How To Participate In The 2022 UNESCO GEM Report Fellowship Program

The Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report Fellowship Program, funded by the Open Society Foundation, supports researchers who aim to bring a novel perspective to comparative and international education development to aid the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, the global education goal.

We are only nine years away from the end of the 2030 Agenda. The Fellowship offers an opportunity to be part of a select group of scholars and researchers, collaborating with the GEM Report team on one or both aspects of its core objectives:

• To monitor and report on progress in the SDG 4 on education and education-related aspects in other SDGs;
• To report on the implementation of national and international strategies to help hold all relevant partners to account for their commitments as part of the SDG follow-up and review.

Program Details

• Author a Fellow paper, to be published on the GEM Report website. The paper should be based on original, and previously unpublished, analysis. The Fellowship provides an opportunity to address policy-relevant research analyzing core issues related to the SDG 4 agenda’s monitoring, policy or implementation challenges, and suggest policy recommendations. After completion of the paper, the authors are encouraged to further develop the work for academic publication or further policy exploration on the topic.
• Learn about specific dimensions of GEM Report work in monitoring quantitative and qualitative indicators and/or reporting on the implementation of national and international strategies; gain access to GEM Report data and expertise; and expand researcher horizons and engagements within the international education community.
• Engage with the community of Fellows, participating in peer exchanges, and networking; and participate in monthly meetings and other relevant activities with the GEM Report research team. If relevant, engage on policy dissemination with the GEM Report communications and outreach teams.

Benefits

The work will be carried out remotely, with a two-week-long visit in Paris (with travel allowance) if the sanitary conditions allow. The GEM Report team will provide:

• A stipend of US$19,500 for the duration of the fellowship (up to 11 months).
• A mentor from the team of GEM Report researchers, to provide regular mentoring, guidance and engagement with the GEM Report work.
• Monthly meetings engagement across the research team and Fellows.

Eligibility

• GEM Report Fellows would ideally be linked to universities or research institutions, have substantial experience with research methods, in-depth field policy and research analysis, and have produced some relevant research outputs.
• The Fellowship is open to fellows at early or advanced stages of their career, and can include senior analysts, advanced doctoral candidates, post-doctoral students, professors, or researchers from non-governmental organization (NGO) and civil society backgrounds.
• The Fellowship aims to support candidates from diverse nationalities.

Project Proposal

The research proposal should be placed within the current policy debate on SDG 4 and briefly describe the potential contribution this research will make to the field of education and to policy making. It should include the following elements:

• Research abstract (no more than 200 words)
• Proposal (maximum 8 pages / 4000 words), including the following elements:
  • Introduction/Rationale that motivates the topic and its policy relevance
  • Brief relevant literature and policy relevant research questions
  • Data and methodology to address research questions
    • Data utilized for the research could be:
      • either large-scale quantitative data, such as national or cross-national learning or literacy assessments and household, school or labour force surveys
      • or mixed methods data, utilizing secondary analysis information as well as qualitative methods (policy document analysis, focus group discussions, interviews) for deep dives into one or a few contexts
    • Methods – should include a strong focus on descriptive methods, clear statement of empirical estimations or qualitative coding
  • Timeline and resources: timeframe for data collection, research, and analysis. All analysis for the Fellowship should be concluded within a 10 month period.
  • GEM Report alignment: Indicate why GEM Report resources and research areas (thematic or geographic) are particularly well suited to address those questions.

Although preference is given to multi-country comparative analyses, in-depth within-country analysis that speak to broader comparative relevance are also eligible.

Selection Criteria

Key criteria for selection include:

• Originality – what gaps does it fill in the current educational research landscape?
• Potential to influence the global education agenda – are the issues adequately broad and relevant for the larger community?
• Analytical rigour, in terms of data, methods, and relevance.
• Feasibility of analysis within the time frame.
• Research that highlights equity and accountability, such as investigations of human rights challenges, and inequalities in educational progress.

Other criteria could include:

• Utilization of the GEM Report’s data resources, such as household and school surveys linked to the World Inequality Database on Education (WIDE) or the GEM Report’s Profiles Enhancing Education Reviews (PEER).
• Contribution of new insights on monitoring indicators, implementation and challenges mid-way into the 2030 agenda.
• Support for the themes of forthcoming GEM reports, i.e. the 2023 GEM Report on technology and the 2024 GEM Report on education leadership.

How To Apply

Applicants will need to provide the following information:

• Cover letter
• Project proposal
• CV in UNESCO format and full list of publications

To apply, email gemreport.fellowship@unesco.org

For more information, visit UNESCO GEM.

Application Deadline: December 1, 2021

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