Subject: [CivilSoc] Fellowship Opportunity for NIS professionals
From: Courtenay Dunn (cdunn@irex.org)
Date: Wed Sep 27 2000 - 11:08:51 EDT
*************************FELLOWSHIP
ANNOUNCEMENT********************************
IREX is pleased to announce an open competition for the Contemporary Issues
Fellowship Program. The deadline for this application is November 24, 2000.
Since 1996, the Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program has awarded
Fellowships to professionals, specialists, consultants, practitioners, NGO
leaders and policy-makers from the NIS to conduct research and gain
knowledge and experience in United States institutions. The program is
developed, funded and supervised by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs, Department of State and administered by the International Research
and Exchanges Board (IREX).
The Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program provides opportunities to
qualified citizens of all twelve New Independent States to conduct research,
write studies, gain experience and develop contacts in the United States
with the goal of playing an active role in sustaining the transition to
democracy, open markets, and civil society in their home country.
Fellowships are for four months. All applications must contain focused,
well-developed research proposals, which are issue and policy driven with
practical application and address recent developments and trends in the NIS.
The Contemporary Issues Fellowship proposals must focus on one of the
following five topics:
* Sustainable Growth and Economic Development of NIS Economies in Transition
* Democratization, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law
* Political, Military, Security and Public Policy Issues
* Strengthening Civil Society
* The Communications Revolution, and Access to Information
Examples of research topics for the Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program
would include, but are not limited to: Telecommunications Systems in the
NIS; the Impact of NATO Expansion; Nuclear Safety and Non-Proliferation;
Covering Election Year Politics in the Press; Combating Organized Crime and
Corruption; NGO Management and Development; Creating a Social Safety Net;
Politics of Pipelines in Central Asia and the Caucasus; Resolving Regional
Conflict; Trade, Investment, and Tax Policy; Reforming the Military; Human
Resources Management in International Businesses; Freedom of the Press in
Electronic Publishing; Distance Education; the Legal Rights of Women,
Children, Workers, and the Disabled; Health Care Administration and Policy
in the Wake of the Chernobyl Disaster; Environmental Policy; New
Technologies in Library Information Management; Reforming Educational
Policy; and Media Management.
All applicants must demonstrate a critical need to conduct their research in
the United States, address how their research will make a significant
contribution to their fields in their home countries, and explain how they
will apply their research and disseminate the knowledge gained during their
U.S. fellowship upon return to the NIS. All Contemporary Issues Fellows are
affiliated with U.S. host institutions (i.e. universities, research
institutes, NGOs, and government agencies) appropriate to their field and
are assigned to a host advisor who guides them in their research projects
and professional development. Collaborative projects with American
colleagues are highly encouraged. All participants are required to submit a
final report discussing their program activities, the results of their
research, and future plans upon returning to their home country.
Eligibility Requirements for the Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program
Applicant must:
1. Be a citizen of and residing in the NIS (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Russian Federation,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine or Uzbekistan);
2. Be over the age of 24, but under the age of 55 at the time of the
November 24, 2000 deadline;
3. Be a policy-maker or government official at the national, regional, or
local level, NGO staff member, or other practitioner including journalist,
lawyer, manager, judge, law enforcement official, etc. having had few or no
recent opportunities to conduct research at U.S. institutions in one of the
five targeted categories of topics eligible for the Contemporary Issues
Fellowships Program;
4. Hold an academic degree equivalent to, if not above, a U.S. Master of
Arts or Master of Sciences degree;
5. Have at least three years of professional experience in the topic of the
research proposal;
6. Submit a research proposal in one of the Contemporary Issues categories
listed above with demonstrated need for research in the U.S.;
7. Have a high level of proficiency in written and spoken English necessary
to conduct independent research in the U.S. and engage colleagues;
8. Have written publications or delivered presentations at conferences or
seminars;
9. Be able to receive and maintain a J-1 visa;
10. Be able to begin the Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program in
mid-August 2001 or mid-February 2002.
11. Not be a spouse of an U.S. citizen nor a spouse of a citizen of
countries other than the 12 participating countries;
12. Not be currently participating in academic, training or research
programs outside the 12 participating countries;
13. Not be currently residing or working outside the 12 participating
countries;
14. Not have previously participated in a program sponsored or funded by the
U.S. government (US Department of State or other U.S. government
institution) after August 1999 [past two years] for a period of more than
six weeks; and
15. Not have applied for an immigrant visa to any country, or requested
political asylum in any country. This includes individuals who hold or have
applied for an U.S. "green card," or who have applied to the U.S. Diversity
Immigrant Visa Lottery.
Employees of US Embassies and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
contract/grantee organizations are eligible to apply to the Contemporary
Issues Fellowship Program.
Under the terms of the grant and the laws governing the J-1 visa required
for participation in the Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program, fellows
must return to their home country immediately upon completion of the program
for a period of at least two years. Fellows may not continue their studies
in the US, and are not eligible for extended practical training or
employment in the United States.
Financial and Professional Provisions of the Grant
The program provides:
*round-trip travel from fellows' home cities in the NIS to the U.S. host
institution;
* medical insurance;
* a three-day orientation in Washington, DC;
* a monthly stipend for housing and living expenses;
* an optional internship allowance; and
* a small allowance for educational materials and professional conferences
and membership in U.S. professional associations.
The program also provides post-fellowship opportunities in the New
Independent States for continued professional growth of alumni. These
opportunities for alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs in
the NIS generally include:
* an alumni small grants program
* participation in and the development of regional conferences, seminars,
and lecture series;
* an alumni listserv;
* continued access to e-mail, Internet, and the resources of the World Wide
Web.
US Host Institution Affiliation
Contemporary Issues Fellows will be affiliated with a US university,
institute, think-tank, NGO or government office appropriate to their
research objectives and be placed with a host advisor. Applicants should
suggest possible placement institutions in their application where they
prefer to conduct their research. IREX will determine the final appropriate
U.S. affiliation based on the participants' preferences, recommendations of
senior specialists and scholars in the United States, and availability of
United States' host institutions. All applicants must realize that final
affiliations will be decided by IREX and suggesting institutions in their
application is no guarantee of future placement. The program is developed,
funded and supervised by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
Department of State and administered by the International Research and
Exchanges Board (IREX).
Selection Process and Program Timeline for the Contemporary Issues
Fellowship Program
The Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program is conducted as merit-based open
competition in the NIS with selections by review panels of US and NIS
scholars and professionals who are knowledgeable about social, political,
economic, and educational developments in the NIS. All qualified applicants,
regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnic group, or physical challenge
will be considered equally.
The application deadline for the Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program is
Friday, 5:00 p.m., November 24, 2000. All semi-finalists will be interviewed
in person in their home countries in February-March 2001. All applicants
will be notified of their status by April-May 2001. Contemporary Issues
Fellows will begin their fellowships in the United States in late August
2001 or February 2002. All Fellows attend a pre-departure orientation in
their home countries in May-July 2001 and a comprehensive program
orientation in Washington, DC, prior to beginning fellowships at U.S. host
institutions. Finalists awarded grants and designated alternates must
complete a full medical form certifying that they are in good health.
Medical forms are in English and will be sent to the selected finalists
together with an official acceptance letter. Fellows without completed
medical forms certifying that they are in good health will not participate
in the program.
A series of public informational lectures about these fellowship
opportunities will be held in the NIS in September and October 2000.
Applications for the Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program can be obtained
by contacting the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), the IREX
field offices, and Educational Information Centers located in the NIS.
Contact your nearest IREX office or EIC for more information. In addition,
the application can be downloaded from http://www.irex.org or
http://www.irex.ru.
_______________________________________________
CivilSoc mailing list
CivilSoc@friends-partners.org
http://fpmail.friends-partners.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/civilsoc
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a22 : Wed Sep 27 2000 - 11:41:58 EDT