If you’re in the process of designing your Fellowship Without Borders project you may want to check through the responses we’ve provided to the questions we’ve received about the Call. These may help with your project design, the budget, and for you to check any eligibility issues.
Do I have to live outside my home country to apply for a Fellowship Without Borders?
No. You may be living in your home country or abroad. What matters is that you are a citizen of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova or Ukraine and that your proposed Fellowship meets the objectives and eligibility requirements of this Call.
Does my Fellowship project have to involve travel to another country?
Not necessarily. Fellowships Without Borders may include mobility activities such as study visits, job shadowing, internships or research in another country, but international travel is not in itself a requirement. A Fellowship may also support civic compatriots or communities located in another country through advocacy, mobilisation, research, cooperation or other eligible activities.
Can I implement some activities in my own country?
Yes. Fellowship activities may take place in your own Eastern Partnership country, another Eastern Partnership country, an EU Member State or an EU Candidate Country, provided that the overall project meets the requirements of the Fellowships Without Borders Call.
Is it possible to select a CSO partner outside of Europe, for example from USA, to assist with the Fellowship Without Borders? Specifically, I’m interested to do an internship in New York.
Please review the eligibility issues in the Guidelines. Specifically, the eligible geographic locations are described on page 5. Activities may be implemented “in another country of the Eastern Partnership, or their own, or in an EU Member State or in an EU Candidate Country”.
Do I need to have a host organisation in another country?
Not every Fellowship project requires a host organisation. A host may be relevant for activities such as a study visit, internship or job shadowing, but other types of Fellowship projects may be implemented without one. Where a host or partner organisation is needed for your proposed activities, you should provide the relevant details in your application.
The application form has a section to “confirm who will be involved in our project (including details of any organisation in EU, Candidate Countries, or EaP region who will be required to host you and/or activities)” and provide precise names, numbers and locations.” Am I expected to secure formal confirmation/acceptance from these organizations before submitting the application, or can these details be indicative at this stage?
The details that you include in the application form may be given as ‘indicative’.
Can I budget to pay myself a living allowance while travelling as a lump sum?
For the Fellowships it is expected that each expenditure will be proven with receipts or similar.
The fellowships are a voluntary activity and therefore Fellows are expected to find ways to minimise travel/accommodation costs and maximise outputs of the fellowship projects. At any rate per diem costs (local travel, accommodation, and subsistence) cannot exceed EU per diem rates. Per diem is only applicable for 12 hours or more spent at a location away from home. 12-24 hours is considered a half per diem and 24 hours a full per diem. Travel time is not eligible.
I would like to clarify how the fellowship funds are disbursed?
The funds for awarded fellowships are transferred in two tranches: the first, of approximately 50% of the budget, at the beginning of the project and the second approximately halfway through implementation on approval of an interim report. Funds are transferred to the Fellow’s personal account.
Can I include a provision for paying personal taxes in the Fellowship budget?
The Guidelines clearly state: “It should be noted that successful applicants will be solely responsible for meeting any specific tax requirements in their country of residence.” Once awarded a Fellowship, the Project team will discuss the final budget details with Fellows and assist with any modifications that might be needed.
Is a letter of recommendation from my university sufficient for the application?
The purpose of the recommendation letter is to contribute to verifying the applicant’s track record in civic activity, including civic digital work. Therefore, a letter from a university may be relevant if it references civic activity or voluntary work. It should be noted that the Fellowships are not academic, but focused on supporting positive social change. Please also note that you may upload more than one letter in the application form.
