Open Society Fellowship 2019 for International Scholars

Application Deadline: 4th February 2019

Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: All

About the Award: 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. 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, applicants for the Open Society Fellowship are invited to address the following proposition:
New and radical forms of ownership, governance, entrepreneurship, and financialization are needed to fight pervasive economic inequality.
This proposition is intended as a provocation—to stimulate productive controversy and debate—and does not necessarily represent the views of the Open Society Foundations. Applicants are invited to dispute, substantiate, or otherwise engage with the proposition in their submissions. Though the proposition deals with economic issues, those without an economics or business background are welcome to apply, provided they have a relevant project in mind.

Offered Since: 2008

Type: Fellowship

Eligibility:

• 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.

Selection: The fellowship seeks “idea entrepreneurs” from across the world who are ready to challenge conventional wisdom.
Letters of inquiry should address the following questions:

• What is the central argument of your proposed project as it relates to the statement?
• How does your project advance or challenge current thinking?
• Who is/are the intended audience/s?
• What are the potential work products?

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship: 

• One year fellows will receive a stipend of $80,000 or $100,000, depending on work experience, seniority, and current income. Stipends will be prorated for shorter term fellows. The stipend does not necessarily equal the applicant’s current salary. In certain cases, fellows will receive additional financial support to enable them to meet the residency expectation.
• 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.
• In addition to the stipend, fellows will receive a project budget. That budget may include expenses such as travel (including airfare and hotel), visa costs, part-time research assistance, conference fees and health insurance.

Duration of Fellowship: Fellowships are granted for one year, six months, and, in a small number of cases, for three months.

How to Apply: Applicants are asked to submit a letter of inquiry online through our grants portal by February 4, 2019. Any questions may be directed to osfellows@opensocietyfoundations.org. Complete guidelines are available in the Download Files section on this page.

Visit Fellowship Webpage for details

Award Provider: Open Society Fellowship

Important Notes: 

• 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.