Deadline: September 13, 2016 | Apply here
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Eligibility: Citizens of the Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine up to 25 years old are eligible to apply.

EU Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowships 2016 – the Public Policy Stream

The Fellowships aim at identifying and promoting talented public policy professionals who can advance the quality of public debate on crucial policy issues within the Eastern Partnership.

The European Union is committed to supporting civil society in Eastern Partnership countries. Civil society – represented in a multitude of forms of organisation between state and citizens – is recognised by the EU as an actor in its own right to engage in dialogue with both their governments and the EU.

The EU Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowships are supported by the European Union through the project “Civil Society. Dialogue for Progress“.

Benefits and responsibilities

• The purpose of the Fellowships is to encourage leading young researchers from the Eastern Partnership region to apply their skills towards better policy making.
• Fellows will receive financial support and guidance in developing policy briefs targeting the EU, partner governments and/or other relevant national and international actors.
• Fellows are encouraged to draw their proposals on the CSO mapping studies conducted in the framework of the project “Civil Society. Dialogue for Progress”
• The goal of the mapping exercises was to provide relevant stakeholders with an in-depth analysis of the CSO landscape in each country. The comprehensive studies were conducted in 2014 – 2016 and consist of an analytical and empirical part. They were carried out by experts from the EaP countries and local sociological institutes.

Possible topics that could be addressed are:

• How the EU and/or partner governments can better engage civil society actors in policy dialogue (in reference to Invited/claimed spaces of participation, legal environment for CSOs, public perception of CSOs, new trends in civil society growth and development, shrinking space for civil society in the Eastern Partnership etc.)
• The role of civil society organisations in the advancement of the Eastern Partnership reform agenda
• Understanding and implications of the institutional history of state – government interactions in the Eastern Partnership for the future of inclusive and evidence-based policy making in the concerned countries
• The role of Association Agendas in advancing reforms and inclusion of civil society in dialogue with the EU and partner countries
• Future of the Eastern Partnership as a regional political project
• Other topics that may be related to evidence backed realities in the Eastern Partnership countries, and which may have an impact on the Eastern Partnership.

The policy briefs need to be completed (in a publishable form) by November 5, 2016.

The researchers will be subcontracted and offered an honorarium of EUR 2.500 per policy brief.

How to apply

The EU Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellowships applicants will have to apply online by sending:

• Their CV – showing volunteering track record and experience in engaging with civil society organisations
• A letter from a civil society organisation attesting affiliation of the potential Fellow to the organisation (contact details of the organisations need to be clearly stated)
• A piece of material on why they believe EU engagement with Eastern Partnership countries is important – applicants are encouraged to be creative on the form (examples: a max 500 words letter/ a drawing/ a video message or speech)
• Max 500 words containing the abstract of the future policy brief, plus short research methodology and between 3 and 10 academic references that the brief will draw on
• Contacts of two references who can speak on the professionalism and track record of the candidate.

If any (these are not mandatory, but will be considered as a plus):

• An example of a previous policy research paper or policy brief drafted by the applicant (in English)
• A list of relevant publications (abstracts in English translation if they are in local language/ MA or PhD theses are to be included in this list).

Please send the online application to info@csdialogue.eu.

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