Rationale and Concept
The Visiting Fellowship Program to be hosted at the CAREC Institute (CI) is intended to achieve several simultaneous objectives:
- foster a research environment at CI through a pool of selected fellows who will spend a considerable period of time researching selected topics that promote regional integration and cooperation in the CAREC(*) region;
- closely work with the research team at CI through intensive interaction with Visiting Fellows. The interaction between CI researchers and Visiting Fellows can be formally structured so that the latter provides guidance to CI researchers’ interests;
- provide evidence-based policy recommendations to CAREC member country policy makers and CAREC Program partners and stakeholders to further the CAREC 2030 Strategy objectives. The Visiting Fellowship Program will support research in the following proposed areas:
- policies that promote and deepen regional integration particularly as anticipated in the CAREC 2030 Strategy and stated operational priorities, namely, (i) economic and financial stability; (ii) trade, tourism, and economic corridors; (iii) infrastructure and economic connectivity; (iv) agriculture and water; and (v) human development;
- research that has clear cross-border dimensions and overt policy prescriptions to promote regional integration. Positive spillover effects of proposed policies should guide the selection of research proposals, including, where possible, a history of policy interventions and adjustments that have shown limited results, but have the possibility of policy changes/innovations/reversals/readjustments. Single country analysis does not qualify for research support;
- comparative perspectives on regional integration efforts to provide policy lessons for the CAREC region. Fellows are selected from all member countries of ADB, particularly those who have an interest in comparative inter- and intra-regional studies, such as researchers who derive comparative policy from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), the South Asian region, East Asian region, and the Southeast Asian region are promising areas of research interest.
Implementing Mechanism
A joint committee of ADB–CI will process proposals Program. The committee will make final decisions on the applications and communicate the results to applicants. Where necessary, the committee can seek external assistance through a peer review process to assist in the deliberation of research proposals. Peer reviewers will be identified from within CI, ADB, and ADB Institute.
Following provides highlights of the proposed Program:
Visiting Fellowship Program
| Duration of Award | Three (3) months |
| Location | 1 visit to any CAREC country with interspersed fieldwork |
| Value of the Award | To include fixed honorarium for the duration of the fellowship, international travel, per diem, and miscellaneous research costs |
| Eligibility | Open to all ADB member countries |
| Application Process | 03- weeks application period.Awarding decisions within two (02) weeks from closing date. |
| Dissemination of Results | Presentation of findings in a public event to be organized by CI.Final papers to be uploaded on CAREC and CI websites and other available outreach tools including publishing. |
| Dissemination of Results | Presentation of findings in a public event to be organized by CI.Final papers to be uploaded on CAREC and CI websites and other available outreach tools including publishing. |
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and CAREC Institute (CI) based in Urumqi, Xinjiang Autonomous Region are pleased to announce a new Visiting Fellow Program and invites application for fellowships from researchers who are citizens of ADB member countries. The Fellowships are intended for scholars at all levels to pursue research on a topic that is relevant to the CAREC 2030 operational priorities. As the title of the fellowship suggests, proposals that cover single country analysis will be rejected. There is a preference for at least two, preferably three or more countries as the units of analysis.
Strong preference will be given to policy proposals that address cross-border issues in Central Asia that are considered of strategic importance to the region and solve important policy challenges. Topics should be drawn from the five operational clusters contained in the CAREC 2030 Strategy(**). In brief, these are:
- Economic and Financial Stability
- Trade, Tourism and Economic Corridors
- Infrastructure and Economic Connectivity
- Agriculture and Water
- Human Development
Further, rather than remaining within the confines of the proposed clusters as indicated in the CAREC 2030 Strategy, Visiting Fellows are encouraged to combine topics and themes across clusters, and engage with topics and themes beyond the scope of the current strategy and push the boundaries of thinking about regional integration. Especially for Visiting Senior Research Fellows, there is a preference for proposals that engage with wider issues that have an impact on the region and address these issues within a multidisciplinary framework. A comparative inter-regional analytical approach that draws on similar experiences within the Asia-wide region is especially welcome.
Fellowship Term
The duration of the fellowship is for a period of three (3) months. In exceptional cases, the term may be extended in consultation with CI.
For the period of the fellowship, the visiting fellow is required to write a Working Paper (WP) on a topic on Regional Integration. The CI will post all Working Papers on its website in a Working Paper Series dedicated to each cluster (e.g., Agriculture and Water WP Series). Before the end of their term at the Institute, they are required to present their paper in a public event organized by CI.
The fellowship is open to researchers affiliated with universities, research institutes, and think tanks in the world subject to the citizenship requirement stated above. Ideally, visiting fellows should have completed their post-graduate degrees at the time of application. Recent Master’s degree holders and PhDs are also encouraged to apply for fellowships that will allow them to convert their dissertations and master’s thesis into a book, and/or submit specific chapters as journal articles for publication.
Fellowship Support
All fellows will receive a fixed honorarium for the duration of the fellowship. In addition to the honorarium, all fellows will receive airfare and accommodation costs for fellowship related travel, and other related costs that will enable them to meet their requirements. Special requests for specific additional research costs may be considered on case by case basis.
Application Process
The application process involves specific intake dates and submission deadlines. A selection committee comprised of experts will advise on the proposals. Reviewers will consider the applicant’s background, experience, track record, the paper’s contribution to regional integration, and likelihood of completion of the proposed research project. Selection decisions will be made within one month of the date of submission of the application.
For the second phase of the fellowship program, four (4) fellows will be selected.
All proposals should be submitted online to the following address: ([email protected]) by 5 p.m. Manila time on 9 March 2020. Upon receipt of the application, the applicant will receive an acknowledgment and an expected date on the outcome of the application. All applicants are required to submit the attached application form.
(*)CAREC Region includes Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
(**)For more information on the CAREC program, please refer to this document