FSA Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program (CI)

About the Program

The program, funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US Department of State under the FREEDOM Support Act, provides opportunities for experienced professionals from Eurasia to conduct four months of independent policy-oriented research in the United States with the goal of playing an active role in sustaining the transition to democracy, free markets, and civil society in their home countries.

US Affiliation:

For each CI participant, IREX identifies a US host institution and host advisor appropriate to the participant’s professional expertise and research needs. Fellows have the option of spending the last month of their program in a self-arranged internship program.
Fellowships are available to citizens of:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Eligible Professions:

Selected participants come from a diverse pool of eligible professions, including but not limited to:
• Economists
• Government officials
• Lawyers
• Political advisors

• NGO leaders
• Journalists
• Other policy developers

Research Fields:

All applications must contain developed and focused research projects that are policy-driven and have practical application in Eurasia. Research may be conducted in the following fields:

• Business Administration and Development
• Civic Education
• Educational Policy
• Economics
• Environmental Policy (Not Environmental Science)
• Human Rights
• International Relations
• Journalism & Media
• Law Enforcement • Military/Security Issues
• NGO Development and Management
• Political Science
• Public Administration (Government)
• Public Health Policy
(Not Medicine)
• Rule of Law
• Social Welfare
Grant Provisions:

The fellowship is fully funded and provides:

• Round-trip travel from fellows’ home cities in Eurasia to their US host institutions;
• Housing and monthly stipend for living expenses in the United States;
• Professional development allowance; and
• Accident and sickness medical coverage.

Application:

Applications for the 2003-2004 grant year are available for download online. The application deadline is November 21, 2003.