[CivilSoc] Contemporary Issues Fellowship for NIS citizens/professionals

[Kaia Benson]

*******************FELLOWSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT************************* 
The International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) is pleased to announce
an open competition for the FSA Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program. The
deadline for this application is November 23, 2001. 
The FSA Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program, a program of the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, US Department of State, under the Freedom
Support Act, and administered by IREX, provides opportunities for
experienced professionals and specialists in the New Independent States
(NIS) to conduct policy-oriented research in the United States for four
months. 
This is a fully funded fellowship, covering travel, housing, stipend,
medical insurance, and a professional development allowance. Fellowships are
available to citizens of all 12 NIS countries, including: Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Russian
Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. 
All applications must contain developed and focused research projects that
are policy-driven and have practical application in the NIS. Research
projects must address one of the five following categories:
q	Sustainable Growth and Development of NIS Economies in Transition
q	Democratization, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law 
q	Political, Military, Security and Public Policy Issues 
q	Strengthening Civil Society 
q	Communications Revolution, and Access to Information
Professionals eligible for the program include (but are not limited to) the
following: government officials on the national, regional, and local level;
leaders of nonprofit, no-governmental organizations; library and information
science specialists; public health administrators; economists; journalists;
managers; environmentalists; consultants; political analysts; foreign policy
experts; lawyers; Internet specialists; law enforcement specialists and
other practitioners. Persons who are primarily working in an academic role
should consider applying for the Regional Scholar Exchange Program, instead
of the FSA Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program. Applications are
available at: http://www.irex.org/rsep or contact an IREX representative.
At the time of the deadline, applicants must be at least age 24 but no older
than age 55, have an academic degree of diplom or above, have at least three
years of professional experience in the topic of their research, and possess
a level of English language proficiency adequate to conduct independent
research in the United States. Other eligibility requirements apply. Refer
to the program application for more details. 
Applications for the FSA Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program can be
obtained and submitted by contacting IREX field offices and representatives
in the NIS. Applications are also available at Educational Information
Centers (EIC) and at IREX administered Internet Access and Training Program
(IATP) Public Access Sites throughout the NIS and can be downloaded from
www.irex.org or www.irex.ru. 
***********************************************
Kaia Benson
Program Associate
International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX)
1616 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Email: kbenson@irex.org
Phone: 202-628-8188 ext. 523
Fax: 202-628-8189