What is the Junior Policy Research Fellowship?
Alliance for Social Dialogue (ASD), which focuses on, among other areas, empowerment and capacity building for future generations of policy activists, professionals and researchers to create a pool of policy-conscious community—is providing this opportunity as a response to the need for more young professionals to take part in policy-making processes.
ASD believes that the personal experience and commitment of young policy researchers and activists combined with the knowledge of policy-making and implementing processes will positively influence public policies and their effectiveness on the everyday life of the Nepali people.
The Junior Policy Research Fellowship is a program designed to develop the skills of recent graduates in policy research by working closely with the ASD team in preparing joint papers and briefs on topics covering the areas of Policy Priorities, Policy Formulation, Policy Contestation, Policy Reform, Policy Review Process and Challenges in Policy Implementation. This fellowship is specifically targeted to the recent graduates in education, legal studies, political science, public policy and administration, media, social work and sociology/anthropology.
Successful candidates will receive a locally determined stipend and an opportunity to work for three months in collaboration with the ASD team. The programme is designed to benefit the fellows, the host organization and the policy community.
Who can apply for this fellowship?
Nepali citizen, residing in the country with successful completion of bachelor’s degree in any field of social sciences is eligible for this program.
What is expected from the fellows?
This fellowship is a full-time work and the fellows should have commitment and priority for the research work. Throughout this period, the fellow is expected to engage in the ongoing policy-research projects and develop concrete policy products in consultation and collaboration with ASD. The fellow will work closely with the ASD team for the duration of the fellowship.
Depending upon the area of policy fellowship, the fellows will:
- Visit Social Science Baha library five days a week and work on the research
- Meet with ASD team once a week for progress update and further plans
The fellow’s work will be guided by the ASD team and mentors. At the beginning of the fellowship, an agreement will be made between the fellow and the ASD on the topic of the fellowship and the expected outputs. An action plan for fellowship period will also be developed. All fellows will be expected to produce the final draft by the end of the fellowship period.
The policy products of the research can be one or more of the following:
- Review of existing policy documents or baseline study of policy process and practices
- Present draft reports in the discussion sessions organized by ASD and different policy networks
- Produce the report in the form of Policy Paper, Briefs or Newsletters
- Present papers and findings of research in different dialogue programs organized by ASD
- Any other policy-related product or activity that benefits both the fellows and the ASD (e.g., writing on policy blogs)
In the 3 months of the fellowship period, the fellow will be required to participate in different level of policy discussions, where their work and policy products will be presented and discussed.
Selection of the fellows
- Applicants will be short-listed by the review team
- Short-listed applicants will be interviewed
- Final selection
Terms of the Award
The fellowship award will cover a fixed stipend for the period of three months. Travel and subsistence grants will be awarded to those fellows who need to travel for research work after approval by the mentor and the secretariat.
How to apply
Applicants should submit the following documents to asdnote@asd.org.np by 6 September 2015 with ‘Junior Policy Research Fellowship’ written in the subject line.
- Letter of Intent: This letter should describe the applicant’s interest in this fellowship, the specific expectations from the fellowship in relation to the applicant’s career aspirations, the applicant’s skills and qualifications, and the benefit the applicant aspires to contribute to ASD’s aim on policy work.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): The CV should include the applicant’s academic and professional background; a detailed description of the applicant’s previous relevant employment; a list of academic and (any) policy projects in which the applicant has been involved; list all scholarships, fellowships or internships the applicant has been awarded till date; and two referees.
- Sample Write-up: The sample write-up should be able to demonstrate the applicant’s writing skills particularly on scientific writing. Write-ups could include articles both published and not published.
How will the selection process be organized?
The selection process will have two major stages:
- Pre-selection: Applicants will receive a response by 10 September 2015. Short-listed candidates will be called for the interview through email and telephone call.
- Final selection: Short-listed candidates will receive a response regarding the fellowship by 18 September 2015.
Note:
- Some of the ASD staffs and Board members are not involved in organizing this program and cannot provide assistance to potential applicants. If you have questions or would like to apply, please use the contact information provided in the call for applications.
- The above dates are subject to change with prior notice