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PROVIA Visiting Fellows Announcement
Published:31/10/2015

PROVIA Visiting Fellows Announcement

Introduction

The Global Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA)[1], in partnership with START, introduces a new and exciting opportunity for young professionals and researchers to engage in PROVIA through the PROVIA Visiting Fellows Programme. The following announcement is for the programme’s inaugural round, and invites young professionals and researchers from Africa and Asia to apply.

The programme is designed to: foster the professional development of young professionals and scholars engaged in climate change vulnerability, impacts, and adaptation (VIA) research; increase the number of young professionals and scientists engaged in PROVIA; and support the coordination, dissemination, and practical application of VIA research.   

Description of the PROVIA Visiting Fellows Programme

PROVIA is offering a pilot round of fellowships for five fellows, with two selected from Africa and three from Asia. Each fellow will be matched with a mentor at a host institution, based on compatibility between the fellow’s qualifications and research interests, and the mentor’s areas of expertise and current projects. The fellow will be expected to contribute to the mentor’s projects and the mentor will provide research guidance and support to the fellow in project output preparation.

Prior to the fellow’s travel to the host institution, the fellow will consult with the mentor and prepare a work plan and a research prospectus or project plan. The outline of the research prospectus or project plan must be approved by the mentor and submitted to the PROVIA Secretariat for travel permission to be granted.

The fellow will spend a total of four weeks in residence at the host institution. The fellow will be matched with one of the four participating institutions: 1) International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), Independent University, Bangladesh; 2) Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies, University of Ghana; 3) Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; and 4) Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Tongji University, China.

Travel (airfare, visa application fee, and airport transfer) and accommodation (housing, daily subsistence allowance) expenses for this fellowship will be covered.  Also, Fellows are expected to attend the May 2016 Adaptation Futures Conference in Rotterdam. Fellows’ cost of attendance and conference fees will be covered as part of the fellowship.

Mentorship will be provided for an additional six months upon the fellow’s return home. Fellows are expected to produce a research product that may include a publication in an academic journal; OR they may produce an output that can be used in policy or practice arenas for designing, implementing, or influencing adaptation solutions.

Eligibility Criteria

The applicant must meet the following criteria:

-       The fellowship is open to professionals and researchers whose work involves designing, implementing, or promoting adaptation solutions. Professional candidates must have at least a Master’s degree in a field related to climate change VIA (eg. geography, environmental management, environmental policy and economics, climate science, etc.) and 3 years of research or related work experience in adaptation at the time of application. Preference will be given to early career professionals and researchers (i.e. those under 35 years age who have received graduate degrees [Master’s or PhD] within the last 5 years).

-       The applicant should be able to fully participate in the fellowship as described above.

-       The applicant must select a research theme (see application form) and present a corresponding research idea that addresses an emerging issue regarding adaptation solutions. The thesis or goal, objectives, methods, and what stakeholders will be engaged with (if any) must be clearly articulated.

-       The expected research and communications outputs must be described. The applicant should specify who the target audience for each output is, and if the output will be research-based, such as a journal article, or policy/practice-oriented.

-       Each fellow is eligible for up to $1500 in research project funding, to be used in the production of research and communications outputs. The applicant must prepare a simple budget and budget justification for up to $1500, demonstrating how these funds would be used to produce the proposed outputs.  

-       The applicant must submit a completed application form and all requested materials (CV, proof of nationality, proof of degree or enrollment, publication sample, and letter of home institution support) by the November 1, 2015 deadline.

-       Selected candidates must possess valid medical insurance for the duration of their stay at the host institution, expiring no less than one month after their return home.

How to Apply

Interested individuals are invited to submit the completed application form and additional materials to the PROVIA Secretariat, provia@provia-climatechange.org. Please do not send material that is not requested. The application deadline is 20 November 2015.

Please do not hesitate to contact the PROVIA Secretariat with any questions regarding the application process or the fellowship.

Applicants will be notified when their application has been received, however, due to the volume of applications submitted, only successful candidates will be contacted in December.

PROVIA Visiting Fellows Announcement

Application Form

 

**Please note: ALL of the following information must be provided.

 Incomplete application packages WILL NOT be evaluated**

 

1. Contact Information

 

Last Name:

 

First and Middle Names:

 

Employing Institution:

 

Mailing Address:   

(Please include the street and house/apartment number)

 

 

City:                                                                  State/Province:

 

Postal Code:                                                 Country:

 

Telephone:                                                  

(Please include country and city codes)

 

Email Address:

 

2. Personal Information

Note: This information must be provided but will be kept confidential and will be used in the selection procedure only.

 

Date of Birth:                                      Gender:

                   (DD-MM-YY)                    

 

Citizenship at Birth:       

 

Present Citizenship(s):

 

Country of Residence:

 

3. Academic and Professional Background 

 

Graduate Degree(s) Earned:                                             Graduation Date(s):

                           

Subject/Title of Degree(s):

 

Name of University:                                                     City and Country:

 

 

 

Name and contact details of a referee that can provide a reference:

 

 

 

 

Name and contact details of the person in your home institution who has agreed to your potential participation in the PROVIA Visiting Fellows Announcement: 

 

 

 

 

4. Please indicate which thematic area you are most interested in for your fellowship. You may place an X in the right-hand column corresponding to your preferred thematic area.

Community-based adaptation

 

Climate scenario modeling

 

Agricultural adaptation policy

 

Water quality and infrastructure

 

Adaptation governance in semi-arid regions

 

 

5.  Please briefly answer each of the following questions:

a)            Why do you want to participate in the PROVIA Visiting Fellows Programme and how will it contribute to your career goals? (250 words or less)

 

b)            Briefly summarize your idea for your research prospectus or project plan in relation to the theme you selected above. Please include your thesis or goal, objectives, methods, and what stakeholders will be engaged with (if any). (500 words or less)

 

c)             Detail your expected research and communications outputs. Please specify who the target audience for each output is, and if the output will be research-based, such as a journal article, or policy/practice-oriented. (250 words or less)

 

d)            Provide a short budget and budget justification for how you would use up to $1500 to produce your proposed research and communications outputs. (1 page or less)

 

e)            Describe your knowledge, skills, and experience related to adaptation solutions that would allow you to successfully carry out your research or project, as well as which skills and knowledge you wish to develop. (250 words or less)

 

6.  Checklist of the documents to be sent. Please place an X in the right-hand column or give an explanation for why you cannot provide the document.

 

1.       A fully completed application form.

 

2.       Proof of nationality and date of birth.

 

3.       A copy of your degree, a proof of enrolment in a degree, or a final transcript (in English).

 

4.       A short (2-page) Curriculum Vitae.

 

5.       A short example of a publication or paper you have written, or outputs you have produced in your policy or project work.

 

6.       A letter from your institution agreeing to your participation.

 

 

**Applicants are requested to fill out the application form and send with all accompanying documents as a single PDF document preferably in the order above (1-6). Applications received in other formats (other than PDF) WILL NOT be evaluated

 

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