Call for Applications: UN Nippon Foundation Fellowship 2024

The United Nations – Nippon Foundation Fellowship provides Government officials and other mid-level professionals from developing States with advanced training on ocean affairs and the law of the sea, as well as related disciplines, including marine science in support of management frameworks.

Fellows will learn about international legal frameworks, key issues and best practices in ocean affairs, become familiar with the work of the United Nations, and develop professional skills. Fellows will also conduct individual research, under academic supervision, and develop a written thesis on a topic selected by them.

Upon completion of the Fellowship, Fellows are expected to return to their home countries and use their in-depth knowledge and extended experience to assist in formulating comprehensive ocean policy and in implementing the legal regime set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and related instruments, including through designing, implementing and/or evaluating specific improvement projects.

Fellowship Structure & Deliverables

The 9-month Fellowship Programme is composed of two consecutive phases which provide Fellows with advanced and customized research and training opportunities in their chose fields:

• Phase One: 3-month Research and Training, which is normally undertaken between March/April and June at DOALOS at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
• Phase Two: 6-month Advanced Academic Research and Study, which is normally undertaken between July and December at one of the prestigious participating Host Institutions and under the guidance of subject matter expert(s) who have recognized in-depth expertise in the Fellows’ chosen field of study. 

The deliverables of the Fellowship Programme are:

• A 100-page written thesis
• A presentation of the research
• An ocean governance matrix

Benefits

• Fellows will receive a stipend each month during their Fellowship, both during their time in New York and, for United Nations – Nippon Foundation Fellows participating in the 9-month programme, during their time at the second phase host institution.
• In addition to the stipend, the United Nations – Nippon Foundation Fellows (the 9-month Programme) will be provided with a Book Allowance of US$100 per month for the phase two of the Fellowship ($600 altogether). This allowance will be transferred to the Fellow either as a lump-sum payment, or on a monthly basis with each stipend payment.
• Fellows will be provided with a return economy class air-ticket to travel from their home country to complete the Fellowship. 
• For the period of the Fellowship, medical coverage is provided by Cigna Health Insurance. Cigna offers 100% medical coverage for general medical and hospital treatments up to a certain limit.

Eligibility

• You must be between the ages of 25 and 40;
• You must have successfully completed a first university degree, and demonstrate a capacity to undertake independent advanced academic research and study;
• You must be a mid-level professional from a national government organ of a developing State, or another governmental or non-governmental agency in such a State, which deals directly with ocean affairs issues, and your professional position must allow you to directly assist your nation in the formulation and/or implementation of policy in this area. This includes marine sciences and the science-policy linkage. Your “Nomination and Recommendation Form” should be completed by a Government official or other official who can attest to the nature of your work with respect to the Government’s ocean affairs and law of the sea related activities, and indicate how an Award would directly contribute to these activities;
• Your proposed research and study programme must contribute directly to your nation’s formulation and/or implementation of ocean affairs and law of the sea policies and programmes; and
• You must be free of all non-Fellowship obligations during the entire Fellowship period unless otherwise authorized by the Division.

How To Apply

• To apply, download the form and fill in all the fields electronically. Kindly use the Sentence case for filling in the data (e.g. John Smith), do not use all capital letters to write your answers (e.g. JOHN SMITH). Apply your electronic or handwritten signature and use the “Save” option to save your changes. Kindly return the form as a word or pdf document.
• Each question must be answered clearly and completely in order to ensure that the application will be processed. While completing this form, candidates should pay particular attention to sections 18, 19 and 20. If necessary, candidates may attach no more than one additional page of the same size.
• The Application form consists of two documents: the “Personal History and Proposed Research/Study Programme Form”, and the “Nomination and Recommendation Form”. Both forms must be signed, the first one by the applicant, the second one by the by the official nominating entity. The forms may be returned in either word or pdf format.
• Once both the “Nomination and Recommendation Form” and the “Personal History and Proposed Research/Study Programme Form” are completed and signed, email them directly to DOALOS at doalos@un.org. 

For more information, visit UNNF.

Application Deadline: September 8, 2023

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