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International Civil Society Fellowship


The Kettering Foundation invites individuals from partner organizations who have completed Deliberative Democracy Workshops to spend five months working with us exploring the role of a deliberative public in the political work of their home communities. To learn more about the fellowship, please contact Ileana Marin.

Download a brochure about the Fellowship.

About the Fellowship

The core elements of the curriculum include:
  • Systematic readings and discussion on the theory and practice of deliberative democracy. Fellows prepare discussion questions and short essays for a series of seminars on these topics.
  • Moderator training for conducting public forums, through attendance at a Public Policy Institute.
  • An introduction to the principles and methodologies for naming and framing issues in public terms. Naming and framing issues in public terms make it possible for citizens to deliberate on at least three choices for dealing with them.
  • A research project. This project may be the creation of an issue book analyzing a policy issue chosen by the fellow in conjunction with his or her sponsoring organization.
  • Participation in regularly scheduled foundation meetings and project groups.
  • A final presentation to staff on how the foundation experience relates to experience in the fellow’s own country.

How Fellows are Selected

Nominations: Fellows are chosen annually from nominations by organizations in each country.

Qualifications include:
  • a bachelor’s degree is required, plus an advanced degree or equivalent academic or participatory research experience;
  • work experience in universities, governments, or non-governmental organizations, preferably in programs for developing democratic practices;
  • prior attendance at Kettering Deliberative Democracy Workshops; and
  • an articulated commitment to sharing the skills acquired as an international fellow at the Kettering Foundation with appropriate constituencies at home.

Selection is based on:
  • the strength of the nominee’s academic and experiential background;
  • the strength of the recommendation by his or her sponsoring organization;
  • the relevance of prior and current work experience to the work of the Kettering Foundation;
  • fluency in written and spoken English; and
  • a mutual determination by the Kettering Foundation and the sponsoring agency as to the program’s suitability in terms of the background, needs, and experience of the applicant.

Residency usually consists of a five months in the United States. During this time, depending on the topic of their research, fellows may return home to their sponsoring organization for a brief period to review and test the work they have produced. After completion of their work with the foundation, the fellows return to their respective countries. It is an expectation that they then work with their sponsoring organizations for a specific period of time.

Expenses and compensation are covered in full by the Kettering Foundation, and whatever outside funding it may have acquired for this project. These normally include round-trip airfare from the home country to Dayton, Ohio; a stipend commensurate with the fellow’s experience; travel expenses for foundation-related trips; and medical coverage and travel/accident/insurance.


How to Apply

An application should include the nominee’s curriculum vitae, a letter of intent, and a nomination letter from the sponsoring organization. The nomination letter should outline the specific organizational rationale for nominating the candidate for the fellowship.

Fellowships begin in February and July. Applications for the February class of fellows are due by October 1 of the preceding year. Applications for the July class are due by March 1.

Applications should be emailed
or sent to:
Kettering Foundation
Attn: International Fellowships
200 Commons Road
Dayton, Ohio 45459-2788
U.S.A.