(Note: Democracy activists, practitioners, scholars, and journalists from any country may apply for the fellowship. Selected fellows receive a monthly stipend for living expenses, plus basic health insurance and roundtrip travel to and from Washington, D.C., at the beginning and end of the fellowship period. )
Named in honor of NED’s principal founders, former president Ronald Reagan and the late congressman Dante Fascell, the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program was established in 2001 with funding from the U.S. Congress to enable democratic practitioners, scholars, and journalists from around the world to deepen their understanding of democracy and enhance their ability to promote democratic change.
Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows maintain full-time residence at the International Forum for Democratic Studies, NED’s research arm located in Washington, D.C. 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.
The Forum hosts 16 to 20 Reagan-Fascell Fellows per year, divided into two five-month sessions:
- Fall Session: October 1 – February 28
- Spring Session: March 1 – July 31
FACILITIES AND SERVICES: Each fellow receives a monthly stipend for living expenses, plus health insurance and reimbursement for travel to and from Washington, D.C., at the beginning and end of the fellowship period. Fellows also receive a fully equipped office and research support through the Forum’s Democracy Resource Center and the Research Associates Program. While in residence at the Forum, fellows have the opportunity to interact with staff and other visiting scholars and activists in the collegial environment at NED, and with the policy, media, and academic communities in Washington, D.C. Fellows are encouraged to consult with counterparts in the United States, and to participate in the many conferences and seminars held at NED and at the various universities, think tanks, and nongovernmental organizations in the metropolitan area.
THE TWO TRACKS AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program offers five-month fellowships to practitioners to focus on strategies and best practices for developing democracy in their country of interest; and to scholars to conduct original research for publication. Projects may address the economic, political, social, legal, or cultural aspects of democratic development and include a range of methodologies and approaches.
While the two tracks share many common elements, they have different eligibility requirements and distinct goals, activities, and products associated with them.
THE PRACTITIONER TRACK:
- The Reagan-Fascell program was established with the primary purpose of supporting democracy activists, human rights advocates, journalists, and others who work on the frontlines of building democracy in emerging and aspiring democracies. The program provides practitioners with a needed break from their daily routine so that they may reflect on their work, exchange ideas and experiences with counterparts in the United States, and reevaluate techniques for building democracy in their country of origin. Practitioner fellowships are typically five months in duration and culminate in a report, short article, op-ed, handbook, or another product, as well as a formal presentation of the fellow's analysis and ideas.
- Eligibility: Applicants interested in the practitioner track are expected to have substantial practical experience working to promote democracy or human rights in their country of origin or interest. There are no specific degree requirements for the practitioner track. A Ph.D., for instance, is not required of practitioner applicants. While there are also no age limits, applicants on the practitioner track are typically mid-career professionals with several years of professional experience in the field of democracy and human rights. Examples of eligible candidates for the practitioner track include human rights advocates, lawyers, journalists, labor leaders, political party activists, diplomats, professional staff of civic or humanitarian organizations, and other civil society professionals from developing and aspiring democracies.
THE SCHOLARLY TRACK:
- In recognition of the importance of intellectual contributions to the theory and practice of democracy, the Reagan-Fascell program offers a scholarly track for scholars, professors, and established writers. Applicants for this track may be scholars from emerging and aspiring democracies or accomplished scholars from the United States and other established democracies. Fellowships on the scholarly track are typically five months in duration. Scholars make at least one public presentation of their work and complete a substantial piece of writing (typically an article or book) for publication.
- Eligibility: Applicants interested in the scholarly track are expected to possess a doctorate (a Ph.D., or academic equivalent) at the time of application, to have a proven record of publications in their field, and to have developed a detailed research outline for their fellowship project. Examples of eligible candidates for the scholarly track include college and university professors, researchers, journalists, and other writers from developing and aspiring democracies. Distinguished scholars from the United States or other established democracies are also eligible to apply. Occasionally, a professional who is planning to write a book or other scholarly publication may qualify to apply on the scholarly track.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL APPLICANTS
- Citizens of any country may apply
- Proficiency in the English language
- Topics focusing on the political, social, economic, legal, or cultural aspects of democratic development
- Availability for a full-time, residential fellowship at the International Forum for Democratic Studies in Fall 2012 (October 1, 2012–February 28, 2013) and/or Spring 2013 (March–July 2013)
ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT: A working knowledge of English is a prerequisite for participation in the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program. All application materials must be submitted in English. While fellows' primary product may be in their native language, they should have a solid command of written and spoken English for general communication purposes.
INDIVIDUALS INELIGIBLE TO APPLY:
- Students seeking scholarships, or other types of financial aid, to defray the cost of their education
- Ph.D. candidates & postdoctoral scholars seeking funding to pursue doctoral/postdoctoral research
- Professionals seeking financial assistance to pay for trainings, attend conferences, or pursue internships
- Individuals without proficiency in the English language
- Applicants whose projects fail to draw a connection to democracy and human rights
- Candidates unavailable for a fellowship in Fall 2012 (October 1, 2012–February 28, 2013) or Spring 2013 (March–July 2013)
FELLOWSHIP CALENDAR: The fellowship year begins October 1 and ends July 31 of the following year and is divided into two five-month sessions: the Fall session starts on October 1 and ends on February 28; the Spring session begins on March 1 and ends on July 31. In special cases, the program may accommodate fellows out of cycle.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND OFFICE SERVICES: Each fellow receives a monthly stipend for living expenses, plus basic health insurance and roundtrip travel to and from Washington, D.C., at the beginning and end of the fellowship period. Fellowship payments are calculated to cover cost of a short-term, furnished rental aprtment, plus "cost of living" for food, local transportation, and other necessities. Fellows are provided with a fully equipped office, including Internet access and a NED email account, plus a limited budget for long-distance phone calls and professional travel within the United States.
COST OF LIVING AND DEPENDENTS: Applicants should bear in mind that the cost of living (housing, furniture, food, and other essential living expenses) in the Washington metropolitan area is very high and that fellowship stipends are not calculated to cover a family's financial needs. Fellows who wish to bring family members with them to Washington, D.C., will be expected to cover the costs of their dependents' roundtrip travel and stay within the United States. The program does not ordinarily cover costs associated with dependents' health insurance or roundtrip travel to the United States. Please note that all dependents traveling to the Unites States on a J-2 dependent visa will be required to have basic health insurance coverage for the full period of their stay.
HOW TO APPLY: The application period for fellowships in 2013–2014 is July 15–October 15, 2012. For information about the application process, please read through each of the sections listed in the Table of Contents here. Once you have familiarized yourself with this information, you may proceed to our Online Application System, where you will be asked to register and set up a profile in order to begin your fellowship application.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For queries: info@ned.org
For submissions: via the online application system
Website: http://ned.org/
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