Jun 18, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 18, 2009


WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has extended the application deadline to Monday, July 13, 2009 for the Joseph R. Crapa Fellowship Program. The original deadline was June 15, 2009. Please note that there is additional information below about the terms of the Crapa Fellowship Program.

The funded fellowships are available to select individuals with exceptional records of accomplishment and/or outstanding records of academic achievement in relevant fields to the work of USCIRF, including but not limited to, religious freedom and related human rights, foreign policy, international law, and security. Applicants from the U.S. congressional community, government agencies (including the military and intelligence agencies), academia, the NGO community, think tanks, and other relevant backgrounds are welcome.

Citizens of any country may apply. Non-U.S. citizens without permanent resident status must obtain a J-1 exchange visitor visa to participate in the Fellowship Program. The J-1 status requires recipients to reside in their home country for two years following the fellowship before applying for the H or L visa, or for permanent residency in the United States.

Each fellow selected will receive a monthly stipend, which takes into account the fellow"s current academic or professional vocation and level of experience. The fellow also would receive certain benefits offered to federal employees, such as basic health insurance. Other covered costs would include reasonable domestic and/or international travel associated with the project.

The term of each fellowship will be determined by the nature of the fellow"s project, but will not exceed 12 months. It is expected that fellows will spend a substantial portion of their fellowship in residence at the USCIRF offices in Washington, DC, though alternate arrangements may be made as necessary.

Applicants for a Crapa Fellowship should submit a proposal detailing the parameters of the project they intend to pursue during their time as a Crapa Fellow. This proposal should include a succinct statement of the area of intended study, the relevance of the study to the field of religious freedom, the format and timing of the product they propose to produce, and a brief overview of relevant existing work in the area of proposed study. In addition, applicants should send a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and the names of three professional references USCIRF can contact directly. Applications should be submitted electronically to: [email protected].

The following list provides examples of the areas USCIRF is interested in further study on, but is not intended to be exhaustive:

  • The role of religion and religious freedom in counterinsurgencies and in combating religious extremism
  • The developing parameters of religious freedom under international law, including an analysis of significant trends and strategies to impact the development in positive directions
  • The impact of religious freedom in advancing the rights of women
  • Government-sponsored intolerant materials and its impact on religious freedom
  • Utilizing U.S. assistance effectively to promote and advance religious freedom
  • Employing public diplomacy tools to advance religious freedom
  • Developing a curriculum on religion and religious freedom for the Foreign Service Institute

USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. USCIRF"s principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress.

To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, contact Tom Carter, Communications Director at [email protected] or (202) 523-3257.