Center for Civil Society International ([email protected])
Mon, 19 Oct 1998 11:51:08 -0700 (PDT)
Sender: [email protected]
Subject: Fellowships for Citizens of the NIS
Freedom Support Act Fellowships
in Contemporary Issues
IREX is pleased to announce an open competition for the Freedom
Support Act Fellowships in Contemporary Issues. The deadline for
submitting applications for this program is November 27, 1998.
Since 1996, the Freedom Support Act Fellowships in Contemporary
Issues have been awarded to professionals, specialists, consultants,
practitioners, NGO leaders, and policymakers from the NIS to conduct
research and gain knowledge and experience in United States
institutions. This year, a total of 75 three-month fellowships will
be awarded to citizens from the New Independent States. The program is
developed, funded, and supervised by the United States Information
Agency (USIA) and administered by the International Research and
Exchanges Board (IREX).
The Freedom Support Act Fellowships in Contemporary Issues 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. All proposals must be issue
and policy driven with practical application and address recent
developments and trends in the NIS. Proposals for Freedom Support Act
Fellowships in Contemporary Issues must focus on one of the following
five topics:
* Sustainable Growth and Economic Development in the NIS.
* Democratization, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law in the NIS.
* Political, Military, Security, and Public Policy Issues in the NIS.
* Strengthening Civil Society in the NIS.
* Internet, the Communications Revolution, and Intellectual Property
Rights in the NIS.
Examples of research topics for the Freedom Support Act Fellowships in
Contemporary Issues 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, cite resources that are not available
in their home country but are necessary to advance their research,
address how their research will make a significant contribution to
their fields in their home countries, how they will apply their
research and disseminate the knowledge, skills, and insights gained
during their US fellowship upon return to the NIS, and must have had
no or few opportunities to conduct research in the United States. All
Contemporary Issues Fellows are affiliated with US host institutions
(i.e. universities, research institutes, NGOs, and government
agencies) that have resource materials and specialists in the fellows'
field and are placed with a host advisor who guides 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 FSA Fellowships in Contemporary Issues
Applicant must:
Be a citizen of and residing in the NIS (Armenia, Azerbaijan*,
Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Russian
Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine or Uzbekistan); Be over
the age of 25, but under the age of 55 at the time of the November
27, 1998 deadline;
Be a policymaker 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 US
institutions in one of the five targeted categories of topics
eligible for the FSA Fellowships in Contemporary Issues Program;
Hold an academic degree equivalent to, if not above, a US Master of
Arts or Master of Sciences degree;
Have at least three years of professional experience in the topic of
the research proposal;
Submit a research proposal in one of the Contemporary Issues
categories listed above with demonstrated need for research in the US;
Have a high level of proficiency in written and spoken English
necessary to conduct independent research in the US and engage
colleagues;
Have written publications or delivered presentations at conferences or
seminars;
Be able to receive and maintain a J-1 visa;
Be able to begin the FSA Fellowships in Contemporary Issues Program in
mid-August 1999.
Not be a spouse of an US citizen nor a spouse of a citizen of
countries other than the 12 participating countries;
Not be currently participating in academic, training or research
programs outside the 12 participating countries;
Not be currently residing or working outside the 12 participating
countries;
Not have previously participated in a program sponsored or
funded by the US government (USIA or other US Government agency) since
August 1996 [past two years] for a period of more than six weeks; and
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 US "green card," or who have applied to the US
Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery.
Employees of USIS and USIA contract/grantee organizations are
eligible to apply to the FSA Fellowships in Contemporary Issues program.
*Programs with Azerbaijan are subject to the restrictions of Section
907 of the Freedom Support Act of 1992: Employees of the Government of
Azerbaijan are excluded from participating in the program.
Under the terms of the grant and the laws governing the J-1 visa
required for participation in the Freedom Support Act Fellowships in
Contemporary Issues, 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 US host
institution;
Medical insurance;
A monthly stipend for housing and living expenses;
A small allowance for educational materials and professional
conferences and membership in US professional associations; and
Access to and training in e-mail and Internet.
The program also provides post-fellowship opportunities in the New
Independent States for continued professional growth of alumni.
These opportunities for alumni of US government-sponsored exchange
programs in the NIS generally include:
Participation in and the development of regional conferences,
seminars, and lecture series;
An alumni electronic mailing list;
An on-line journal; and
Continued access to e-mail, Internet, and the resources of the World
Wide Web.
US Host Institution Affiliation
IREX-administered FSA Fellows in Contemporary Issues will be
affiliated with an 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 US affiliation based on the
participants' preferences, recommendations of senior specialists and
scholars in the United States, and 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.
Selection Process and Program Timeline for FSA Fellowships in
Contemporary Issues
The Freedom Support Act Fellowships in Contemporary Issues are
conducted as merit-based open competitions 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 Freedom Support Act Fellowships in
Contemporary Issues is Friday, 5:00 p.m., November 27, 1998. All
semi-finalists will be interviewed in person in their home countries
in February-March 1999. All applicants will be notified of their
status by April 1999. FSA Contemporary Issues Fellows will begin
their fellowships in the United States in late August 1999. All
Fellows attend a pre-departure orientation in their home countries in
May 1999 and a comprehensive program orientation in Washington, DC,
prior to beginning fellowships at US 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 1998.
Applications for the Freedom Support Act Fellowships in Contemporary
Issues 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.
Editor's note: A list of Distribution and Collection Points in the NIS is
avaialable by sending a message to me at: [email protected]
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