Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program

Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program

2010-2011

International Forum for Democratic Studies, National Endowment for Democracy, USA

Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program
Named in honor of NED’s principal founders, former president Ronald Reagan and the late congressman Dante Fascell, the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program was established in 2001 with funding from the U.S. Congress to enable democratic activists, practitioners, scholars, and journalists from around the world to deepen their understand­ing of democracy and enhance their ability to promote democratic change. Fellows are in residence at the Forum and participate in the collegial life of the Endowment and in the many opportunities for professional exchange in Washington, D.C.
The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program is intended primarily for practitioners and scholars from emerging and aspiring democracies. Distinguished scholars from the United States and other established democracies are also eligible to apply. The program offers five-month fellowships for practitioners to improve strategies and techniques for building democ­racy abroad and five- to ten-month fellowships for scholars to conduct original re­search for publica­tion. While the two tracks share many common elements, they have different eligibility requirements and distinct goals, activities, and products associated with them.

The Practitioner Track
The Reagan-Fascell program was established with the primary purpose of supporting democracy activists, human rights advocates, journalists, and others who work on the frontlines of building democracy in emerging and aspiring democracies. The program provides practitioners with a needed break from their daily routine so that they may reflect on their work, learn from counterparts in the United States, and reevaluate techniques for building democracy in their country of origin.
Eligibility: Applicants interested in the practitioner track are expected to have substantial practical experience working to promote democracy or human rights in their country of origin or interest. There are no specific degree requirements for the practitioner track. A Ph.D., for instance, is not required of practitioner applicants. While there are also no age limits, applicants on the practitioner track are typically mid-career professionals with several years of professional experience in the field of democracy and human rights. Examples of eligible candidates for the practitioner track include human rights advocates, political party activists, professional staff of civic or humanitarian organizations, international lawyers, journalists, labor leaders, politicians, and diplomats.
Practitioner fellowships are typically five months in duration and culminate in a strategic policy memorandum, short article or op-ed, as well as a formal presentation of the fellow’s analysis and ideas.

The Scholarly Track
In recognition of the importance of intellectual contributions to the theory and practice of democracy, the Reagan-Fascell program offers a scholarly track for scholars, professors, and established writers. Applicants for this track may be scholars from emerging and aspiring democracies or accomplished scholars from the United States and other established democracies.
Eligibility: Applicants interested in the scholarly track are expected to possess a doctorate (a Ph.D., or academic equivalent) at the time of application, to have published in their field of expertise, and to have developed a detailed research outline for their fellowship project. Examples of eligible candidates for the scholarly track include college and university professors, analysts at research centers and “think tanks,” and independent writers. Occasionally, a professional who is planning to write a book or other scholarly publication may qualify to apply on the scholarly track.
Scholarly track fellowships are typically five months in duration (when appropriate, a small number of scholarly fellowships may be granted for ten-month periods). Fellows on this track make at least one public presentation of their work and complete a substantial piece of writing (typically an article or book) for publication.

Download Information Booklet and Application Guidelines

Application Deadline: November 9, 2009