Dissertation FellowshipPrint

Program Description

The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy seeks to promote an understanding of Taiwan’s democracy and human rights development among the future generation of scholars and practitioners. To this end, Dissertation Fellows may reside in Taiwan for up to one year to carry out in-depth, relevant research. Applicants are encouraged to form relationships with organizations and institutions dealing with democracy and human rights issues based in Taiwan. The TFD hopes that through an active exchange of ideas and expertise, Dissertation Fellows may share their experience with Taiwanese academics, practitioners, NGOs, and think tanks to further encourage democracy and human rights in Taiwan and internationally.

Eligibility

At the time of application, Dissertation Fellowship applicants should be enrolled in a full-time PhD program or equivalent in a field relevant to their proposed research. They should also have completed all the requirements for their PhD, except for the dissertation. When submitting an application for a Dissertation Fellowship, please remember that in making its final decision, the TFD considers the relevance of the proposed research topic to the mission of the TFD, the potential contributions that the research can make to the field of democracy and human rights, and the experience and qualifications of the applicant. As the Dissertation Fellowship is designed for foreign scholars, Taiwanese citizens are not eligible to apply.

Fellowship Award

The TFD awards all Dissertation Fellows with a stipend of NT$40,000 – NT$45,000 per month to assist with living expenses in Taiwan, according to the evaluation of our reviewers. In addition, the TFD will reimburse all Dissertation Fellows who are outside of Taiwan at the time their fellowships begin for the cost of one round-trip plane ticket to Taiwan. The TFD offers business cards and limited, shared office space for all Dissertation Fellows. 

Requirements

All Dissertation Fellowship applicants are required to fill out a complete application form, which can be downloaded from this webpage, then send the hard copy bearing the applicant’s original signature by mail to TFD before the deadline, together with a copy of their curriculum vitae. In addition, two letters of recommendation should be sent as PDF files directly from the referees’ official email account (university or institution) to TFD at fellows@tfd.org.tw.

Once an applicant’s application has been reviewed, the TFD may contact the applicant to arrange a time to conduct a phone interview if necessary. While in Taiwan, Dissertation Fellows are required to submit a progress report to the TFD every two months. Progress reports must be submitted in writing on a form provided by the TFD, although additional oral presentations at the TFD are allowed. All Dissertation Fellows are expected to give a final, public presentation at the TFD and must submit a final report in writing by the end of the fellowship. In addition, all Dissertation Fellows must submit a copy of their dissertation to the TFD upon its completion. Dissertation Fellows are expected to consult with TFD staff about any major changes in their research plans, and to update the TFD staff regarding any travel plans during their fellowships. The TFD also encourage Dissertation Fellows to acknowledge the TFD’s support in their publications that result from their fellowship research whenever appropriate.