The Civil Society Leadership Awards (CSLA) provide
fully-funded scholarships for master’s degree study to individuals who clearly
demonstrate academic and professional excellence and a deep commitment to
leading positive social change in their communities.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- be a
citizen of an eligible country;
- demonstrate
maturity, flexibility, and civil society leadership potential
- have
an earned bachelor's degree as of May 15, 2018 with an excellent
academic record;
- demonstrate
professional experience related to your chosen field of study;
- demonstrate
proficiency in the language of instruction (English, German or French) at
a level required for admission by host universities;
- be
able to participate in an intensive pre-academic summer school in July or
August 2019 and start their degree program in August or September
2019;
- be
able to receive and maintain a visa or study permit as required by the
host country; and
- demonstrate
a clear commitment to their home country or region to strengthen open
society development.
The awards are available to citizens of the following
countries:
- Afghanistan
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Cambodia
- China
- Democratic
Republic of Congo
- Egypt
- Equatorial
Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Laos
- Libya
- Myanmar/Burma
- Republic
of Congo
- South
Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
Awards are available for study in the following areas:
- Communications,
Journalism & Media
- Culture,
History & Society
- Development
Studies
- Economics
- Education
Management & Leadership
- Environment
& Natural Resource Management
- Gender
Studies
- Human
Rights
- Law
(including Human Rights law)
- Politics
& International Studies
- Public
Health Policy & Health Management
- Public Administration
- Public
Policy
- Social
Policy
- Social
Work
The Open Society Foundations and Scholarship Programs are
committed to equal opportunity, and exercise that policy in relation to all
admissions processes. CSLA does not discriminate on the basis of age, race,
color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.
Purpose and Priorities
Competition for the Civil Society Leadership Awards is open
and merit-based. Selection is based on an applicant’s fit with the program’s
objectives as well as the graduate admissions criteria of the participating
universities. Academic excellence, professional aptitude, leadership potential
in the field of specialization, proven commitment to open society values, and
appropriate language proficiency are all important factors in evaluation.
All eligible applicants will be reviewed by an international
selection committee. The proposed field of study should be logical for the
goals expressed, and the application itself should be well-organized and
complete. Compelling candidates will be interviewed by a selection committee comprised
of university representatives, CSLA staff, and partner organization
representatives, such as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Guidelines
Selection and Notification Cycle
- Applications
must be submitted by midnight, May 15, 2018, Eastern Daylight Time.
- Uncompetitive
and/or ineligible applicants will be notified in late June. Those
chosen to continue will be sent out for external review and notified of
their results in early September.
- Applicants
who pass external review become semi-finalists and will be invited to an
interview to be scheduled in late September or October.
- Semi-finalists
are required to secure two (2) letters of recommendation which must be
submitted directly to CSLA by referees by October 1, 2018.
- Semi-finalists
will be required to take an official language test by the end of October
2018; all candidates invited to an interview are entitled to one (1)
language test, arranged and paid for by CSLA.
- Final
selection will be held in November; results will be sent via
email by January 2019.
- Successful
semi-finalists are now CSLA finalists, and CSLA staff will initiate
their host university placement process.
- The
CSLA university placement process takes time; CSLA will strive to confirm
placements for finalists by late April 2019.
- Once
placement is secured, CSLA finalists will be notified that they are now
CSLA grantees, and will be asked to sign and return a formal grant
document before any further actions can be taken.
Interested applicants must complete an online or paper CSLA
application and submit along with supporting documentation to be considered for
CSLA support.
Online Application
All candidates are strongly encouraged to apply online if
possible using Submittable, an online platform. To apply online, please
register on Submittable and
then follow instructions.
