The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is pleased to announce a call for applications for three short- term transatlantic fellowships through our Comparative Domestic Policy program (CDP). Selected Fellows will be awarded US$10,000 to spend approximately one month on the other side of the Atlantic researching approaches to an urban/regional challenge confronted by both American and Europeans cities and regions.

Description

Cities, states, and regions in both the United States and the European Union are grappling with similar economic and social challenges brought about by rising global competition and societal change - urban disinvestment, energy costs and environmental quality concerns, social integration and changing demographics, and economic restructuring, to name just a few. Most of these policy areas are tackled at the local and regional, rather than national government levels, yet there are very few opportunities for civic leaders to meet, to observe new approaches to persistent challenges, and to exchange best practices in addressing these challenges effectively.

Through its CDP Transatlantic Fellows program, GMF will provide practitioners and policy-makers working on these issues at the state and local levels the opportunity to meet and discuss with their counterparts across the Atlantic the policies and measures that have been implemented, what has worked, and what has not. The Fellowship is specifically focused on the following policy areas:

• urban/regional development
• energy and climate
• social exclusion and poverty

Program Details
GMF will award three individual Fellowships of $10,000 - one in each of the three policy area focuses. Fellowships will be determined through a competitive application process that will include a review by a selection committee.

GMF will work with selected Fellows to determine dates of travel and itineraries. Wherever possible, GMF will provide Fellows with contact information from our own extensive networks so that Fellows can arrange meetings at their own convenience. Fellows will be responsible for making their own travel and logistical arrangements, setting up their schedule of appointments during their Fellowship, producing at least one article for publication in the media, a report on findings to be published as a GMF policy brief, and must provide GMF with the final itinerary as well as a financial report.

Fellowship funds are to be used for travel, lodging, meals and incidentals (internet access, phone, taxis). Fellows will be expected to travel with a laptop and email account, and will be strongly encouraged to rent a GSM mobile phone as part of their program. Fellowship funds cannot be used to purchase equipment.

Who Should Apply
GMF is seeking applications from mid-career professionals engaged in the targeted policy areas with an interest in gaining an understanding of how these issues are approached and tackled in a culture other than their own and an ability to apply lessons learned to their own community. Applicants should be policymakers, practitioners, civic leaders in state/local government or represent the media or non-profit communities. The fellowship is not intended for academic research.

How to Apply:

To apply for the CDP Transatlantic Fellowship, please submit the following materials:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Proposal (3-5 pages) including sections that describe your present work, place the challenge you want to explore in your local context, your goals for the fellowship, and how you would share your experience within your community and professional field more broadly
• Budget
• Contact information for two professional references
• Letter from your employer, supervisor, or board chair confirming their agreement to four weeks' absence from your place of employment
• Materials should be sent to GMF by email. Applications should be submitted to GMF no later than July 30, 2006. Fellows will be selected by August 18.
  

For further information and to submit applications, please contact:

Ellen Pope
Senior Program Officer- Comparative Domestic Policy program
The German Marshall Fund of the United States
1744 R Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
T: 202 745 6674
Email: epope@gmfus.org