CALL FOR PROPOSALS
INTERNATIONAL POLICY FELLOWSHIPS, 2006-2007

New Frontiers for Open Society

The International Policy Fellowships (IPF) program is calling forapplications for 2006-2007 fellowships. Launched in 1998 and affiliatedwith the Open Society Institute and the Center for Policy Studies (CPS)of the Central European University in Budapest, these fellowshipssupport analytical policy research in pursuance of open society goalssuch as the rule of law, democratic elections, diverse and vigorouscivil societies, and respect for minorities. Each year the IPF programinvites research proposals that address critical issues in thedevelopment of open societies. Successful applicants will demonstrateoriginality, sound project design and the strong likelihood that theirproject may lead to significant impact on policy.

The IPF program seeks to enhance the quality of policy research in thecountries where the Soros Network operates. It places strong emphasison independent research that is both rigorous and appreciative ofpractical implications. Analysis and evaluation of existing policycontexts should be based on explicit criteria and fellows should beable to communicate their ideas and findings in a variety ofprofessional and public settings.

IPF projects are expected to complement and enhance existing OSIactivities. OSI programs will have already shown interest in somefellowship topic areas, such as Roma Exclusion, while OSI interest inother topics may be more recent and under development, for instanceCombating the Resource Curse. IPF projects should not duplicateexisting work, and through effective coordination and communication,IPF projects can strengthen existing OSI fields and contribute to thedevelopment of new ones.

Fellows carry out individual research projects within small researchteams of between 3-5 fellows. Under the guidance of a senior policyanalyst, fellows will collaborate and share findings and wherepossible, create individual websites, and organize joint meetings topromote and disseminate their work. Each fellow will be expected toproduce a substantive policy study and at least two policy briefingpapers during the course of their fellowship. All papers will bepublished electronically with the Policy Documentation Center(http://pdc.ceu.hu), while outstanding papers will be published inhardcopy and translated into other languages.

Fellowships will begin April 1st 2006 and finish March 31st 2007.

General Framework: New Frontiers for Open Society

The increasingly global nature of international politics and societyraises several fundamental questions with respect to democratic reform.What is the reach of democratic ideas and what is the possibility ofmeaningful policy change across borders? How might the process ofEuropean enlargement promote a more expansive open society? Which arethe principal actors and forces spearheading changes? Reconceptualizinginternational integration and governance issues as they confrontsocial, cultural and political barriers represents a key challenge toestablishing new frontiers of democratic politics. These "newfrontiers" are not only geographical. To be sure, we seek the expansionof democracy to regions and countries where it does not yet exist. Butwe also seek its advance where it is as yet only formal or nominal.Through the investigations carried out in the following topic areas,IPF hopes to generate new policy ideas that will offer innovative waysforward.

(1) The Challenge of Wider Europe
With the last enlargement of the European Union, the borders have beenredrawn toward the East and South. A host of new neighboring countriesstand to gain from the institution's expansion of democratic norms andpractices. Bulgaria and Romania are already on track for EU membershipin 2007, negotiations on Turkey's long-term prospects for EU accessionare due to begin soon, and the future integration of states in theWestern Balkans is the object of intense debates. The "orangerevolution" in Ukraine posed the problem of a long-term Europeanperspective for that country and also raised questions about transitionin neighboring states. Research and policy studies are sought thatwould examine questions such as the following:
    * What could be, given the new circumstances, abroader multilateral EU policy with respect to its new neighbors?
    * What kinds of conditions and incentives can beplaced on new neighbors to encourage reform in areas of governance,human rights, information policy, etc.?
    * To what extent should cultural factors (e.g.Islam) be considered in the design of a new neighborhood policy?
    * How active and engaged can and should new member states be in the Wider Europe process?
    * What kinds of challenges are faced by new member states within the larger Union?
    * Is the idea of a European political project diluted by means of a Wider Europe policy?
    * What impact can the atmosphere in some countriesof the Union of fear of globalization and further EU enlargement haveon future enlargement policy and the Wider Europe process?

(2) Open Society Promotion in Predominantly Muslim Societies
The cultural, intellectual and religious struggle around the promotionof open societies is one of the major challenges facing predominantlyMuslim societies. These societies are undergoing fundamental challengesin seeking to balance the often-conflicting objectives ofmodernization, such as open societies, economic development, andcultural identities. This struggle should not be confused with thenotion of a "clash of civilizations" between the West and the Islamicworld. In seeking to contribute to these debates within predominantlyMuslim societies—both Arab and non-Arab—we seek to supportpolicy-relevant research proposals. Examples of some of the questionsthat can be addressed by the proposals are as follows:
    * What are the key public policy challenges and inwhat ways do they exacerbate or challenge non-democratic trends?
    * In what ways are religious and open society valuesinfluencing each other? How could the contradictions between religionand democratic values be mitigated?
    * How can elites societies be mobilized and how might they contribute to the modernization process?
    * How can marginalized actors struggling for change be supported?
    * How could women's rights issues be best addressed at national and international policy levels?
    * How are issues such as governance (accountability,transparency) or poverty being addressed in effective ways with localor international support?
    * Should large-scale western programming beorganized that could contribute to the above-mentioned objectives,and/or should centers of excellence integrated in the local culturalcontext be created (with input from outside)?

(3) Combating Open Society Threats
The recent wave of democratization in countries of the former SovietUnion has reopened an examination about the effective role of civilsociety in such transitions. With increasing authoritarian trends insome environments (Russia, Kazakhstan) and reinforced despotism inothers (Belarus, Uzbekistan), policy level consideration on thecontributing factors influencing open society is of great importance.Creatively framing a policy research agenda that focuses on a specificvariant of social change will be key. Research and policy studies aresought that would examine questions such as the following:
    * What factors were of primary importance ininfluencing the dramatic events in Ukraine and Georgia? What was therole of media, non-governmental, and business (and other) sectors inthese larger changes?
    * What opportunities exist for positive change inneighboring highly authoritarian polities such as Belarus andUzbekistan, as well as in non-democratic environments such as Russiaand Kazakhstan?
    * What are the key challenges and obstacles toconsolidating open societies in these countries? What is the connectionbetween liberal vs. illiberal economics and liberal vs. illiberalregimes?

(4) Combating the Resource Curse
Good governance includes the capability of citizens to hold thegovernment accountable for its actions and inaction. Revenues generatedfrom natural resource extraction, collection of customs duties andother taxes, and public procurement awards are all areas particularlysusceptible to exploitation by government officials seeking personalenrichment or seeking to line political party coffers, transforming theblessing of natural resources into a curse. Transparency, access toinformation, and civic involvement applying domestic and internationalpublic pressure represent part of the available international tool-kitfor promoting government accountability. The hope is that existing andfuture natural resource revenues will be invested and expended inprograms for the benefit of the public such as poverty reduction,education and public health. Research and policy studies are soughtthat would examine questions such as the following:
    * What new mechanisms can be piloted that aim to improve transparency and accountability?
    * How effective are existing accountability mechanisms?
    * Are existing country-specific mechanisms applicable to other countries?
    * How can the capacities of civil society actorsseeking to promote greater transparency and accountability be improved?
    * What are the linkages between state corruption andorganized crime activities such as money laundering, smuggling, humantrafficking, and other unlawful activities that erode public trust andhuman security?
    * Could certain monitoring and transparencymechanisms that have met with some success in curtailing statecorruption also be useful in combating organized crime?

(5) Roma Exclusion
The Decade of Roma Inclusion represents one of the touchstone recentdocuments in Europe aimed at ending discrimination against thecontinent's largest minority. Nine countries have signed the agreementfrom 2005-15 to guarantee demonstrable progress in four principalareas: education, health, housing and employment. While differentinstitutions, including OSI, are engaged in developing and monitoringpolicies in these principal areas, there is nonetheless a need forsystematic analysis and oversight as to how these goals are (or arenot) being achieved, and how the Decade could tackle policy challengesbeyond purely sectoral issues. Research and policy studies are soughtthat would critically examine the Decade's efforts in the followingareas:
    * How innovative is the Decade's agenda inconnecting policy issues of ethnicity (race), class and gender in thelife of Roma communities?
    * What concepts of inclusive policy making does theDecade rely on and how efficiently is it translating those to practice?
    * How are Roma communities involved in planning andimplementing various mechanisms of inclusion that the Roma Decade seeksto achieve?
    * How does the Decade consider the impediments tobuilding credible leadership for Roma communities? How might suchfuture elites have an effective voice in the domestic and internationalpolitical and policy making arenas?
    * What innovative methods could be designed and usedto measure medium and long-term social integration effects of theDecade?
    * Is the Decade generating new avenues in publiccommunication that can create positive images of Roma communities andwhich can reduce the social distance between Roma and non-Romacommunities?
    * How has desegregation in education at thelegislative level and on the ground moved forward? What is foreseen inthe coming years? How has the involvement of Roma communities andparents with schools improved?

(6) Open Information Policy
Advanced by the internet, alternatives to long-standing intellectualproperty regimes have created an environment to re-assess therelationship between democracy, open society and new informationtechnologies. The promise of open source technology with respect tocivil society and the incalculable leaps in information production bymeans of open content and weblogs present a new platform for civicparticipation. Whether and in what form such promises can be realizedlies at the basis of the research questions below.
    * Weblogs & Civic Discourse. How does the rapidexpansion of weblogs alter news production and civic discourse? Can itcounter ever-increasing concentration of ownership in the traditionalmass media? How do traditional notions of editorial standards andjournalistic professionalism apply to this new medium? Is the"blogosphere" an enhancement of the public sphere, or does it threatenits disintegration?
    * Open Content & Sustainability. Open Accesspublishing is revolutionizing scientific publishing. New alternativelicensing systems like Creative Commons support decentralizedinformation production, by making it easier for creators to share andpermit re-use and modification of their work, while retaining certainrights. What are the business models that are developing around thesecommons-based models of sharing freely online? These cases are by andlarge un-documented and seem to contrast starkly with well-establishedeconomic and legal norms that rest on notions of scarcity, exclusivityand controlled access.
    * Open Content & Standards. Wikipedia, a freelyavailable encyclopedia, is a visible and widely cited example ofcollaborative, distributed knowledge production enabled by theInternet. Such models seem to have great promise for more equitableaccess to knowledge; yet they also run the risk of dispensing witheditorial standards. How can quality standards emerge in a distributedenvironment? Are they robust enough to be relied upon?
    * Open Source: Ownership and Control ofCommunications Technology. Communications technology (both hardware andsoftware, and the standards on which most communications networks arebased) is a key part of today's infrastructure for civil societyengagement. How do the different models of ownership and control of theknowledge underlying this infrastructure (expressed in technologystandards and software, either open or proprietary) affect access andparticipation by civil society, in particular, civil society indeveloping countries?
    * Intellectual Property & Access to Knowledge:The case of Free Trade Agreements. Intellectual property laws are apowerful instrument for controlling access to knowledge, and in somecases to restrict free speech. New standards shaped by rich-countryinterests are now being globalized and imposed on poorer countries. Inrecent years, bilateral Free Trade Agreements have become an importantpart of this process. How do those free trade agreements undermine therule of law and basic principles of democratic lawmaking in countriesaround the world that are signing these agreements?

Eligibility
    * Applicants should be permanent residents of acountry in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, theMiddle East, Africa or Asia*.
    * Applicants must be affiliated with a recognizedpolicy-making body, non-governmental organization, university, orresearch institution.
    * The program does NOT fund student scholarshipsalthough, in exceptional cases, proposals connected to the final stagesof a PhD dissertation may be considered
    * Former holders of IPF awards are not eligible to apply

Selection Criteria
    * Applicants must be able to demonstrate excellent written and spoken English-language skills.
    * Applicants should be able to demonstrate that theycan devote the majority of their working time to the project and thatother commitments are both complementary to their project and occupy aminority of their time.
    * An independent panel of internationally recognizedexperts will evaluate proposals on the basis of their aims andobjectives, research questions, project conceptualization, proposedmethodology, contribution to OSI goals, clarity of expression, andqualifications of the applicant.
    * Proposals may be country specific or comparativebut all should be feasible and justified. Evaluators are looking forinnovative proposals that have potential significant impact.
    * Candidates who are short-listed will be asked tosubmit further detailed information including a work schedule, detailedbudget proposal, and certified translations of relevant educationqualifications.
    * The final selection of fellows will be carried outfollowing telephone interviews, which will be held at the expense ofIPF, and successful finalists will be notified by January 30, 2006.

Main terms of the Award
    * Fellows receive supervision and support from a senior policy analyst
    * Fellows are invited to Budapest in April 2006 for initial orientation to the program
    * Optional, specialized policy research and advocacy training courses are offered in Budapest
    * Monthly stipends commensurate with local salaries
    * Budget for reasonable research, communications, travel, publication and advocacy costs
    * Discretionary funding for conference participation

How to Apply
    * Applicants should carefully complete the onlineapplication form, which includes a project summary, research proposal(maximum 4 pages), and a resume/CV including a list of publications.Applicants may also include a letter of reference from an affiliatedorganization and a writing sample on the chosen topic.
    * Once initial information has been enteredapplicants receive an ID number, which will allow them to make anyadditions and revisions to the form. This number should be quoted inany correspondence. Applications sent by mail, fax or e-mail will notbe considered unless given prior approval from IPF staff*. Applications must be submitted online by September 20, 2005. IPF does not consider late applications.

Special Awards
1. The Leslie Carol Eliason Memorial Fellowship Award
In memory of IPF veteran professor, mentor and trainer Leslie Eliason,the program will select one project to receive the Leslie Carol EliasonMemorial Fellowship Award. This will be a project that is deemed by theselection committee to have the potential to make an especiallysignificant contribution. The chosen recipient will be entitled towrite up their project at one of the institutions Dr. Eliason wasaffiliated with in the US or at the Center for Policy Studies at theCentral European University.

2. International Junior Public Policy Scholar Fellowship with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Each fellowship year, the East European Studies program of the WoodrowWilson Center in Washington, D.C. hosts 1-2 outstanding IP Fellows fromEastern Europe. The Woodrow Wilson Center provides access to researchfacilities such as the Library of Congress, university libraries, theNational Archives and relevant faculty. The Center can help arrangeintroductory visits to relevant actors and organizations in Washington,D.C. including the U.S. Congress and Senate.

The Center provides an excellent setting for writing up IPF research.Incoming scholars receive a $9,000 stipend, administrative assistanceregarding affordable housing, health care, and processing of requireddocumentation. Housing and visa arrangements are the ultimateresponsibility of the selected scholars.

Fellows are selected by the Center's East European Studies Program.Topics of particular interest include international governance(regionalization, decentralization); the rule of law; publicadministration; civil society and institution-building and the role ofnon-governmental organizations; media; minority rights; economic reformand management; Southeast Europe Stability Pact projects; organizedcrime; and north-south tier development issues including strategies forclosing the gap.

The fellowship is limited to scholars from countries in the formercommunist bloc including the Baltic states and former Yugoslavia butnot the NIS states, Ukraine or Germany. Those wishing to be consideredfor this award should include with their IPF application a one-pagedescription of why their proposed topic should be considered for suchan award. For more details see www.wilsoncenter.org.

Reference:
http://www.ingeniosystems.com/ipf/