CFA: Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowships

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) invites applications to its Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program. Established in 2001, the program is named in honor of NED’s principal founders, former U.S. president Ronald Reagan and the late U.S. congressman Dante Fascell. Based at NED’s International Forum for Democratic Studies, in Washington, D.C., the program is designed to enable democracy practitioners and scholars from around the world to deepen their understanding of democracy and enhance their ability to promote democratic change.

Program: The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program is an international exchange program that offers practitioners, scholars, and journalists from around the world the opportunity to spend five months at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), in Washington DC, in order to conduct independent research on democracy in a particular country or region. While in residence, fellows reflect on their experiences; engage with counterparts; conduct independent research and writing; consider best practices and lessons learned; and develop professional relationships within a global network of democracy advocates.

Support: Located within NED’s International Forum for Democratic Studies, the program provides a rich intellectual setting for educational exchange and professional development. The Forum also publishes the Journal of Democracy, holds conferences, and provides access to NED’s library. The federally-funded program offers research support and facilitates fellows’ outreach to Washington’s advocacy, media, academic, and policy communities. All fellows devote full-time to their fellowship projects and receive a monthly fellowship payment, health insurance, travel assistance at the beginning and end of their fellowship, and research support. Awardees my not receive concurrent funding from the Endowment or its family of institutes during the fellowship period. The program does not provide financial assistance for accompanying family or other dependents.

Participation: The program runs two five-month fellowship sessions per year, during which fellows work full time on their projects. Practitioners focus on strategies and best practices for developing democracy in their country of interest; scholars 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. The program hosts an active calendar of events for fellows, including an introduction to NED and its partner institutions, seminars, roundtables, and other activities. Fellows are expected to present their work and prepare a written product during their stay.

Eligibility: While the program is intended primarily for individuals from developing and aspiring democracies, distinguished scholars from the United States and other established democracies are eligible to apply. Practitioners and journalists are expected to have substantial work experience in their fields, while scholars are expected to have a Ph.D., or academic equivalent, at the time of application. The program does not fund professional training, fieldwork, or stu­dents working toward a degree. A working knowledge of English is required.

Dates:  Fall Session: October 2012–February 2013; Spring Session: March–July 2013

Application: To apply, visit http://fellowships.ned.org any time after August 1, 2011. The application deadline is Tuesday, November 1, 2011. Applicants will be notified of the outcome in mid-April 2012.

For more information, visit the website or email fellowships@ned.org.