The call for Fellowships 2022/2023 is now closed. We received nearly 400 applications, so we have a tough selection process ahead of us. We’ll let everyone know the results no later than September 10.
What: Fully funded three-month research residency for civil society workers, activists, researchers and journalists engaged in civic activism and social issues in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Dates:
Slot 1: 01/10/2022 – 31/12/2022
Slot 2: 01/02/2023 – 30/04/2023
Slot 3: 01/05/2023 – 31/07/2023.
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Languages: English, Russian
Application Deadline: 12.08.2022
Who should apply: Anyone from Eastern Europe or Central Asia (see map below) with proven experience and commitment to civil society in their country or region. This includes journalists, experts, researchers, human rights defenders, environmental or urban activists and members of NGOs and civic-minded groups.
What is the Fellowship Programme?
Fellowships are fully funded three-month research residencies in Prague for individuals from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This includes activists, experts, researchers, and people working on civic projects and social issues in their country or region.
You can use this opportunity to:
• Research challenges, opportunities and trends affecting civil society and human rights in your country or region.
• Write a book or training manual, policy or analytical paper for the benefit of the people and/or the civil sector in your country.
• Conceptualise and initiate a new project.
The Prague Civil Society Centre will cover travel costs and modest living expenses, as well as visa assistance. You will also be provided with a shared office space with Internet connection and meeting facilities.
Who is the Fellowship for
Anyone from one of the countries in the map below involved with civil society, journalism, or social issues in their country, through either work, research or activism. We expect applicants to have a proven and solid track record of work in the civic sector or journalism, with enough experience to complete a three-month project.
You could be:
• In the advanced stage of working on a research paper or book and need a few months to finish it without the distractions of everyday life or the challenges of a repressive political environment.
• An experienced trainer or someone who provides educational programmes for civil society and are looking to develop a new curriculum or re-think your current approach.
• Someone with extensive knowledge and experience of a certain type of activism looking to document or share your experience with others.
• Someone with knowledge of successful or failed reform processes in your country willing to document this experience to guide future reforms in your own country or elsewhere.
• Looking to write a comparative analysis of reform experiences between your country and another.
• Someone with a fresh idea on how to reinvigorate civic activism in need of time to conceptualise the idea and work out your approach.
• Someone with extensive experience with social entrepreneurship or other ways of combining profit making and non-profit work looking to record and share your knowledge.
• Someone with extensive experience with using technology and smart communication tools for social change and activism who feels ready to share your experience and approach.
• Working in a repressive environment and in need of a safe place for a productive respite.
Read about some of our previous and current fellows and their projects
What are we looking for?
Your Fellowship project proposal should aim to reflect and elaborate upon your current work or experience in your home country or region. You should demonstrate how participating in the Fellowship programme will aid your work upon returning home, how you will share the knowledge and expertise gained during the fellowship, or how you plan to develop cross-country or regional collaborative projects and networks.
You are free to propose a Fellowship project on any topic, but we do assign higher priority to certain topics.
Read more about our priority topics
If selected as a fellow, you will be asked to provide a specific project output to be agreed before the beginning of the Fellowship. The Prague Civil Society Centre may also ask you to assist our projects or activities.
How to apply
Step 1: Fill out the Fellowship application form.
Deadline August 12, 2022
Make sure that you fill out the application form very carefully, without any mistakes or inconsistencies. The Fellowship programme is extremely competitive, and only the best candidates with the best profiles and applications will be chosen.
STEP 2: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online video interview. We will discuss your project idea and commitment.
STEP 3: The final selection will be made and all applicants will be informed of the result.