UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi (Japan) Co-Sponsored Research Fellowships Programme

2010 Cycle - With a view to keeping alive and honouring the spirit of former Prime Minister Obuchi and his belief in “people building the next era”, 20 fellowships per year, for the ninth year, will be awarded to deserving candidates from UNESCO developing countries, especially the least developed countries (LDCs), who are eager to undertake research on one or more of the topics listed below. The aim of the fellowships is to support innovative and imaginative post-graduate research in the areas of development to which former Prime Minister Obuchi was committed and which coincide with areas of particular interest to UNESCO.

(Deadline for the submission of applications: 8 January 2010. Please see the announcement letter of the programme which is available in:English, French, Spanish and Arabic)

Fellowship application form (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD)

A. INTRODUCTION
Mr Keizo Obuchi, former Prime Minister of Japan, passed away on 14 May 2000 at the age of 62. Soft-spoken and charismatic, he was known as a man of integrity, honesty and modesty. He built a reputation as an exemplary official and was a particularly adept negotiator. A member of Japan’s Diet (Parliament) for over thirty years, he served as Japan’s Foreign Minister in 1997 until he was elected Prime Minister in July 1998. Mr Obuchi was known in the international arena for his commitment to development issues and his resolve to put Japan at the forefront of countries involved in consolidating the efforts of the international community to further progress in the social and economic development of humankind.

B. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowships Programme funded under a Japan Funds-in-Trust project will aim, in particular, to impact on capacity-building and research activities in the following areas which were of particular importance to Mr Keizo Obuchi: 1. Environment (with particular attention to Water Sciences); 2. Intercultural Dialogue; 3. Information and Communication Technologies; and 4. Peaceful conflict resolution. No other research topics will be considered.

C. ELIGIBILITY
Applicants, a maximum of TWO from each applying National Commission, must meet the following general criteria:

1. Candidates under this Programme must be post-graduate researchers, already holding either an M.A. or M.Sc. degree (or equivalent) and wishing to pursue research work abroad (preferably in their own region) with a view to enhancing knowledge in one of the four specific fields mentioned in paragraph D.1 below. Thus, those who are in the process of completing their Master’s degree must have completed it PRIOR to taking up their Fellowship.

2. Candidates must be persons of high intellectual promise who may be expected to make significant contributions to their country on return.

3. Candidates must be no more than 40 years of age. Thus, applicants born before 1 January 1970 will not be considered under the Programme.

4. The selected Fellow must carry out the research under the auspices of an academic supervisor in a host institution. Confirmation of acceptance from the academic supervisor is imperative.

5. Priority attention will be given to:

* Women
* Candidates from least developed countries (LDCs)
* Palestinian researchers

6. Candidates must be proficient in reading and writing the language of instruction in the proposed country of study/research.

7. Applicants must be in good health, both physically and mentally.

D. CONDITIONS FOR APPLICATION

1. Domains of research(a list of Suggested Sub-themes for research is provided in the announcement letter):

• Environment (with particular emphasis on to Water Sciences);
• Intercultural Dialogue;
• Information and Communication Technologies;
• Peaceful Conflicts Resolution.

2. Duration of proposed research:

minimum: 3 months
maximum: 9 months

3. Closing date for receipt of applications: 8 January 2010

4. Possible date of commencing research: Anytime from September 2010

5. Deadline for termination of research: December 2011

6. Place of study: 1 or 2 countries abroad

It should be understood that upon termination of the Fellowship, the beneficiary must agree to return to his/her home country so that knowledge acquired may be put to good use in local research and training programmes.

7. Study arrangements:
Research must be carried out under the auspices of an academic supervisor in a host institution

8. Application Procedures

NOTE: Please refer to the list of invited Member States who are eligible for this fellowship offer.

All applications must be submitted with the required documentation on the UNESCO Fellowship Application Form. Each Member State may nominate candidates a maximum of two (2). It is the National Commission’s responsibility to select the two candidates whose applications it wishes to submit to UNESCO. The application(s) should reach the Fellowships Programme Section, UNESCO, 7, Place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP before 8 January 2010 midnight and an advance copy may be sent by fax to: 33.1.45.68.55.03.

The application must include the following attachments:

(i) The UNESCO Fellowship application form duly completed in duplicate. Two recent photographs (obligatory) should be included with the form.

(ii) Certified copies of degrees or diplomas (including transcript of grades) in duplicate. Proof of having obtained a Master’s Degree must be included.

(iii) A letter of recommendation from someone familiar with the candidate’s work.

(iv) A host institute’s letter of acceptance (i.e. the institute that has accepted the candidate for work should she/he be selected for a Fellowship). This letter of acceptance must indicate that the host institute confirms its willingness to provide the relevant research facilities required by the candidate in the chosen field of specialization.

(v) The certificate of language proficiency (on the UNESCO form) duly completed in duplicate for the language of the country of study (should this be different from the candidate’s mother tongue) issued by an official authority.

(vi) A detailed description, one to two page(s) (maximum), in either English or French, of the research work for which the candidature is being put forward. The research proposal should cover the following points:

• Why? The concrete nature of the proposed project’s contribution to the fields listed in paragraph D.1 above; its innovative, original aspects; and the scope and purpose of the research project. The candidate should demonstrate the reasons the theoretical and practical knowledge or training acquired at the host institution would be beneficial to her/his on-going research project.

• What? The expected results or impact of the research project being undertaken.

• How? Describe the proposed arrangements for conducting the research.

• Where? The proposed country where research will be undertaken (one to two countries maximum) and the name and address of the host institute.

• When? The timeframe explicitly stating the proposed starting date and the suggested duration of research which should be of three months minimum and nine months maximum.

• How much? A detailed budget estimate indicating the resources required for the candidate to undertake the proposed research. The amount should be determined according to the proposed duration and place of research (between US$6,000 to US$10,000). The amount should not exceed US$10,000. All figures must be shown in US dollars and must be included on a separate page. The amount indicated should cover, exclusively, the international or domestic travel costs for the approved itinerary and personal subsistence abroad, etc. (The object of this Programme is to provide research fellowships so it is considered that in most cases tuition fees will not apply). Applicants should be realistic in compiling their proposed budgets, and consider that an average of US$1,000/US$1,800 per month for accommodation and meals (including local transportation and incidentals) should not be exceeded. Applications where funds requested are judged to be excessive in relation to the objectives and importance of the project are likely to be considered for a smaller grant.

(Note: The following costs are not eligible: computer or equipment purchases; publication costs; attendance at conferences, unless a case can be made that such attendance is an integral part of the research and would make a direct and significant contribution to the outcome of the development of the research project.)

UNESCO and Japan attach the greatest importance to originality and quality. Consideration will be given only to well-planned research proposals which demonstrate innovation, imagination and relevance, and which promise to contribute to knowledge in the four specific areas mentioned in paragraph D.1 above.
Files which are incomplete or which are received after the deadline for application, as well as candidatures that do not meet the requirements mentioned above, will not be taken into consideration.

E. FACILITIES OFFERED BY UNESCO/JAPAN

The Fellowships financed by Japan and administered by UNESCO will consist of the following:

• A maximum amount between US$6,000 to US$10,000 will be awarded to selected candidates. The amount, to be paid in two or three instalments, is intended to cover research costs only, and will not be negotiable.

• No other costs will be considered and grants will be neither extended nor renewed.

F. SELECTION OF BENEFICIARIES

A Selection Committee made of experts in the four areas listed above will make recommendations for the final decision of the Director-General of UNESCO. Applications will be judged on the basis of the merit of each application and its pertinence to the UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowship Programme.

Selected candidates will receive a Letter of Award.
Candidates who have not been informed of their selection by 1 September 2010 should consider that their applications have not been approved in the selection process.

G. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN UNDER THIS PROGRAMME

Once the Fellowship has expired, the beneficiaries will be encouraged to disseminate the results of their research. No prior approval of UNESCO will be required for publication of a scholarly paper resulting from research done while benefiting from the UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowship Programme. However, the Fellow will be asked to acknowledge UNESCO, the Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowships Programme and the Government of Japan in their paper as having provided support for the Fellowship and the Fellow will be required to send a copy of the report and/or printed article to the Organization for information. It should be emphasized that UNESCO has no obligation to publish the scholarly papers and no allowance will be provided for that purpose.

Selected beneficiaries will be required to submit an interim and a final report describing the results of the research undertaken. Fellows will be required to send UNESCO a one-page summary with their report that will be reproduced later in a leaflet and disseminated widely by UNESCO.

Project Document	(Multi-Language - Eng-Fre-Spa-Arab) Letter of Announcement Obuchi 2010.pdf
Announcement date	15 Jul 2009
Deadline for applications	08 Jan 2010