Application is now open for the United Nations Nippon Foundation Fellowship on Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. Interested applicants are encouraged to send their applications in before the deadline date.
About United Nations and Fellowship
The Indigenous Fellowship Programme (IFP)’s English language component was started in 1997. The annual meeting of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland, usually lasts four weeks and coincides with it.
The United Nations-Nippon Foundation Fellowship provides government officials and other mid-level professionals from developing States with advanced training in ocean affairs and the law of the sea, as well as related subjects, such as marine science to support management frameworks. The fellows will gain knowledge of the work of the UN, get familiar with critical challenges and best practices in maritime affairs, and hone their professional abilities. Under the guidance of an expert, fellows will also carry out independent studies and create a written thesis on a subject of their choosing.
Following the Fellowship, Fellows are expected to return to their home nations and use their extensive knowledge and experience to help develop comprehensive ocean policies and implement the legal framework outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and related instruments, including by designing, carrying out, and/or assessing specific improvement projects. Please refer to this document pdf paper for further information on the Fellowship’s aims.
Fellowship Structure, Curriculum, and Deliverables
The 9-month Fellowship Programme is divided into two parts that follow one another and offer Fellows chances for advanced and specialized study and training in the subjects of their choice:
- Phase One: Between March/April and June, three months of research and training are typically carried out at DOALOS at the UN headquarters in New York.
- Phase Two: Six-month Advanced Academic Research and Study, usually completed between July and December at one of the prestigious participating Host Institutions, under the direction of a subject matter expert(s) with proven in-depth expertise in the Fellows’ chosen field of study.
The Deliverables of the Fellowship Programme are:
- A 100-page written thesis
- A presentation of the research
- An ocean Governance matrix
In addition, several assignments will be finished within the framework of the training curriculum that was provided during the program’s first phase.
Details about the United Nations Nippon Foundation Fellowship on Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea:
Scholarship Sponsor: United Nations-Nippon Foundation Fellowship
Scholarship Value: Not Stated
Number of awards: N/A
Study level: Fellowship
Host Institution(s): United Nations, USA
Benefits:
- Every month of the fellowship, including the time spent in New York and, for United Nations-Nippon Foundation Fellows taking part in the 9-month program, the time spent at the second phase host institution, the fellows will earn a stipend.
- In addition to the stipend, the United Nations-Nippon Foundation Fellows (the 9-month Programme) will receive a book allowance during phase two of the Fellowship of US$100 per month ($600 total). The Fellow will receive either a one-time payment in full for this allowance or a monthly payment with each stipend payment.
- To complete the Fellowship, Fellows will be given a round-trip ticket in economy class from their home country. Medical insurance is provided through Cigna Health Insurance during the Fellowship. Up to a predetermined dollar amount, Cigna provides full medical coverage for outpatient and hospital procedures.
Eligibility Criteria for United Nations Nippon Foundation Fellowship
Candidates must fulfill each of the following requirements to be eligible for a United Nations Nippon Foundation Fellowship:
- The required age range is 25 to 40;
- You must possess a first-level university degree with honors and exhibit the ability to conduct independent advanced academic research and study;
- You must be a mid-level professional employed by the national government body of a developing state or by another governmental or non-governmental entity that focuses on maritime affairs concerns. Additionally, your position must enable you to actively assist your nation in the creation and/or execution of ocean affairs policy. This covers the relationship between marine sciences, science, and policy.
- Your “Nomination and Recommendation Form” should be completed by a Government official or other official who can attest to the nature of your work with the Government’s ocean affairs and associated activities and who can describe how an Award would specifically benefit these efforts;
- Your proposed research and study plan must directly advance the development and/or implementation of your country’s ocean affairs and the law of the sea policies and programs. Unless otherwise permitted by the Division, you must be free of all non-fellowship obligations for the duration of the Fellowship.
Interview Process for United Nations Nippon Foundation Fellowship
The applicant must explicitly show that they meet the aforementioned requirements on their application papers, and the nominating authority must verify this. To establish gender balance in the selection process, women applicants are highly encouraged to apply. You can access the call for applications here.
Application Procedure for United Nations Nippon Foundation Fellowship
- Download the application form and electronically complete every field. Please enter data in sentence case (for example, John Smith), rather than writing your responses in all capital letters (for example, JOHN SMITH). Apply your digital or handwritten signature, then select “Save” to preserve your modifications. Please send the completed form back as a Word or PDF file.
- For the application to be completed, each question must get a clear and comprehensive response. Candidates should pay close attention to parts 18, 19, and 20 when filling out this form. Candidate attachments are limited to one extra page of the same size, if necessary.
- The “Personal History and Proposed Research/Study Programme Form” and the “Nomination and Recommendation Form” are the two forms that make up the application. The applicant must sign the first form, and the official nominating body must sign the second. You can send the forms in either Word or pdf format.
- Please submit the “Nomination and Recommendation Form” and the “Personal History and Proposed Research/Study Programme Form” to DOALOS at doalos@un.org after they have been filled out and signed.
You can also visit the official website for further details.
The Submission Deadline is: September 8, 2023.