EAEA News - International fellowship programme

The International Fellowship Programme (IFP) for Central and Eastern European (CEE) Foundations and NGOs invites applications and searches for host institutions for its third round, beginning in spring 2007. The Programme offers foundation and NGO staff (young leaders as well as executives) from eight CEE countries the opportunity to work for up to 12 weeks in non-profit host institutions abroad.

The IFP aims to

• Give foundation and NGO staff in Central and Eastern Europe the opportunity to develop their professional skills with an international and practical orientation;
• Trigger or deepen contacts and cooperation between non-profit institutions in CEE and other European countries; and
• Support civil society in CEE by improving the management competences of their staff.

Candidates for fellowships should be

• University graduates with at least three years of professional experience;
• Working at their home institutions for at least two years and have a future job prospect there;
• Young leaders and/or senior managers;
• Located in one of the following countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, or Ukraine; and
• Speak the working language(s) used in their prospective host institution. There can be exceptions to this rule, if a candidate and the mentor of the host institution have a common language.
• In addition, some knowledge of English is necessary for the seminars that complement the programme.

The fellow's travel costs to and from the location of the host institution and the venue of the introductory and final seminars will be reimbursed, as well as a substantial part of accommodation costs (up to 100%, depending on the location). In addition, fellows receive a contribution towards living costs (per diem) during the fellowship. The candidates can use a part of their per diem allotments to cover the 150 euros participation fee.

The deadline for applications is Friday, 3^rd November 2006. Fellowships will take place between April and July 2007, with a minimum duration of three and a maximum of twelve weeks. Detailed information and the application form are available at https://www.efc.be/.

Would you like to host a fellow at your institution? Host institutions are asked to draw up a profile of the fellowship they wish to offer and to nominate a mentor as a contact person for the fellow. The IFP places particular emphasis on careful matching of fellows with host institutions and a diligent preparation of the fellowships, which is achieved mainly by means of a short introductory seminar. The host can influence the selection of the fellow and also suggest candidates or sending institutions of their own choice.

Most host institutions are currently located in the UK, but fellows have also worked in countries like Germany and Sweden or in Brussels-based organisations. For 2007, institutions in the CEE countries are also eligible as hosts. Further European non-profit institutions are invited to submit a proposal for a fellowship position.

Submitting a proposal before 20th October or earlier increases the chance for a good match with a candidate, but proposals are also welcome after that date.

If you would like to offer a fellowship position at your institution, check out the IFP website for details and the proposal form: https://www.efc.be/

About the IFP

The IFP was launched in 2004 by six international donors, including the Robert Bosch Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe, Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation, Bernard van Leer Foundation and German Federal Foundation for the Environment.

After a pilot phase in 2005 with five fellows, an expanded 2006 group comprised 17 fellows, working in fields such as the environment, youth, community development and business-NGO relations. The programme was developed and initially managed by the Robert Bosch Foundation. In 2006 it was transferred to the European Foundation Centre in order to promote involvement of additional foundations and donor associations.