Applications for Fellowships to the Central Asia Research and Training Initiative

International Higher Education Support Program (HESP)
of the Open Society Institute (OSI)
is pleased to invite
Applications for Fellowships
to the

Central Asia Research and Training Initiative

The International Higher Education Support Program is committed to the advancement of higher education in the humanities and social sciences throughout the region of Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Mongolia. Central Asia Research and Training Initiative (CARTI) is a regional HESP program that promotes the development of indigenous capacities for original scholarly and academic work and internationalization of scholarship in the region of Central Asia, including, but not limited to, the post-Soviet states of Central Asia and Mongolia. In working to enhance independent research of university-based academics, CARTI is committed to innovation in, and enrichment of, university teaching in the humanities and social sciences and emphasizes the role of research in the development of academics as scholars in the classroom.

CARTI provides advanced training and networking opportunities and supports innovative scholarly work of motivated young academics in crucial early stages of their careers in the home academic environment. The program aids these individuals in becoming conversant with the state-of-the-art scholarship and within international scholarly discourse in their subject areas, active scholars applying contemporary research methods and resources, innovators in teaching making active use of their own scholarly experience and motivated and prepared to pursue advanced learning opportunities. With CARTI's support, the Fellows engage state of the art resources, theories, methodologies and approaches to their research and teaching in the subjects and areas of importance to the scholarly and social development in the region and develop positions of academic leadership in the region.

CARTI is implemented through two Fellowship programs - Junior and Senior Fellowships and a training and networking component.

The program provides the Fellows with the opportunities for:

• enhancing familiarity with the state of the art in their disciplines and understanding of the current thinking in their fields, improving access to seminal scholarship, relevant international expertise and contemporary debates within the international scholarly community;
• advanced training in and practice of contemporary methodologies and tools for scholarly research and approaches to teaching and curriculum development;
• conducting individual and collaborative original, innovative and high quality research with critical discussion and peer feedback on the research process and outcomes;
• applying research experience and outcomes to development of teaching and curriculum at the region's universities and promoting research work as integral part of students' learning;
• peer collaboration and mobility on regional and international level;
• development of skills and venues for publicizing scholarly work.

Each CARTI Fellow from the region works in collaborative partnership with an International CARTI Scholar. International Scholars can be proposed by the Fellows or appointed by CARTI and are advanced academics, prominent in the fields of scholarship of concern to the Fellows' projects, representing universities outside the program's target region. They provide guidance and collaborate in conceiving of the Fellows' research agenda and program and collaborate with the Fellows in the implementation of the projects, primarily by offering feedback and critique, but also through joint research activities, discussion of sources, methods, progress and findings of the research, and securing access to the relevant resources and facilities at their home institutions.

CARTI is open to support projects in a wide range of subjects and topics in the humanities and social sciences. The proposed projects need not be region-specific and will typically be concerned with the study, revision and application of the foundation scholarly thinking rather than have an explicit policy orientation. Although the projects that have the bearing on the issues of the day and relevance to the region are encouraged, the program has equal interest in exploring original approaches, interpretations and critique of the traditional and foundation scholarship in the disciplines. The Senior Fellows are especially encouraged to engage in interdisciplinary exploration of a given topic/subject. While CARTI supports research and teaching in the regional/local languages, operational knowledge of English is desired.

CARTI Fellowships are typically awarded for up to 24 months, with on-going review and evaluation procedures in place. A Fellowship typically offers:

• A stipend;
• Funding for research activities, communication, access to necessary equipment and resources;
• Funds for exchange visits between the Fellows and the International scholars (all CARTI fellows will be encouraged and funded to spend up to one academic semester at the home institution of the International Scholar during the term of the Fellowship);
• Senior Fellowships also provide funding for teaching and curriculum development activities.

Eligibility

All Applicants for CARTI Fellowships must be citizens and residents of the following countries: Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan;

Preference in selection will be given to younger candidates.

Fellowships are awarded through an open competition based on an academic review of the Applications, consisting of an Application Form, Project Proposal, academic references and supporting documents. Application information and materials are distributed free of charge by the OSI-Budapest office and regional and local partners of the Soros Foundations Network.

Further information about the program and the application process is available at www.soros.org/initiatives/hesp or: