The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is pleased to announce a call for applications for fellowships being offered through its Comparative Domestic Policy program (CDP), jointly supported by the Compagnia di San Paolo and the Bank of America Foundation and with additional support provided by the Ford Foundation. The Fellowships are intended to commence between October 2009 and January 2010, ending no later than June of that year. Fellows will be awarded a grant of $10,000 per month to support a fellowship lasting approximately two to six months on the other side of the Atlantic, during which time fellows will research approaches to an urban/regional challenge confronted by both American and European cities and regions. Up to three fellowships will be awarded.

Fellowship Program Details

Purpose: Cities and regions in the United States and Europe are grappling with similar economic and social challenges, including aging infrastructure, urban disinvestment, rising energy costs and environmental quality concerns, social integration and changing demographics and economic restructuring, all brought about by rising global competition and societal change. Many of these policy challenges are tackled at the local and regional, rather than national government levels yet there are very few opportunities for civic leaders to meet, to observe new approaches to persistent challenges and to exchange best practices in addressing these challenges effectively. The Comparative Domestic Policy Fellowships provide practitioners and policy-makers working on these issues at the state and local levels the opportunity to meet with their counterparts across the Atlantic and discuss policies and measures that have been implemented. Fellows can then return from their time overseas equipped with the ideas and insights necessary to affect significant and lasting positive change in their own communities.

Who Should Apply: GMF is seeking applications from mid-career professionals engaged in the targeted policy areas with an interest in gaining an understanding of how these issues are approached in a culture other than their own and an ability to apply lessons learned to their own community. Applicants should be civic leaders – policymakers or practitioners, in state/local government or representatives of media or non-profit organizations. The fellowship is not intended for academic research.

Proposals: GMF welcomes fellowship proposals that cover a wide array of topics, but they should generally fall within one (or more) of the following policy areas: urban sustainability, education and workforce development, affordable housing/cost of living, and combating social exclusion. The fellowships are primarily intended for research on medium-sized cities (population of 500,000 to 1 million). Proposals should be approximately 4 to 5 pages in length and should include the following information:
• A brief description of your professional background and current work, which also provides clear links between your background and the issue you propose to research.
• An overview of the issue as it applies to the context of your city. Why is it important that this research be conducted?
• The goals you hope to achieve during the fellowship and a detailed methodology for how you propose to accomplish them. The methodology should include a) the specific phases of your research; b) the activities you intend to accomplish in each phase; c) key products or outputs which will result from each phase; and d) a timeline for each phase.
• A justification for the case study cities selected and a demonstrated knowledge of the pre-existing literature on the topic you wish to study.
• A dissemination strategy which explains how you plan to share the experience of your fellowship within both your community and your professional field more broadly.

Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact GMF prior to submitting their applications in order to discuss the direction and substance of their proposals.

Selection Process & Organization: Fellowships will be awarded through a competitive application process that will include a thorough review by the CDP Advisory Committee, which consists of academics, journalists, urban planners and other practitioners.

Applications will be judged on the following criteria:

• Seriousness and significance of the work proposed;
• Relevance to transatlantic urban and regional cooperation;
• Feasibility of project and coherent methodology;
• Dissemination potential and plans for audience outreach;
• Overall quality of the application (quality of the writing, research and central argument, etc.)

Additionally, the Advisory Committee members will consider the geographic and thematic diversity of the candidates and their projects in making their final determination.

The German Marshall Fund will work with the Fellows selected to refine proposed project details, including dates of travel, itineraries, and budgets. European Fellows will be based at the German Marshall Fund in Washington D.C. while American Fellows will be based at SiTI - Istituto Superiore sui Sistemi Territoriali per l'Innovazione (the Higher Institute for Territorial Systems for Innovation) in Turin, Italy. The German Marshall Fund and SiTI will provide office space, assist with the visa process, and help Fellows in finding suitable accommodations. Wherever possible, GMF and SiTI will provide Fellows with contact information from our own extensive networks so that Fellows can arrange meetings at their own convenience.

Fellowship Outcomes: Fellows must produce at least one article for publication in the media and a report on findings to be published as a GMF policy brief in addition to contributing to the CDP website through blog entries or other means. Further ideas for the dissemination of fellowship results should be included as part of the proposal.

Funding: The CDP Fellowships are intended to allow Fellows the opportunity to expand their professional expertise, networks, and qualifications through a focused transatlantic learning experience. Fellowship funds are meant to cover the costs incurred (or directly related to) carrying out the project and should primarily be used for travel, lodging, meals and incidentals (internet access, phone, research materials, taxis); those funds not used for fellowship expenses (represented by receipts) will be treated as income and fellows will be responsible for paying the appropriate taxes. A portion of the grant must be dedicated to travel beyond the host city (i.e. Washington, DC or Turin, Italy) to at least two other cities or regions. A report to GMF on fellowship activities and financial expenditures is required at the end of the fellowship experience.

The CDP Program

The Comparative Domestic Policy program's signature project is the Transatlantic Cities Network (TCN), which is contributing to the transatlantic exchange of innovative urban and regional policies The TCN focuses on creating a framework for civic leaders to share innovative approaches to challenges affecting cities and regions, including urban economic development, sustainable development and energy, and changing demographics and social policy, with a particular emphasis on nationally significant cities and regions. Fellowship applicants are therefore encouraged to consider cities in the TCN, where our networks are particularly deep and broad, as case-studies. The CDP program also organizes highly focused study tours, workshops and policy briefings.

How to Apply
To apply for a CDP Fellowship, please submit the following materials:

• Application (the form is available on our website)
• Cover Letter
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Proposal (4-5 pages)
• Budget (a template is available on our website)
• Two signed professional references
• A signed letter from your employer, supervisor or board chair confirming their agreement to your absence from your place of employment for the term of the fellowship.

The complete application should be presented in an easy-to-read, simple fashion. Please complete your application without color and using conventional formatting, fonts and layout. All application materials should be submitted to GMF by email no later than July 31, 2009. Fellows selected will be notified in mid-September 2009.

For further information and to submit applications, please contact:

Lizzie Woods
Program Assistant
Comparative Domestic Policy
The German Marshall Fund of the United States
1744 R Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
Tel: 202/683 2650
Fax: 202/265 1662
[email protected]