Open Society Institute Fellowships

Posted by on June 27, 2011

Open Society Institute Offers Fellowships to Help Innovative Thinkers Address Global Challenges
Deadline: August 1, 2011

The Open Society Fellowship program supports individuals seeking innovative and unconventional approaches to fundamental open society challenges. The program seeks to fund work that will enrich public understanding of these challenges and stimulate far-reaching and probing conversations within the Open Society Foundations and in the world.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. Among the foundations’ core areas of concern are human rights, government transparency, the promotion of civil society, and social inclusion. Fellowship project themes should cut across these areas of interest. Some possible topic areas that fellows may explore in the coming years include global migration and the rights of displaced minorities; organized crime, corruption, and state failure; the economic crisis and its effect on open societies; movement-building and state repression in societies affected by climate change; the impact of new technologies on citizen access to information and justice; and the link between governance, transparency, and economic development.

A fellowship project might identify a problem that has not previously been recognized, develop new policy ideas to address familiar problems, or offer a new advocacy strategy. Fellows should take advantage of the intellectual and logistical resources of the Open Society Foundations and expect to contribute meaningfully to the foundations’ thinking in return. The program anticipates that most fellows will spend a portion of their fellowship term at one of the organization’s main offices (New York, Washington, London, Brussels, or Budapest), or at a regional foundation.

Fellows may produce work in a variety of formats, including publications such as books, reports, or blogs; innovative public-education projects; or the launch of new campaigns or organizations. They may also engage in activities such as hosting panel discussions, traveling to conferences, participating in policy debates, and promoting their ideas in public venues. Fellowship projects can include photography, outreach and advocacy around documentary film, and other forms of cultural production

Fellows will be chosen from a diverse pool of applicants that includes journalists, activists, academics, and practitioners in a variety of fields from around the world. Applicants should possess a deep understanding of their chosen subject area and a track record of professional accomplishment.

Full-time fellows based in the U.S. will receive a stipend of $80,000 or $100,000, depending on work experience and current income. Stipends will be prorated for part-time fellows. For fellows based elsewhere, appropriate adjustments will be made to reflect the cost of living in those countries.

Proposals received by August 1, 2011, will be evaluated by November 21, 2011. The next deadline will be in early 2012 for evaluation that spring.

Visit the Open Society Institute Web site for complete program guidelines, information on the work of current and previous fellows, application procedures, and an FAQ.

http://www.soros.org/initiatives/fellowship/grants