The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) invites applications for fellowships in 2010–2011. Funded by the U.S. Congress and named in honor of NED’s principal founders, former U.S. president Ronald Reagan and the late U.S. congressman Dante Fascell, the program enables democracy activists, scholars, and journalists from around the world to deepen their understanding of democracy and enhance their ability to promote democratic change. Dedicated to international exchange, the program offers a collegial environment for fellows to reflect on their experiences and consider lessons learned; conduct research and writing; develop contacts and exchange ideas with counterparts in Washington, D.C.; and build ties that contribute to the development of a global network of democracy advocates.
Program: Based at the International Forum for Democratic Studies, the research arm of the NED in Washington, D.C., the program offers five-month fellowships for practitioners to improve strategies and techniques for building democracy and for scholars to conduct original research for publication. Fellows are in residence at the Forum and work full-time on their projects, which may focus on the political, social, economic, legal, and cultural aspects of democratic development and may include a range of methodologies and approaches. Fellows make a presentation of their work and prepare a written product during their stay. The program organizes an active calendar of events for fellows, including an introduction to the NED and its partner institutions, roundtables, and seminars with leading democracy experts.
Eligibility: The fellows program is intended primarily to support practitioners and scholars from developing and aspiring democracies. Distinguished scholars from the U.S. and other established democracies are also eligible to apply. Practitioners may include activists, lawyers, journalists, and civil society professionals, and are expected to have substantial experience working to promote democracy. Scholars may include professors, researchers, and other writers, and are expected to have a PhD or academic equivalent at the time of application. The program does not pay for professional training or fund students working toward a degree. A working knowledge of English is a prerequisite for participation in the program.
Support: All fellows receive a monthly stipend, health insurance, travel assistance, and research support through the Forum’s Democracy Resource Center and the Reagan-Fascell Research Associates Program.
Dates: The program hosts two five-month sessions per fellowship year: Fall 2010 Session: October 1, 2010–February 28, 2011. Spring 2011 Session: March 1–July 31, 2011.
Application: For further details, including online application instructions, please visit www.ned.org/forum/reagan-fascell.html. Application materials must be in English.
Deadline: Applications for fellowships in 2010–2011 must be submitted no later than Monday, November 2, 2009. Notification of the competition outcome is in April 2010.
For more information, please visit www.ned.org or email [email protected].