Inlaks Shivdasani Fellowship 2022 for Social Engagement [Amount of Rs. 1.25 L]: Apply by May 15

Applications are invited for Inlaks Shivdasani Fellowship 2022 for Social Engagement. The last date of application is 15 May.

About

The Inlaks Shivdasani Fellowship for Social Engagement will give graduates and early to mid-career professionals the confidence and security to explore alternatives and make independent choices about their lives while contributing to social change.

The fellowship aims to increase participation in public life among young people while encouraging them to challenge the status quo. The fellowship will give young people the opportunity to work with a mentor of their choice and involve themselves in a process where knowledge drives social change.

The work pursued may take many forms, including action-oriented research, cause lawyering, grassroots journalism, conservation efforts, minority rights, public health etc. The fellowship will give participants the chance to build a diverse worldview and establish long-lasting connections to issues of public importance.

The fellowship is committed to supporting equality of opportunity, social inclusion, freedom of expression, and respect for individual and constitutional rights.

Eligibility

Six fellowships will be awarded across the following two categories:

• Graduates (applicants must not have attained the age of 30 years as on 15.5.2022 and must have a bachelor’s degree); and
• Early to mid-career professionals (applicants must not have attained the age of 35 years as on 15.5.2022 and must have at least 3 years of relevant work experience).

Equal consideration will be given to candidates from urban and rural areas.

Application

The application process is designed to facilitate an easy understanding of your candidature and to assess whether your vision is aligned with the fellowship. Applicants are expected to submit the following documents:

Work Plan

• A concise description of the work or research the applicant plans to undertake during the fellowship period.
• The applicant should define the expected outcomes of their work or research.
• The work plan should not exceed 1000 words.

Statement of Purpose

• The Statement of Purpose should also address the following:
• How does your work plan contribute to social change? How long have you undertaken this work?
• How do you plan to contribute to the public discourse on your chosen issue? You could employ any medium such as writing for publications, publishing reports, filmmaking, photography, blogging, archiving, theatre etc.
• The statement of purpose should not exceed 1000 words.

Letter of Endorsement from the Mentor

Through this letter, the mentor should endorse the applicant’s work plan and agree to supervise their work during the fellowship period, as well as indicate their willingness to review and comment upon the applicant’s quarterly and annual progress reports.

Resume

Letter of Recommendation

A letter from a person who has supervised the applicant’s work for at least 6 months. This person could also be the mentor if the applicant has worked with them for the requisite time period. For fresh graduates an academic letter of recommendation is acceptable.

Declaration Form

Applicants should submit a signed copy of the declaration form available here disclosing other sources of funding, if any, along with attesting to the accuracy of the documents provided by them and consenting to the foundation’s data policy.

Please email the above mentioned documents, separately labeled, in a zipped folder labeled by your name to fellowships[at]inlaksfoundation.org . Please mention “Application for Inlaks Shivdasani Fellowship for Social Engagement” in the subject line.

Important dates

The applications for the fellowship will be accepted until 15.5.2022.

On the basis of the above, short listed candidates will be announced on 15.6.2022 following which they will be invited for a final interview by a selection committee in June 2022. The final list of selected fellows will be announced on 1.7.2022 and they will be expected to begin work from 1.8.2022.

Fellowship Awards

Depending on the geographical location of the fellow, the fellowship stipend will be as follows:

• 45,000 per month if the fellow is living and working in a “X” category area.
• 35,000 per month if the fellow is living and working in a “Y” category area.
• 25,000 per month if the fellow is living and working in a “Z” category area.*

In exceptional cases, additional funding up to a maximum of Rs. 20,000 can be granted for special projects undertaken by a fellow. This will be approved on a case-by-case basis upon submission of a proposal describing the particulars of the said initiative and the expenses involved.

The fellowship will last for 2 years subject to satisfactory completion of a probation period and quarterly and annual review of the fellows’ work. The probation period will be for the first 6 months of the fellowship. The stipend will be disbursed half yearly in advance.

The stipend is subject to timely receipt of quarterly reports in which fellows self assess their progress. These reports will be reviewed and commented on by their mentor before submission.

Click here to view the official notification of Inlaks Shivdasani Fellowship 2022 for Social Engagement.