ideas.
Applicants interested in the practitioner track are expected to have substantial practical experience working to promote democracy or human rights in their country of origin or interest. There are no specific degree requirements for the practitioner track. A Ph.D., for instance, is not required of practitioner applicants. While there are also no age limits, applicants on the practitioner track are typically mid-career professionals with several years of professional experience in the field of democracy and human rights.
Examples of eligible candidates for the practitioner track include human rights advocates, lawyers, journalists, labor leaders, political party activists, diplomats, professional staff of civic or humanitarian organizations, and other civil society professionals from developing and aspiring democracies.
In recognition of the importance of intellectual contributions to the theory and practice of democracy, the Reagan-Fascell program offers a scholarly track for scholars, professors, and established writers. Applicants for this track may be scholars from emerging and aspiring democracies or accomplished scholars from the United States and other established democracies.
Fellowships on the scholarly track are typically five months in duration. Scholars make at least one public presentation of their work and complete a substantial piece of writing (typically an article or book) for publication.
Applicants interested in the scholarly track are expected to possess a doctorate (a Ph.D., or academic equivalent) at the time of application, to have a proven record of publications in their field, and to have developed a detailed research outline for their fellowship project.
Examples of eligible candidates for the scholarly track include college and university professors, researchers, journalists, and other writers from developing and aspiring democracies. Distinguished scholars from the United States or other established democracies are also eligible to apply. Occasionally, a professional who is planning to write a book or other scholarly publication may qualify to apply on the scholarly track.
Under new visa regulations, exchange program sponsors are required to ascertain prospective J-1 exchange visitors’ proficiency in the English language prior to their arrival in the United States. In compliance with these regulations, fellowship finalists seeking J-1 visa sponsorship will be invited to participate in brief video interviews via Skype with Reagan-Fascell staff.
All application materials must be submitted in English. While fellows’ primary product may be in their native language, they should have a solid command of written and spoken English for general communication purposes.
The Reagan Fascell Democracy Fellows Program is intended to give democracy practitioners, scholars, and journalists from around the world the opportunity to pursue a period of reflection, research, and professional exchange at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C. Fellows are expected to devote their time to working on a project related to the prospects for democracy in a particular country or region. Projects may focus on the political, social, economic, legal, and cultural aspects of democratic development and may include a range of methodologies and approaches. Projects should reflect the interests and expertise of the applicant and are not expected to include a study of, or comparison with, democracy in the United States.
At the start of their fellowship, and again at key stages throughout their stay at the International Forum, fellows consult with program staff on the theme and scope of their project, the progress they are making, any difficulties they may be encountering, and so on. Fellows are expected to make every effort to complete their project within the agreed-upon timetable.
All fellows make at least one formal presentation of their work during their stay. Presentations may be open to the public or geared to a more select audience and typically focus on the fellows’ research project or another topic relating to the state of democracy in their country of origin or interest. Fellows are also expected to complete a written product (article, report, manual, book manuscript, etc.) relating to their project.
As fellowships draw to a close, fellows update program staff on the progress they have made and their plans to complete their work in a timely fashion. Copies of the fellow’s final product(s), including any articles, op-eds, papers, book chapters, interview transcripts, or other material produced while in residence at the Endowment must be handed in to program staff by the end of the fellowship. Products may be written in English or any other language.
The Reagan-Fascell program makes every effort to create a rich intellectual environment that fosters learning and professional development. Through its calendar of seminars, roundtables, field trips, and other events, the program seeks to:
Fellows are expected to participate fully in the seminars, roundtables, field trips, and other events organized on their behalf. In deference to the collegial goals of the program, fellows are also expected to attend each other’s presentations, traditionally held at lunchtime as “brownbag” or catered events.
In addition, fellows benefit from the many informal social and cultural activities that the program has to offer, including trips to sporting events, museums, movies, happy hours, and potluck dinners. The program encourages fellows to take full advantage of their stay in Washington, D.C., by partaking in the rich cultural life of the nation’s capital.
Fellows are expected to be in residence at the International Forum for Democratic Studies and work full-time on their fellowship projects. Fellows may not hold any other fellowships, or be otherwise employed during the fellowship period without the express permission of program staff. Additional fellowships or work opportunities that coincide with the fellowship period must be brought to the attention of program staff. Failure to do so may result in the revocation of the fellowship.
Given their full-time residential character, Reagan-Fascell fellowships are not designed to support extensive fieldwork outside the Washington, D.C., area. The program recognizes the importance of establishing ties with counterparts elsewhere in the United States and abroad and understands that professional obligations may sometimes necessitate domestic or international travel. Limited funds may be available to support fellows’ professional travel within the United States. At the same time, fellows are expected to be in residence at the Forum for the bulk of the fellowship period, in order to take full advantage of the professional resources available at the Endowment and in the nation’s capital.
The Reagan-Fascell program holds an annual competition for fellowships, the deadline for which is in the fall. Applications are assessed through a rigorous evaluation process, including expert external and internal review, culminating in the selection of finalists by the Endowment’s Board of Directors. All applicants are notified of the competition’s outcome in mid-April.
In order to ensure a competitive selection process for the many candidates who apply each year, the Reagan-Fascell program is unable to offer fellowship deferrals except under extraordinary circumstances. Awardees who are unable to accept a fellowship in the year for which they applied may be asked to reapply if they remain interested in pursuing a fellowship in a future year.
The fellowship year begins October 1 and ends July 31 of the following year and is divided into two five-month sessions: the Fall session starts on October 1 and ends on February 28; the Spring session begins on March 1 and ends on July 31. In special cases, the program may accommodate fellows out of cycle.
Each fellow receives a monthly stipend for living expenses, plus basic health insurance and roundtrip travel to and from Washington, D.C., at the beginning and end of the fellowship period. Fellowship payments are calculated to cover cost of a short-term, furnished rental aprtment, plus “cost of living” for food, local transportation, and other necessities. Fellows are provided with a fully equipped office, including Internet access and a NED email account, plus a limited budget for long-distance phone calls and professional travel within the United States.
Applicants should bear in mind that the cost of living (housing, furniture, food, and other essential living expenses) in the Washington metropolitan area is very high and that fellowship stipends are not calculated to cover a family’s financial needs. Fellows who wish to bring family members with them to Washington, D.C., will be expected to cover the costs of their dependents’ roundtrip travel and stay within the United States. The program does not ordinarily cover costs associated with dependents’ health insurance or roundtrip travel to the United States. Please note that all dependents traveling to the Unites States on a J-2 dependent visa will be required to have basic health insurance coverage for the full period of their stay.
Fellows receive research support through the Reagan-Fascell Research Associates Program. Research Associates (RAs) play a vital role in helping fellows realize their fellowship objectives by collaborating with them on their fellowship projects and engaging them in ongoing discussions about their work. Each RA is assigned to work with several fellows and provides critical support in a variety of ways: consulting with fellows on the shape and direction of their projects, providing research, written, and editorial support on issues relating to the theory and practice of democracy, facilitating outreach, aiding in the preparation and follow-up of fellows’ public presentations, and providing other assistance as necessary.
The National Endowment for Democracy houses a Democracy Resource Center (DRC), staffed by five librarians, all of whom offer research assistance to the fellows. The DRC is the leading center for research on democracy in Washington, and includes an attractive library housing some 20,000 works, including books, journals, grantee reports, and other publications on democracy. The DRC’s expert staff members assist fellows with their research interests and computer needs. Fellows may enjoy access to other local libraries as needed.
The Reagan-Fascell Program is now accepting fellowship applications for Fall 2018 (October 1, 2018-February 28, 2019) and Spring 2019 (March 1-July 31, 2019). The deadline for submitting an application is October 15, 2017.
There are five steps to the online application process. Please click on each of the links below for an explanation of each step:
Step 1: Applicant Information
Step 2: Project Proposal for the Practitioner Track or for the Scholarly Track
Step 3: Letters of Recommendation
Step 4: Resume/CV and Biography
Step 5: Certification
The Online Application System will allow you to begin working on an application, save your progress, and return at a later time to complete the remaining application components. You are advised to save your work at all times.
You may complete Step 1 (Applicant Information) at any time of the year. However, you will only be able to proceed to Steps 2, 3, 4, and 5 during our application season (June 15–October 15, 2017).
Technical Difficulties: Applicants who cannot access the Online Application System should send us an email. We will respond with instructions and materials needed to submit a complete application.
Duplicate Copies: If you have completed the online application and received a confirmation email, please DO NOT send a duplicate copy of your application or recommendation letters by email or airmail. We receive a large volume of application materials and appreciate your cooperation in minimizing our paperwork.
For any questions about applying to the Reagan-Fascell Program, please contact: fellowships@ned.org, or call us at: (202) 378-9700.
