The Open Society Fellowship was founded in 2008 to support
individuals pursuing innovative and unconventional approaches to fundamental
open society challenges. The fellowship funds work that will enrich public
understanding of those challenges and stimulate far-reaching and probing
conversations within the Open Society Foundations and in the world.
For the current application round, the Open Society Fellowship
invites proposals relevant to the following propositions:
Human rights are under siege everywhere. Why?
1. Those who carry
out human rights analysis and reporting have been seduced by legal frameworks
and largely ignore imbalances of power that lead to rights violations.
2. Political leaders
increasingly play on fears that human rights are a Trojan Horse, threatening
societies by promising rights to dangerous “others.”
These statements are intended as a provocation—to stimulate
productive controversy and debate—and do not necessarily represent the views of
the Open Society Foundations. Applicants are invited to dispute, substantiate,
or otherwise engage with one or both of these statements in their submissions.
Once chosen, fellows will work on projects of their own design and passion. At
the same time, they are expected to take advantage of the considerable
intellectual and logistical resources of the Open Society Foundations and
contribute meaningfully to the Foundations’ thinking. Fellows will also have
opportunities to collaborate with one another as a cohort. It is hoped that the
fellowship will not only nurture theoretical debate but also bring about policy
change and reform.
Eligibility Criteria
Ideal fellows are specialists who can see beyond the parochialisms
of their field and possess the tenacity to complete a project of exceptional
merit. Proposals will be accepted from anywhere in the world, although
demonstrable proficiency in spoken and written English is required. Applicants
should possess and demonstrate a deep understanding of the major themes
embedded within the statement for which they wish to apply and be willing to
serve in a cohort of fellows with diverse occupational, geographic, and
ideological profiles. Successful applicants should be eager to exploit the many
resources offered by the Open Society Foundations and be prepared to engage
constructively with our global network.
Ineligibility Criteria
The fellowship does not fund enrollment for degree or nondegree
study at academic institutions, including dissertation research.
This is a fellowship for individuals only; proposals from
organizations or individuals acting on behalf of organizations will not be
accepted.
Purpose and Priorities
Open Society fellows produce work outputs of their own choosing,
such as a book, journalistic or academic articles, art projects, a series of
convenings, etc. In addition, fellowship cohorts may develop a joint work
product of some sort. Fellowship staff will assist cohorts in brainstorming
possible outputs if needed.
Guidelines
Those interested in the fellowship should first download and
review the complete fellowship guidelines.
Applicants are required to submit a one- to two-page,
single-spaced letter of inquiry that outlines the topic of the project,
proposed work product, and relevance to the statements above. A CV should
accompany the letter of inquiry.
Letters of inquiry will be reviewed within five weeks.
Applications showing promise will be invited to submit a full proposal.
To apply, submit
letters of inquiry here. The deadline to submit letters of inquiry
on these statements is March 1, 2017, with responses to applicants by March 24,
2017.
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