OSI/HESP Central Asia Research Initiative Call for Applications

The INTERNATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPORT PROGRAM (HESP) 
of the OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE (OSI) 
is pleased to announce the
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
for participation in the activities of the
CENTRAL ASIA RESEARCH INITIATIVE (CARI) 
starting in the year 2003


The International Higher Education Support Program is committed to the
advancement of higher education in the humanities and social sciences
throughout the region of Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union
and Mongolia. CARI is a regional HESP program that aims to promote
progressive scholarship and teaching, and to foster international academic
cooperation in the social sciences and humanities in the post-Soviet
Countries of Central Asia and Mongolia. CARI encourages the linkage between
scholarly research and teaching, so as to develop and introduce new
approaches to and contents of teaching at institutions of higher education
in the region. CARI focuses primarily on young scholars.

Proposals for projects starting between June and November 2003 are invited
from faculty teaching at institutions of higher education in Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, who wish to
carry out original, innovative and high quality research projects, and to
apply this research experience to teaching and curriculum development at
their home institutions. The proposals can address any subject relevant to
the advancement of scholarship and teaching in the region within the
following disciplines:
* History 
* Law 
* Media Studies
* Political Science
* Social and Cultural Anthropology, Ethnology, Ethnography
* Sociology
* Social Psychology
Within this range of disciplines CARI has a particular interest in fields
such as:
* Gender Studies
* Human Rights
* International Relations and Security Studies.

As a rule, CARI supports projects of individual scholars; it will also
consider a limited number of joint (cooperative) projects that offer
comparative intra-regional perspectives on the research subjects and propose
cross-border follow-up teaching activities. Such joint (cooperative)
projects must include individuals from different countries of the CARI
region, and describe the specific contribution of each individual towards
the project.

With an aim to integrate Central Asian Scholars in the broader international
academic community and to extend their familiarity with the state-of-the-art
research and teaching in their disciplines, CARI links the grantees with
senior research advisors (mentors). CARI selects mentors in consultation
with the grantees; mentors are recognized experts in the academic fields
represented by the projects. As a rule, mentors are affiliated with
institutions of higher education outside the CARI region. The mentoring
primarily relies on electronic communication, but CARI also supports, where
appropriate, short study/research trips abroad by the grantees and/or short
visits by the mentors to work with the grantees and their home institutions.

A CARI grant is awarded for up to two years and consists of two
approximately equal phases  -  (i) research  and (ii)
implementation/teaching. The extension of the grant beyond the initial first
year/phase is subject to progress review. A grant typically offers: 

* A monthly stipend of approximately USD 200 for the time spent in the
recipient's home country. For periods of approved travel abroad, this
stipend will be adjusted to the standards of the host country;
* Funding for research materials and procedures, communication, access to
necessary equipment and resources;
* Funds for exchange visits between the grantee and the mentor;
* Funding for implementation of research results in teaching. 

Eligibility requirements: Applicants must be both citizens and residents
within the region consisting of the following countries: Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan; they must be
employed as faculty members at an institution of higher education in one of
these countries. The minimum academic qualification requirement is an MA or
an equivalent degree. Priority will be given to projects implemented by
younger scholars. 

Further information and official application forms are available free of
charge from the HESP office in Budapest at the coordinates provided below,
Soros foundations network representatives and partners in the region, from
the OSI-Budapest web-site www.osi.hu/hesp 

THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS 
BY OSI-BUDAPEST 
IS 31 OCTOBER 2002. 
Application and supporting documents can be submitted electronically, by
fax, or regular mail and must reach the HESP office in Budapest no later
than 31 October 2002. Late or incomplete applications will not be
considered. Final decisions will be announced in April 2003.

Applications and queries should be addressed to:
OSI/HESP-CARI, Október 6. u.12., Budapest 1051 Hungary
E-mail: [email protected]  
Telephone: +36 1 327 3854
Fax: +36 1 411 4401

Oleksandr Shtokvych, Program Manager
[email protected]
Edit Köblös, Program Assistant
[email protected]