Commonwealth Gender and Sexuality Fellowships are for mid-career professionals from low and middle income Commonwealth countries to spend a period of time at a UK host organisation working in their sector for a programme of professional development.
To provide professionals with the opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills in their given sector, and to have catalytic effects on their workplaces.
About Commonwealth Foundation(CF)
The Commonwealth Foundation (CF) is an intergovernmental organisation that was established by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1966, a year after its sister organisation, the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Foundation is located at Marlborough House in London, a former royal palace which was assigned for the use of these Commonwealth institutions by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Head of the Commonwealth. As the Commonwealth agency for civil society, the Foundation is funded by 49 member states to support ... read more
Commonwealth Gender and Sexuality Fellowships
| Application Deadline | 16 Aug 2023 |
| Type | College School |
| Sponsor | Commonwealth Foundation(CF) |
| Gender | Men and Women |
Aim and Benefits of Commonwealth Gender and Sexuality Fellowships
Each Fellowship provides:
- Approved return airfare from the Fellow’s home country to the UK
- Reimbursement of the standard visa application fee
- Stipend (living allowance) payable monthly (or pro rata) for the duration of the award at the rate of £1,944 per month, or £2,397 per month for those at organisations in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2021/22 levels)
- If a Fellow declares a disability, a full assessment of needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC.
- Arrival allowance of up to £1,061.10 (rates quoted at 2021/22 levels), including an element for warm clothing
- For the Gender and Sexuality programme a £1,000 travel allowance per fellow to facilitate attendance at events (administered by host organisations)
- A maximum of £3,000 per fellow can be agreed by host organisations for short courses/conferences as well as travel to visit other UK organisations where this forms an integral part of the programme. Host organisations should bear in mind the restrictions set out in our guidance on claimable costs.
Requirements for Commonwealth Gender and Sexuality Fellowships Qualification
To be eligible for these Fellowships, prospective Fellows must:
- Be a citizen of, or have been granted refugee status by, an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
- Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
- Have at least five years’ full-time, or equivalent part-time, relevant work experience, in a profession related to the subject of the fellowship programme, by the proposed start of the fellowship – voluntary work experience will not be counted towards this minimum
- Be in employment at the time of application at an organisation that they will return to upon completion of the fellowship
- Provide at least two references, one of which must be from their current employer. Any applications for which references are not received by the reference closing date will be considered ineligible.
- Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship within the last five years (at the time of taking up the award)
- Not be seeking to undertake an academic programme of research or study. Academics are eligible to apply for the scheme, but only to undertake programmes of academic management, not research or courses relevant to their research subject
- Be available to undertake their fellowship within the full duration of the prescribed dates
Documents Required for Application
Provide a development impact statement in 4 parts.
- Part 1: (up to 200 words) Explain how participation on your selected fellowship relates to:
- UN principle to leave no one behind as it related to supporting the rights, freedoms, dignity and inclusion of communities who are discriminated against because of their gender identity or sexuality.
- development issues at the global, national and local level
- development issues connected to the theme of human rights of people and communities who are discriminated against, or criminalised because of their gender identity or sexuality and the wider sector
- Part 2 (up to 100 words) Explain how you intend to apply your new skills once your Fellowship ends.
- Part 3 (up to 250 words) Outline what you expect will change in development terms following your fellowship including:
- the outcomes that you aim to achieve
- the timeframe for their implementation
- who the beneficiaries will be
- Part 4: (up to 100 words) Write about how the impact of your work could be best measured.
- Confirm what your award objectives are and how each of them will be met by the fellowship programme
- Confirm what your objectives are for the next two years and how each of them will be met by the fellowship programme
- Confirm what your objectives are in the longer term and how each of them will be met by the fellowship programme
- Provide a personal statement to summarise the ways in which your personal background has encouraged you to want to make an impact in your home country. You should indicate areas in which you have already contributed, such as having overcome any personal or community barriers to your chosen career (up to 500 words)
- Summarise the ways in which you have engaged in voluntary activities and the opportunities you have had to demonstrate leadership (up to 500 words)
- Provide a scan of your passport or national identity card
Application Deadline
August 16, 2023How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to Commonwealth Foundation(CF) on to applyTo submit an application for the Gender and Sexuality Fellowships programme you must complete the online application form.
In the application form, prospective Fellows will be asked to:
- List all undergraduate and postgraduate university qualifications obtained (where applicable)
- List up to 10 publications and prizes (if applicable)
- Provide details of your employment history and explain how each job is relevant to the programme you wish to undertake in the UK (up to 100 words per employment)
- Provide a statement on the relevance of your previous work experience to the proposed fellowship (up to 300 words)
- List names and positions of up to three referees who are qualified to comment on both your capacity to benefit from your proposed fellowship in the UK and your ability to deliver development impact afterwards. One of your referees must be your current employer
For more details,visit Commonwealth website
