SEE’s Independent Professional (INP) initiative supports collaboration among U.S. and Russian social experts in Arctic and Environmental Conservation, Indigenous Peoples’ Empowerment, Disability and Inclusion, and Public Health. Past participants have worked to:
- Reduce violence against women in Seattle and Samara;
- Increase the capacity of mentors in Tyumen, Los Angeles, and Phoenix;
- Launch an educational course on volunteer fundraising in Richmond and Moscow; and
- Many more projects in the U.S. and Russia!
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
Selected INPs travel individually to their host country (Russia or the U.S.) to collaborate for 2-3 weeks with partner organizations, which they have independently contacted and selected prior to applying, to seek solutions for social challenges. Upon their return home, independent professionals implement activities to convey and apply their new knowledge and expertise for the benefit of their colleagues and local communities.
The INP initiative offers a unique opportunity for applicants to expand their professional networks and gain international perspectives on their social projects.
Location:
OnlineBenefits
- Successful applicants will conduct virtual knowledge-exchange sessions with their colleagues from the counterpart country to develop their skills, get exposure to new methods and tools, and expand their professional networks.
- Upon completion of these sessions, independent professionals will implement activities in their home country to convey or apply their new knowledge and expertise for the benefit of their colleagues and community.
- These activities must be credibly shown to provide a clear and measurable benefit to at least 250 individuals. Activities may include, but are not limited to, leading training sessions on newly-learned skills, presenting about activities conducted during virtual exchange, practically applying a skill learned virtual exchange, or distributing a product developed in collaboration with overseas partners.
- When international travel restrictions are lifted and it is safe to conduct an in-person exchange, participants will travel to their counterpart country for a period of 21 days or longer to conduct site visits and get exposed to new practices in their field.
- The exact dates of the in-person exchange remain under discussion due to unforeseen circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligibilities
Candidates must meet the following criteria to be eligible:
- Be a citizen or permanent resident of the Russian Federation or the United States.
- Have a proven academic and/or professional track-record in one or more of SEE’s thematic areas (Arctic and Environmental Conservation, Indigenous Peoples’ Empowerment, Disability and Inclusion, and Public Health).
- Be actively affiliated with organizations or institutions that relate to one or more of SEE’s thematic areas.
- Must not have a project that directly engages in political activism, public policy reform, or the influence of public opinion.
- Demonstrate professional proficiency in both the English and Russian languages or provide a plan to overcome linguistic barriers while traveling and communicating with host organization counterparts.*
- Have not previously participated as a SEE Invited Professional, Independent Professional, Special Exchange Participant, Emerging Professional, or Advanced Practitioner Fellow.
- Must not be affiliated with federal, regional, state, and local government bodies or federal academic and research institutions (except for full-time students).
Application Process
- Applicants should submit a comprehensive online application form, including a budget form, resume, and letter(s) of support. All application materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on March 1, 2021 (7:59 a.m. Moscow Time on March 2, 2021).
- The application can be accessed using EF’s grant management system. If this is the first time that an applicant has applied to an EF funding opportunity using the online grant management system, the applicant must create an account on the grant management system by following the instructions on the right of the login page linked above. If an applicant already has an account, they may simply log in without creating a new account.
- Applicants will receive notification by email upon successful submission of the application. If you encounter difficulty in completing the application process, please contact [email protected] immediately for assistance. Before proceeding with this application, candidates are strongly encouraged to read the Independent Professionals section of the SEE website and the Frequently Asked Questions for Independent Professionals.
- All materials and documents submitted in conjunction with this competition will be retained in confidence by Eurasia Foundation during the review process and will not be returned to the applicant. Eurasia Foundation does not use the information presented by applicants for purposes other than review and does not provide this information to any outside persons or institutions, except in such cases where it is required by U.S. or Russian law, or by donor agreements with Eurasia Foundation.
Looking for fully-funded opportunities, install the Youth Opportunities Android or iOS App here.
Application Deadline: March 1, 2021
Application ClosedOfficial linkFor Further Queries
Please contact [email protected] for assistance.
Disclaimer: Youth Opportunities spreads opportunities for your convenience and ease based on available information, and thus, does not take any responsibility of unintended alternative or inaccurate information. As this is not the official page, we recommend you to visit the official website of opportunity provider for complete information. For organizations, this opportunity is shared with sole purpose of promoting “Access to Information” for all and should not be associated with any other purposes.
