OSI Central aSia Research Inistiative

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, innova
tive and high quality r
esearch 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:

* Gen
der 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 towa
rds

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 pro
jects. 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/teach
ing. The extension of the grant beyond the initial first

year/phase is subject to progress review. A grant t
ypically 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 grante
e 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 wil
l be given to projects implemented by

younger scholars.



Further information and official application forms are available free of

charge fro
m 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 decision
s will be announced in April 2003.



Applications and queries should be addressed to:

OSI/HESP-CARI, Oktober 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 Koblos, Program Assistant

ekoblos
@osi.hu