Postdoctoral FellowshipPrint

Program Description

The Postdoctoral Fellowship is designed for scholars who have recently received their PhDs and wish to conduct research to begin their academic careers. Postdoctoral Fellows may reside in Taiwan for up to one year to carry out in-depth research related to Taiwan’s democratic and human rights development. 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, Postdoctoral 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

Postdoctoral Fellowship applicants should possess a PhD or equivalent in a field relevant to the proposed project at the time of application. Applicants may have received their PhD up to seven years prior to applying. When submitting an application for a Postdoctoral 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 human rights or democracy, and the experience and qualifications of the applicant. As the Postdoctoral Fellowship is designed for foreign scholars, Taiwanese citizens are not eligible to apply.

Fellowship Award

The TFD awards all Postdoctoral Fellows with a stipend of NT$45,000 - NT$50,000 per month to assist with living expenses in Taiwan, according to the evaluation of the reviewers. In addition, the TFD will reimburse all Postdoctoral 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 offer business cards and limited, shared office space to all Postdoctoral Fellows.

Requirements

All Postdoctoral 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 applicants to arrange a time to conduct a phone interview if necessary. While in Taiwan, Postdoctoral 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 Postdoctoral Fellows are expected to give a final, public presentation at the TFD, as well as produce a major piece of writing for publication in either English or Chinese. Postdoctoral 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 Postdoctoral Fellows to acknowledge the TFD’s support in their publications that result from their fellowship research whenever appropriate.