Deadline: December 6, 2017
Applications are invited for the Open Society Soros Justice Fellowships 2018-2019. The Soros Justice Fellowships fund outstanding individuals to undertake projects that advance reform, spur debate, and catalyze change on a range of issues facing the U.S. criminal justice system. The fellowships are part of a larger effort within the Open Society Foundations to reduce the destructive impact of current criminal justice policies on the lives of individuals, families, and communities in the United States by challenging the overreliance on incarceration and extreme punishment, and ensuring a fair and accountable system of justice.
Fellows receive funding through the following three categories:
- Advocacy Fellowships: The Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowships fund lawyers, advocates, grassroots organizers, researchers, and others with unique perspectives to undertake full-time criminal justice reform projects at the local, state, and national levels. Projects may range from litigation to public education to coalition building to grassroots mobilization to policy-driven research. Advocacy Fellowships are 18 months in duration, may be undertaken with the support of a host organization, and can begin anytime between July and November 2018.
- Media Fellowships: The Soros Justice Media Fellowships support writers, print and broadcast journalists, artists, filmmakers, and other individuals with distinctive voices proposing to complete media projects that engage and inform, spur debate and conversation, and catalyze change on important U.S. criminal justice issues. The Media Fellowships aim to mitigate the time, space, and market constraints that often discourage individuals from pursuing vital but marginalized, controversial, or unpopular topics in comprehensive and creative ways. Media Fellowships are 12 months in duration, and fellows are expected to make their projects their full-time work during the term of the fellowship. Projects can begin anytime between July and November 2018.
- Youth Activist Fellowships: The Soros Justice Youth Activist Fellowships, in partnership with the Open Society Youth Exchange, support outstanding individuals aged 18 to 25 to take on projects of their own design that address some aspect of the U.S. criminal justice system. Projects can range from public education and training to grassroots organizing and policy advocacy to social media campaigns and other forms of creative communications. Youth Activist Fellowships must be undertaken in partnership with a host organization. Projects can be full-time or part-time, 12 or 18 months, and can begin anytime between July and November 2018.
Benefits
- Advocacy Fellowships come with an award of either $87,000 or $120,000 (depending on level of experience), plus project-related expenses, for the 18 months;
- Media Fellowships come with an award of either $58,000 or $80,000 (depending on level of experience), plus project-related expenses, for the 12 months;
- Youth Activist Fellowships come with an award of $52,500 for full-time, 18-month projects (the award is pro-rated for part-time or 12-month projects), plus project-related expenses, as well as access to a range of training and professional development opportunities.
Eligibility
- All projects must, at a minimum, relate to one or more of the following U.S. criminal justice reform goals: reducing the number of people who are incarcerated or under correctional control, challenging extreme punishment, and promoting fairness and accountability in our systems of justice;
- Applications are strongly encouraged for projects that demonstrate a clear understanding of the intersection of criminal justice issues with the particular needs of low-income communities, communities of color, immigrants, LGBTQ people, women and children, and those otherwise disproportionately affected by harsh criminal justice policies, as well as applications for projects that cut across various criminal justice fields and related sectors, such as education, health and mental health, housing, and employment;
- Applications are also welcome from individuals directly affected by, or with significant direct personal experience with, the policies, practices, and systems their projects seek to address (e.g., applicants who have themselves been incarcerated, applicants who have a family member or loved one who has been incarcerated and whose fellowship project emerges from that experience, or applicants who are survivors of violence or crime).
Application
- To apply, submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) along with a resume or bio by December 6, 2017 (11:59 pmEST), to online system. The online system will begin accepting materials on October 2, 2017.
- Applicants who are uncertain whether some aspect of their proposed project fits within the parameters of the guidelines or whether the project is otherwise likely to be of interest may submit an email inquiry. The email should provide a brief (no more than 200 words) description of the proposed project, as well as some background information on the applicant, and should be sent to: [email protected]. Please do not submit an email inquiry before reviewing the appropriate fellowship’s guidelines.
Important Dates
- Letters of Intent Due: December 6, 2017 (11:59 pm EST)
- Full Proposals Invited: Late-January 2018 (all applicants will be notified via email whether they have been selected to submit a full proposal)
- Full Proposals Due: Late-February 2018
- Finalists Notified: Early-March 2018
- Finalist Interviews: Late-March 2018 (all finalist interviews will be held on the same day, to be determined, at the Open Society Foundations offices in New York City)
- Selected Fellows Notified: Mid-April 2018
- Projects Begin: Anytime between July and November 2018
For more information, visit Open Society Soros Justice Fellowships.
