CRRC Research Fellowships

CRRC is preparing a new round of research fellowships. Are you curious about a social science issue? Do you have some ideas or hypotheses that you want to explore further? This fellowship could be the perfect opportunity for you!

What issues are we looking to address?

We're looking for social science research that addresses pressing issues your country faces. The Millennium Development Goals constitute one such urgent research agenda. Other likely issues include child poverty, migration and democratization. However, we are happy to listen to your suggestions. We can also help you develop your ideas, if you are still unsure, but are committed to undertaking professional research. Look at our blog, http://crrc-caucasus.blogspot.com, to see some of the issues that previous fellows have worked on.

What issues are we NOT looking to address?

We are open to innovative ideas and projects. But we are not particularly interested in geopolitical studies, partisan pieces, or research that is unfocused, speculative (or too theoretical) and does not ground itself in the relevant existing literature. We prefer research that can make a real impact by improving people's lives.

What results are expected?

We want you to produce international quality research. You should aim to publish your research in a peer-reviewed journal. This will give your research international recognition. We will help you find an appropriate journal to which you can submit your work. We also expect your work to contain prescriptive richness and ask you to present you findings to relevant interested groups (international organizations, NGOs, government agencies) in your home country.

Who is the fellowship for?

You are smart, committed, curious and want to apply all your abilities. Typically you will have at least a Master's Degree. You are committed to develop your research ability and have a track record of excellence. You may work in fields other than research, but you are interested in getting back into research because you realize there are excellent long-term opportunities in the field. We require a working knowledge of English, since you want to publish internationally. Exceptions can be made for those doing quantitative and survey work. (Sorry, no funding for stipends abroad, or for Westerners.)

What do you get?

Primarily you get the satisfaction of doing excellent work and of being part of a small but vibrant community of internationally recognized research scholars in the South Caucasus. Moreover, if you get published internationally many opportunities follow. The fellowship provides an opportunity to prove your professionalism, which you can use for many other applications (jobs, consultancy work, joint research projects, conference participation, to name the most obvious). Depending on your research project, you can also get between 2000 and 4000 US dollars for pursuing your research interest (surveys, for example, may have higher costs).

Is it easy?

Yes and no. We will help at every step. But it certainly is not easy money. In research you confront new challenges and difficult decisions all the time. That is why we are doing it, after all. It requires determination and persistence -- we hope you will join us in the thrill of discovery.

How to prepare?

Our application procedure is specifically designed to help you develop your research proposal. Write us a short e-mail now (by the latest February 22) to Tamta at tamta@crrccenters.org to find out more, telling us about your field of interest. We will send you an email to let you know about the next step and to invite you to discuss your ideas at our open houses.