The Open Society Foundations is a nonprofit organization that champions the search for bold, democratic solutions to urgent, common challenges that advance justice, equity, and human dignity. According to the Open Society Foundations, they do this by ‘supporting a wide array of independent voices and organizations around the world that provide a creative and dynamic link between the governing and the governed.’ 

Since 2008, the Open Society Fellowship has supported heterodox thinkers and practitioners from around the world. This year’s fellows will be selected exclusively from seven cities—chosen because they are home to a dynamic circle of public intellectuals and cultural producers engaged in high-level critical debate. The fellowship will help elevate new voices to take part in global conversations on the most pressing issues of our time—from human rights and social justice to climate change and inequality—and provide established public intellectuals new audiences for their work. 

There will be a total of 28 fellows from seven major cities in the world: Beirut, Lebanon; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Dar es-Salaam, Tanzania; Jakarta, Indonesia; Lagos, Nigeria; and Taipei, Taiwan. Four fellowships will be granted to residents of each city. 

This fellowship is open to academics, journalists, documentarians, think-tank experts, playwrights, poets, architects, urban planners, novelists, visual artists, cultural impresarios, or practitioners in other fields. 

Fellowship applicants will propose a project of ambition and originality and will be expected to complete or make significant progress on that project during their fellowship term. They may undertake travel, with financial support from the fellowship, to advance their project. In addition, they will be expected to attend two fellowship gatherings per year (with expenses covered by the programme) and interact in other ways with fellows, Open Society staff, and outside experts. 

To support their work, fellows will receive a living stipend for one year of $100,000, as well as up to $20,000 for project expenses, for full-time work on their fellowship. In addition, they will be supported to attend fellowship-related events. 

The fellowship application requires a cover letter; a CV; a three-page project description; and a draft project budget.  

Fellowship applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. New York time on Monday, 16 December, 2024. Applicants will be notified about whether they have received the fellowship by Friday, 28 February, 2025. 

 Before applying, please download the official call for applications from OSF, for more details on the fellowship’s application requirements. To apply, fill the form below⎈