Natural Resource Governance Institute 2016 Women Leaders Fellowship Program (Fully Funded)

Application Deadline: June 30th 2016

The Natural Resource Governance Institute is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for the 2016 Women Leaders Fellowship.

The program seeks to increase the participation of women in the movement to promote the sustainable management of extractives for the public good. In 2016 the fellowship will be open to applicants from the following countries: Ghana, Iraq, Myanmar, Tanzania, Indonesia, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, Colombia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Libya and Uganda.

The Women Leaders in Extractives Fellowship enables civil society leaders to develop knowledge and skills through a tailored training program, which could include one of NRGI’s training programs, and a practicum supervised by an expert mentor that will bridge the coursework and the fellow’s advocacy work. Trainings will give fellows a solid background in issues related to natural resource management. Fellows will be expected to complete background reading, communicate regularly with their mentors, and participate actively and constructively in any courses attended.

In the practicum segment, fellows will undertake a short project that demonstrates their increased level of analysis in a topical issue for their country.

Eligibility Criteria

The NRGI fellowship is for women civil society activists who will be able to immediately apply this knowledge in their work. Successful candidates must have background in development issues related to extractives to engage in nuanced discussions about policy and its application. They should also hold a role in a relevant organization or coalition, which will enable them to promote direct change as a result of the experience.

The successful candidate will have, at a minimum:

• an undergraduate degree
• a background or proven interest in research, monitoring and activism around extractive revenue, legal and fiscal regimes, and/or transparency
• a dedicated commitment to return to their country and their current campaigns
• diplomatic skills in order to constructively engage in debate with different stakeholders
• excellent English skills
• the explicit support of their current home organization to pursue all aspects of this fellowship

Benefits

• NRGI will support fellows financially to complete their project over a period of three months.
• Fellows will return to their home organizations or coalitions better equipped to take their campaigns to a more technical and informed level and share new knowledge with their colleagues.
• Fellows’ travel, course tuition and accommodation will be paid by NRGI as part of the fellowship.

Application Instructions

To apply, please complete the online application form by 30 June 2016, providing:

• Details on your academic and professional background
• An outline of what you will seek to learn and achieve during the fellowship, including areas of research interests
• CV or resume
• Two professional references
• Three essays (no more than 500 words apiece) that includes:
  • An outline of extractive-related challenges in your country and the current work you, your organization and civil society groups more broadly are doing in response
  • An outline of the challenges you feel that women in your country face in relation to the extractive industries
  • A description of how you will use the learning and products from the fellowship upon return to your country and organization, and a description of how this fellowship fits into your current career goals

All candidates will be judged in an open and competitive selection process that will rate them based on:

• The relevance of their work experience, training and education; their technical knowledge of and interest in the extractives sector
• Their space and commitment to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills
• Their ability to meet the specific mental, relational, and academic challenges of the fellowship

Short-listed candidates from each region will be interviewed by NRGI staff as well as outside advisors. Additional references may be requested.

Incomplete applications and applications not submitted in English will be automatically disregarded. For further information, please contact Helen Dempsey at hdempsey@resourcegovernance.org.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the NRGI Petroleum Governance Fellowship for Women