International Visiting FellowshipPrint

Program Description

Every year, a select number of International Visiting Fellows may stay inTaiwanto complete an independent research project for up to one year. The TFD aims to have International Visiting Fellows establish contact and network withTaiwan’s related non-governmental organizations, to encourage the development of cooperative international projects, and to support research and writing of those working in the field of democracy assistance. As the International Visiting Fellowship is designed to provide well-established scholars or experts with the opportunity to study Taiwan’s democracy and human rights, Taiwanese citizens are not eligible to apply. The International Visiting Fellowship includes a monthly stipend to assist with living expenses in Taiwan. The TFD will also reimburse those International Visiting Fellows who are outside ofTaiwanat the time their fellowship begins for the cost of a round-trip plane ticket toTaipei.

Another important goal of the TFD is to encourage the building of relationships between organizations, institutions, and individuals working for democracy and human rights issues worldwide. The TFD believes that through an active exchange of ideas and expertise between academics and practitioners, NGOs and academic institutes, democracy and human rights can be strongly promoted not only inTaiwanbut internationally as well. 

Eligibility

The International Visiting Fellowship is geared towards well-established scholars or experts devoted to the promotion and building of democracy and human rights. When submitting an application for an International Visiting Fellowship, please remember that in making its 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 human rights or democracy, and the experience and qualifications of the applicant. As the International Visiting Fellowship is designed for foreign well-established scholars or experts, Taiwanese citizens are not eligible to apply. 

Fellowship Award

The TFD awards all International Visiting Fellows with a monthly stipend designed to assist with living expenses in Taiwan. In addition, the TFD will reimburse all International Visiting 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 will provide business cards for all International Visiting Fellows and will provide limited, shared office space.

Requirements

All International Visiting Fellowship applicants are required to fill out a complete application form, which can be downloaded from this webpage, then mail the hard copy with signature to TFD before the deadline. In addition to this application form, all International Visiting Fellowship applicants must submit a copy of their curriculum vitae, as well as two letters of recommendation (sent directly from the referees to TFD in hard copy). Details are available in the application form. 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, International Visiting Fellows are required to submit a progress report 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 International Visiting Fellows are expected to give at least one major public presentation by the end of the fellowship. International Visiting 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 encourages International Visiting Fellows to acknowledge the TFD’s support in their publications that result from their fellowship research whenever appropriate.