Празький центр громадянського суспільства приймає заявки на участь у тримісячній дослідницькій програмі для активістів, науковців та журналістів, які вивчають громадський сектор та соціальні проблеми у країнах Східної Європи та Центральної Азії. Дедлайн - 30 вересня 2019 року. (далі - англ.).

What: A fully funded three-month research residency with the Prague Civil Society Centre for civil society workers, activists, researchers and journalists working with civic and social issues in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

When: There are three fellowship periods: 

1) Early February – end April 2020

2) Early May – late July 2020

3) Mid September – early December 2020

Where: Prague, Czech Republic

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 experts, researchers, human rights defenders, environmental or urban activists, journalists and members of NGOs and civic-minded groups.

 Deadline for Applications: September 30,  2019

What is the PCSC 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-minded 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, training manual, policy paper or analytical work 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, modest living expenses and accommodation, as well as visa assistance. Fellows are also provided with a shared office space with an internet connection and meeting facilities.

Who is the PCSC Fellowship for?

Fellows must be from one of the Eastern European or Central Asian countries highlighted in yellow in the map below and be involved with civil society, journalism, or social issues in their country through their work, research or activism. We expect applicants to have a proven track record of accomplishments in the civil sector or journalism, with enough experience to conduct and complete a three-month project.

Fellows are often:

• 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 challenges of a repressive political environment

• experienced trainers or someone who provides educational programmes for civil society and are looking to develop a new curriculum or re-think their current approach

• people with extensive knowledge and experience of a certain type of activism and are on the lookout to document or share their experience with others

• people with knowledge of either successful or failed reform processes in their country who want to document this experience to guide future reforms in their country or elsewhere

• looking to write a comparative analysis of reform experiences between their country and another

• those with fresh ideas on how to reinvigorate civil society activism who need time to develop their ideas and work out their approach

• people with extensive experience in social entrepreneurship or other ways of combining profit making and pro-bono work who want to record and share their knowledge

• individuals with extensive experience using technology and smart communication tools for social change and activism who feel ready to share their experience and approach

• people living and working in repressive environments who need a safe place for a productive respite

What are we looking for in your proposal?

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, and 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 certain topics will be given higher priority in our selection process. For more information on priority topics and tips for applicants, download the PCSC Fellowship Guidelines.

If selected as a PCSC fellow, you will be asked to commit to a specific project output before the start of your Fellowship. The Prague Civil Society Centre may also ask you to assist on our other projects or activities.

How to apply

Step 1: Fill in the fellowship application form

Step 2: Send us your CV as a pdf to [email protected]

Make sure that you fill out the application form very carefully, without any mistakes or inconsistencies. The Fellowship programme is highly competitive, and only the best candidates with the best profiles and applications will be chosen.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a phone interview to discuss their project idea and motivation. Candidates will be notified by the end of November 2019 if they have been selected or not.

We will provide updates on the selection process on the PCSC website.

Please send any questions regarding to application process to [email protected]. We will not be able to respond to questions after September 20.

Additional Fellowship Opportunity

When applying for a PCSC Fellowship, you can also simultaneously apply for the Freedom Chair Fellowship Programme—a programme for scholars, academics and researchers from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The Freedom Chair Fellowship has been jointly designed by the Institute of International Studies of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Charles University in Prague and the Prague Civil Society Centre to provide scholars with a one to three-month research residency with the IIS FSS in Prague. 

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