Call for Applications 2013

The George Washington University – Elliott School of International Affairs’ Central Asian Program (CAP) and Stockholm International Peace Research Institute North America (SIPRI North America) welcome applications for their Central Asia Fellowship Program.

The CAP-SIPRI North America Central Asia Fellowship Program is intended for young professionals—scholars, government officials, policy experts, human rights and democracy activists—who want to enhance their research and analytical skills and seek to become public policy leaders in their respective countries. More generally, the fellowship program seeks to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and build lasting intellectual networks between the Central Asian and the US scholarly and policy communities.

Fellows will spend five months in residence at the GW Elliott School and/or SIPRI North America. They are offered a series of tailor-made programs and introduced to US policy and expert communities in both Washington DC and New York. Fellows are required to attend approximately 12 seminars, workshops and training sessions, write one policy brief on the predetermined theme (see description of the theme below) and present their research at two public seminars. Throughout their fellowship Fellows are closely mentored and guided by CAP and SIPRI North America staff.

Four Fellows will be selected in 2013 (two in the Spring and two in the Fall). Fellows will be awarded a monthly stipend of $3,000. Travel to and from Central Asia to Washington DC will also be covered.

Each year fellows will work on a common theme.

The theme for 2013 is: Security in Central Asia Post-2014.

We ask applicants to focus their research and writing on one of the three aspects of this broader theme or on a topic of your choice related to security in Central Asia post-2014.

$11. What are the challenges Central Asian countries face in terms of security? How have these challenges changed over the last decade? Applicants can isolate one or several challenges—such as internal governance and stability, ethnic and religious tensions, radicalization of youth, destabilizing commodity flows, energy security, etc.

$12. How do gender relations in the Central Asian countries affect the above? UN Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security–its relevance for Central Asian security.

$13. What impact does the situation in Afghanistan have on Central Asian security? What will be the impact of the anticipated drawdown of international troops from Afghanistan on Central Asian security? What role do outside powers play in the region? What are the opportunities and challenges of regional cooperation.

$14. Topic of their choice related to security in Central Asia post-2014.

Eligibility

$1§ Applicant must be between 25 and 40 years of age.

$1§ Applicant must be a citizen of any of the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan).

$1§ Background in government, policy, academia, human rights, or democracy.

$1§ Academic candidates must possess a Master’s degree and have experience in policy-oriented activities. For non-academics an equivalent degree of professional achievement is expected.

$1§ Applicant must be fluent in both written and spoken English.

Selection

Fellows will be selected by CAP and SIPRI North America. Final selections will involve peer review by an Advisory Committee composed of Central Asia experts.

The decision of the jury is final and no appeal is possible. All candidates are informed of the outcome of their applications by e-mail.

Application Procedure

To apply, please include all documents in one PDF attachment:

$11. A letter of motivation.

$12. A concise proposal for a policy paper, written in English, on the proposed theme of security in Central Asia post-2014.

Proposals should be between 700 and 1,000 words and indicate:

$1§ The importance and policy relevance of the topic.

$1§ How the paper/research will advance the policy debates in Washington, DC and Central Asia.

$1§ Methodology, i.e. an explanation of how the Fellow intends to research the issue and build an argument.

$1§ The expected outcome.

3. A résumé of no more than five pages.

4. The names, titles and contact information (email) of two references.

5. A declaration of honor confirming residence in Central Asia.

Materials should be sent in one attachment in PDF format by email to CAFellows@sipri.org

Applications for the Fall session (1 August–1 January 2014)

should be received no later than 30 April 2013.

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Applicants will be notified by email at the end of January – early February for the Spring session and late June for the Fall session.

Funders

The Fellowship is funded by the Central Eurasia Project at the Open Society Foundations – NY.

FAQ

Central Asia Residence

Q: I currently reside outside of the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan), but I am a Central Asian citizen. Am I still eligible to apply?

A: Unfortunately, we require all applicants to be residing within Central Asia at the time of the application and ask them to sign a declaration of honor confirming residence in Central Asia. Therefore, you would not be eligible for our program.

Q: I live in Central Asia, but not in one of the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) that are mentioned in the call for proposals. Am I eligible to apply?

A: At this time, the program does not include any other Central Asian countries but those five. Therefore, you are not eligible.

Age Requirement

Q: I am over 40 years of age/under 25 years of age. Am I eligible to apply?

A: This program is specifically designed for young professionals, that’s the reason behind the age minimum of 25 years old and a maximum of 40 years old. Regrettably, anyone outside of that age bracket is not eligible for the Fellowship.

Letter of Motivation

Q: How long does the letter of motivation have to be?

A: While there is no word restriction for the letter of motivation, we urge all applicants to be brief and concise.

Declaration of Honor

Q: How do I write a declaration of honor confirming my residence in Central Asia?

A: Your letter must clearly state that you indeed reside within one of the five Central Asian countries required by this Fellowship at the time of the application. Furthermore, you must state that you understand that infringement of this declaration leaves you subject to disciplinary action. We ask that you print your full legal name, date it, sign it.

Contact

If you have any general questions, please consult the FAQ section above. For further information, please contact:

Ms. Masha Keller
SIPRI North America
1111 19th St NW, 12th Fl
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-552-5402
Email: mkeller@sipri.org

The information source :

http://www.sipri.org/northamerica/research-issues/CA%20Fellowship%20Program