Every year, the Open Society Foundations awards thousands of grants to groups and individuals who promote our values, through a unique network guided by local voices and global experience.

About Civil Society Foundations

Open Society Foundations are active in more than 120 countries around the world. Basically, their national and regional foundations and our thematic programs award thousands of grants each year to build dynamic and inclusive democracies. George Soros is the founder and president of the Open Society Foundations. He has donated more than $32 billion in personal wealth to fund the work of Open Society foundations worldwide. Practically, Open Society Foundations award grants, scholarships, and fellowships year-round to organizations and individuals who share the values ​​of the Open Society. They seek beneficiaries who have a vision and whose efforts lead to lasting social change. The vast majority of their grants go to organizations they contact directly, but below are some open opportunities. Other funding opportunities are available through the Open Society network of national and regional foundations.

Democratic PracticeEarly Childhood and EducationEconomic Equity and JusticeEquality and AntidiscriminationHealth and RightsHigher EducationHuman Rights Movements and InstitutionsInformation and Digital RightsJournalismJustice Reform and the Rule of Law

About the Scholarship Programs Civil Society Scholar Awards

Basically, the Scholarship Programs’ Civil Society Scholar Awards support doctoral students and university faculty to undertake academic projects. That will enrich socially-engaged research and critical scholarship in their home country or region. Also, the Civil Society Scholar Awards support doctoral students and university faculty to undertake academic projects that will enrich socially-engaged research and critical scholarship in their home country or region. Equally, the Civil Society Scholars are selected on the basis of their outstanding academic record as well as their active engagement with local communities, their potential to champion open society values in their home regions, and their ability to strengthen critical scholarship and academic networks within their fields. Proposals may include international travel, but this is no longer required.

Civil Society Scholar Awards Scholarship Program Worth

Maximum funding requests: $10,000 for doctoral students; $15,000 for faculty members. The awards support short-term, international academic projects, such as: fieldwork (data collection); research visits to libraries, archives, or universities; course/curriculum development; and international research collaborations leading to peer-reviewed publication.

Eligibility of the Civil Society Scholar Awards:

The awards are open to the following academic populations:

doctoral students of eligible fields studying at accredited universities inside or outside of their home countryfull-time faculty members (must have a minimum of a master’s degree) teaching at universities in their home country

Scholarship Programs Civil Society Scholar Awards Field of Study

We look to support academic research conducted within any field of the social sciences and humanities, but will prioritize research which specifically addresses pressing societal issues within the following themes, broadly defined:

Host Nationality

Award Provider: Open Society Foundation

Eligible Nationality

Candidates must be citizens of the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Haiti, Kosovo, Laos, Libya, North Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar/Burma, Nepal, Palestine, Rwanda, Serbia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

Ineligibility Criteria:

Ineligible fields include: business administration, management training, computer science, finance/banking, marketing, engineering, hard sciences (physics, biology, chemistry, etc.), mathematics, medical sciences, or teaching English as a foreign language/language instruction. Applicants with permanent resident status in, or dual citizenship with, Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand, Nordic countries, the United Kingdom, and the United States are not eligible to apply. Students or faculty currently enrolled in master’s degree programs are not eligible to apply.

How to Apply for Civil Society Scholar Awards:

Competition for civil society scholarships is based on merit. The selection will be made on the basis of proven academic excellence and the relevance of the project for the development of an open society in the candidate’s country of origin. Priority will be given to applications that address problems in one of the five main areas of intervention described above. Applicants are strongly encouraged to verify the host country’s visa requirements (including the minimum level of funding required) before applying for the program. Detailed instructions on the conditions of these scholarships are available in the Download files section.

Download Files

Civil Society Scholar Awards Guidelines (223.48 KB PDF FILE) Download the list of frequently asked questions. Civil Society Scholar Awards Application Form (334.42 KB DOCX FILE) Download the application form.

Online Applications

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their application online.

Paper Applications

For those wishing to submit a paper application, an application form can be downloaded from the Download Files section. More details on submitting applications are available in the Guidelines.

Application Deadline

Project duration: between three and 10 monthsEligible dates: March 1, 2022—December 31, 2022 Deadline: July 22, 2022

For More Information, Click the Button below All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application via email by the end of October 2021. CSSA grants are awarded by an independent selection committee based on the information you provide. A key part of that assessment is your clear justification for the suitability of the location. Please be as accurate as possible with thelocation and timing of the grant activities when applying. No. All successful applications will have a detailed budget, work timeline, and explanation of how and when the requested funds will be used. In view of the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we understand that researchprojects are in flux and that timelines change, but we may not be able to fund an application that does not contain a very clear overview of the project and a realistic (although of course, projected) timeline for its completion. Please ensure that any documents you submit that are not in English are accompanied by a notarized English language translation. If you cannot provide a notarized translation by the submission date, please provide the originaldocuments and a cover note explaining your situation. Should your application be successful, you will then be obliged to submit translations at a later date as a condition of your award.

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