Open Society Institute Fellowships
Application Deadline: July 15 and December 15, annually
The Open Society Institute (OSI) announces the establishment of the Open Society Fellowships. Fellowships will be awarded in two categories.
Types of Fellowships
* Program Development Fellowships are awarded to individuals on the basis of their qualifications to assist the Open Society Institute in the planning, development, and organization of new program initiatives.
* Individual Project Fellowships are awarded to writers, scholars, and others from a wide variety of professions pursuing research, writing, or other efforts to foster the development of open society, either in the United States or internationally, on the basis of proposals describing the projects.
Both Program Development Fellowships and Individual Project Fellowships will be awarded for a term of up to 18 months, and may be renewed for up to another 18 onths. Although much of the work of the Open Society Institute to date has been focused internationally, the primary focus of the Fellowships Program will be new programs OSI is developing in the United States.
Areas of Interest
The programs will deal with a broad range of issues that fill in three areas of
emphasis:
1) inner-city problems that have contributed to the hardening of divisions along the lines
of race and class, Including the failure to assist families and to provide community
support for education, resulting in the inadequate preparation of large numbers of
children for life in the 21st century;
2) the promotion of noncommercial approaches to culture, i.otirnalism, and professions such as law and medicine, and the reinvigoration of professional, civic, and political ethics and community service;
3) issues that affect the United States and other Countries alike, such as managing the explosive growth of "mega- cities, improving the effectiveness of intergovernmental institutions, and the promotion of reproductive health and choice.
In addition to the areas described above, OSI will maintain its work in the United States in the two areas in which it has been active since 1994-alternatives to law enforcement in reducing the harm caused by drug abuse and the enhancement of comfort, dignity, relief from pain, and family, support for the dying. Earlier this year, OSI also began work on the problem of crime and the increasing reliance on imprisonment that as resulted in a soaring incarceration rate.
Program Development Fellowships
Program Development Fellows will reside in New York for the period of their fellowship, and will be provided with an office and support services at the Open Society Institute. Fellows will also participate in a variety of programs that will be organized on their behalf. Applicants should submit a resume with a cover letter of up to 1,000 words indicating the area or areas in which they wish to work and the nature of their interest in the area. Applicants should provide the names and contact information for three references, along with information on the nature of the referees' relationship to the applicant. Program Development Fellowship stipends will generally range between $35,000 and $50,000 on an annual basis, along with medical coverage and other benefits. Finalists for Program Development Fellowships will also be asked to provide information on salary needs.
Individual Project Fellowships
Applicants should submit a proposal which includes:
1) a project summary of 200 to 400 words;
2) a project description of between 2,000 and 4,000 words;
3) a description of the goals of the project, the method of carrying it out, and its
relationship to work that has been done and is being done in the field;
4) a budget proposal that states research and travel costs and related expenditures.
Individual Project Fellowship awards will range from $15,000 to $100,000 for a term of up
to 18 months. Renewals will be in the same range. The budget may not include institutional
overhead costs. Other actual or potential sources of funding must be disclosed. If the
budget proposal includes a request for salary, the availability of a concurrent salary
from any other institution (including sabbatical salaries) or of book advances must be
disclosed;
5) two letters of reference, to be mailed directly to the Open Society Institute, and a
resume.
Proposals may address any of the areas in which OSI is developing programs. In addition, OSI welcomes proposals that address other issues crucial to fostering the principles and values of open society.
Review of Applications
Applications for both Program Development Fellowships and Individual Project Fellowships will be reviewed by a selection committee that includes members of the Open Society Institute board of directors. Consultants with knowledge of the field addressed by Individual Project Fellowship proposals may be asked for comments to be submitted confidentially to the selection committee.
For information on Application deadlines and general fellowship information please contact:
Open Society Institute
OSI Fellowships
888 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10106
http://www.soros.org