Deadline: 15 May 2019
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) has announced the availability of new research fellowships for 1-2 young scholars and/or civil society practitioners from India.
The fellowships will provide the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC for up to 4 weeks during late summer/fall 2019 to conduct research of direct relevance to the legal challenges faced by civil society in India in ICNL’s DC office.
This is an action-oriented fellowship. It is designed to provide opportunities to engage practitioners and scholars to advance the legal environment for civil society by providing them with:
- support and expertise of ICNL’s international staff;.
- access to extensive library of NGO legal materials.
- meetings with CSO representatives, academics and others in Washington, DC.
ICNL will cover the cost of travel to and from Washington, DC, as well as room and board for the agreed-upon time period. No honorarium will be offered.
Proposal
In three pages or less, please address the following topics:
- Applicants past or present experience on issues relating to the legal framework for civil society in India;
- The issue(s) would like to research through the Fellowship;
- Applicant’s research design/methodology, including:
- the work product you intend to produce through the fellowship;
- the research you will undertake before arriving in Washington, DC;
- the research you plan to undertake while in Washington, DC; and
- Applicants plans to disseminate your research upon your return home;
- How fellowship research will contribute to the development of the legal environment for civil society in India;
- Applicants interest and commitment to remaining engaged on the legal framework for civil society upon their return home; and
- Any conflicts applicants have that would prevent from being able to travel to Washington, DC in late summer/fall 2019.
Note Regarding Research Proposals
- The topic proposed must relate to the legal environment for civil society in India – that is, to the rules governing the exercise of the freedom of peaceful assembly, association, expression, or information.
- Illustrative research projects might include:
- An assessment of India’s existing legal framework for civil society and recommendations for comprehensive legal reform;
- More specific reform proposals on registration, tax or funding issues, enforcement, or other areas in the nonprofit legal regime;
- A comparison of India’s legal framework for civil society with examples from other countries, within or outside the region;
- A comparative analysis of a civil society legal issue of regional/national concern, such as, among others, the right to protest, defamation, fake news, or cybercrime;
- An analysis of how to improve the implementation of legislation affecting civil society in India.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the following factors:
- Compliance with eligibility requirements and application procedures;
- Demonstrated interest, experience, and leadership relating to the legal environment for civil society;
- Quality of the proposed research project, including the significance of the issue to be studied, research methodology/design, feasibility of the project, and likelihood that the Fellowship will help advance the legal framework for civil society India;
- Commitment to continue working on civil society legal issues for a minimum of 12 months upon the applicant’s return home, and ability to effect change based upon leadership potential.
How to Apply
- To apply for the Research Fellowship, applicants must submit the following items:
- Application coversheet;
- Proposal; and
- Resume, Curriculum Vitae (CV), or other statement of work history and education.
- Applications should be sent via email at the address given on the website. All application materials should be submitted in English.
For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2VMEnoI
