The Open Society Fellowship

Deadline: February 2, 2015
Location: New York, Washington, London, Brussels, or Budapest, or at a regional foundation.
Open to: journalists, activists, academics, and policy practitioners from around the world
Fellowship: stipend of $80,000-$100,000 per year plus a project budget for travel, visa costs, health insurance, etc

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.

A fellowship project might identify a problem that has not previously been recognized, develop new policy ideas to address familiar problems, or offer a new advocacy strategy. Project themes should cut across at least two areas of interest to the Open Society Foundations: human rights, government transparency, access to information and to justice, and the promotion of civil society and social inclusion.

The selected fellows will get an opportunity to join the rich and diverse foundations community, a global network of activists and institutions dedicated to defending civil society and improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable citizens. Most fellows will spend a portion of their fellowship term at one of the organization’s main offices, in New York, Washington, London, Brussels, or Budapest, or at a regional foundation.

Eligibility:

The Open Society Fellowship chooses its fellows from a diverse pool of applicants that includes journalists, activists, academics, and practitioners in a variety of fields. Applicants should possess a deep understanding of their chosen subject area and a track record of professional accomplishment. The fellowship considers applicants from all parts of the world.

Fellowship:

Full-time fellows will receive a stipend of $80,000 or $100,000, depending on work experience, seniority, and current income. Stipends will be prorated for part-time fellows. In addition to the stipend, fellows will receive a project budget. That budget may include expenses such as travel costs, visa costs, part-time research assistance, conference fees and health insurance. Fellowship duration is usually one year but application requests for shorter or longer terms are also considered.

Application:

Before applying please read the Tips for a Robust Proposal. All interested candidates should register and complete the online application form as well as submit supporting materials for consideration. Candidates without internet access may use the application form available HERE.

Applicants may submit a project proposal or other materials in a language other than English, as long as they also submit an English translation. Once the initial information has been entered, applicants receive login details and an ID number that allows them to  make additions and revisions to the form until materials are submitted. The ID number should be quoted in any correspondence.

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