Open Society Foundations Leadership in Government Fellowship

The Open Society Foundations Leadership in Government Fellowship is a non-residential program that gives former public servants the funding, time, and platform to turn their government experience into independent policy work. Fellows design their own projects, work with a cohort of peers, and publish practical outputs that support open society values such as accountability, transparency, and the rule of law. This guide explains who the fellowship is for, what it provides, how the application process works, and how to build a proposal that stands out.

What the Open Society Foundations Leadership in Government Fellowship Actually Is

This is not a training program or an internship. It is a mid-career fellowship built around the assumption that people who have worked inside government understand problems in ways outsiders often cannot.

The fellowship asks a simple question: what would you do with a year of protected time if you could work on the one policy problem you know best?

• Purpose: help former officials convert insider knowledge into public goods such as research, toolkits, convenings, and model policies.
• Values: projects must connect to open society goals, including civic participation, government accountability, and equal access to justice.
• Autonomy: fellows choose their own project rather than joining a predefined research agenda.
• Independence: the work is non-partisan and not directed at lobbying for a specific bill or candidate.
• Format: a cohort experience with regular check-ins, peer learning, and staff support.

Who Typically Fits This Fellowship

The strongest candidates usually come from policy, regulatory, legal, diplomatic, or enforcement roles at national, regional, or local level. Some have held senior posts; others have been respected mid-level specialists with deep technical knowledge.

• Former regulators who saw how oversight failed or succeeded up close.
• Former immigration, justice, or interior officials with firsthand knowledge of system gaps.
• Former diplomats and trade officials who understand how commitments are negotiated.
• Former local government leaders who ran participatory budgeting, procurement, or public records reform.
• Former legislative staff who helped draft laws and now want to study how they performed.

What the Fellowship Provides

A fellowship is only useful if it removes the practical barriers that stop good ideas from becoming finished work. That means money, time, and access.

Financial and Practical Support

• A stipend that allows a fellow to treat the project as a serious commitment rather than a side hobby.
• A project budget for research trips, translation, data collection, design, and production.
• Flexibility on location, since the fellowship is generally non-residential.
• Support for publishing and disseminating the final output to the audiences that matter.

Network and Visibility

• Access to a global network of grantees, alumni, and issue experts.
• Introductions to civil society organizations working on adjacent problems.
• Peer review from other fellows who have faced similar constraints inside government.
• A platform that can help a well-researched report reach policymakers and journalists.

Good fellowship projects do not simply describe a problem. They give a specific audience something they can act on.

Examples of Projects That Fit the Fellowship

Abstract themes are hard to evaluate. Concrete deliverables are not. The following examples show the level of specificity that reviewers tend to look for.

• A former competition regulator producing an enforcement handbook for smaller agencies with limited legal budgets.
• A former asylum officer designing a transparent case-triage model that reduces arbitrary decision-making.
• A former city official creating a step-by-step procurement guide that helps small businesses bid on public contracts.
• A former defense or intelligence official writing a practical framework for civilian oversight of surveillance tools.
• A former health ministry official mapping where public health data stops being published and why.
• A former election administrator building a checklist for protecting voter registration data.

Notice that each example names a deliverable, a user, and a change. That structure is not accidental.

The Application Process, Step by Step

Exact requirements shift between cycles, so always read the current guidelines before you start drafting. The general shape of the process, however, tends to stay consistent.

1. Review the guidelines. Confirm eligibility, project scope, and any restrictions on current government employees.
2. Define your project. Write one sentence describing what you will produce and who will use it.
3. Draft a proposal. Explain the problem, your approach, the timeline, and the expected outcome.
4. Prepare supporting materials. A CV, references, and sometimes a writing sample or budget outline.
5. Submit before the deadline. Late or incomplete applications are rarely reviewed.
6. Interview stage. Shortlisted candidates discuss feasibility, motivation, and how the project connects to open society goals.
7. Selection and onboarding. Selected fellows agree on milestones and begin the cohort program.

Fellowship at a Glance

How to Write a Strong Application

Reviewers read a lot of proposals that sound important but say nothing specific. The fastest way to stand out is to be precise about the problem, the audience, and the output.

• Show the through-line. Connect what you did in government to what you now want to build.
• Name the audience. “Regulators in small agencies” beats “policymakers” every time.
• Describe the deliverable. Say what the finished product is and roughly how long it will be.
• Explain why you. What access, credibility, or insight do you have that others do not?
• Be realistic about scope. A tight, finished project beats an ambitious, unfinished one.
• Connect to open society goals. Make the link explicit rather than assuming it is obvious.
• Anticipate obstacles. Note risks and how you plan to handle them.

If your proposal could have been written by someone who never worked in government, you have not used your main advantage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating the fellowship as a paid sabbatical with no defined output.
• Proposing an academic thesis with no practical application.
• Writing a vague budget that does not match the described activities.
• Ignoring the open society framing entirely.
• Choosing a topic so broad that no single product could ever cover it.
• Sending a generic personal statement that could fit any fellowship.
• Assuming your government title alone is enough to carry the application.

What Happens After the Fellowship

The fellowship is a bridge, not a destination. Most alumni continue working on the same problem in a different setting.

• Publishing and promoting the final output through partner organizations.
• Advising civil society groups, oversight bodies, or reform commissions.
• Moving into think tanks, academia, journalism, or nonprofit leadership.
• Staying connected through the alumni network for collaboration and peer review.
• Using the credibility of a completed project to open doors that were previously closed.

A finished, useful product is the single best outcome. It gives you something concrete to point to, and it gives the foundation evidence that the investment produced results.

Is This Fellowship Right for You?

It fits people who left public service with a clear sense of what is broken and a realistic idea of how to fix a piece of it. It does not fit people who are looking for general funding, a break from work, or a way to promote a political position.

If you can answer three questions clearly, you are probably a strong candidate. What did you learn inside government that outsiders cannot easily learn? Who will use your work? What will exist at the end of the fellowship that does not exist now?

If you cannot answer those questions yet, spend time sharpening the project before you apply. A rejected application is not a permanent verdict, and many strong fellows applied more than once with a better-defined idea.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Open Society Foundations Leadership in Government Fellowship?

It is a fellowship that supports former government officials who want to work independently on policy projects connected to open society values. Fellows receive funding and institutional support while producing a concrete output such as a report, toolkit, or model framework.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility focuses on people with meaningful government experience, usually at national, regional, or local level, who have left public service. Exact requirements change between cycles, so check the current guidelines before preparing materials. Relevant experience may come from policy, regulation, law, diplomacy, enforcement, or public administration.

Do I have to be a former US government official?

No. The foundation works globally, and its fellowship programs draw from multiple countries and regions. Some cycles have a regional or thematic focus, which means the pool of eligible candidates may be narrower in a given round. Always confirm the geographic scope in the official call for applications.

Is the fellowship paid?

Yes, in the sense that fellows typically receive a stipend alongside a project budget. The stipend is designed to let you commit real time to the work rather than fitting it around a full-time job. Specific amounts and conditions are set out in the offer and guidelines.

Is the fellowship residential or remote?

It is generally non-residential, meaning you can usually work from your own city or country. Fellows are normally expected to attend a small number of convenings, workshops, or cohort meetings during the term. Travel costs for required activities are usually covered.

How long does the fellowship last?

The term is defined in the fellowship guidelines and can vary by cycle. Most fellowship structures of this kind run for roughly a year, sometimes with an option to extend if the project requires it. Plan your proposal around the stated term rather than assuming flexibility.

What kinds of projects are funded?

Projects that translate government experience into practical tools for reform. Common examples include policy reports, operational guides, oversight frameworks, training materials, and convening series. The common thread is a clear audience and a usable output, not a purely academic contribution.

Do I need a nomination or institutional sponsor?

Most application processes are open and do not require a formal nomination. Some cycles ask for references who can speak to your professional record and the feasibility of your project. A strong reference is someone who has seen your work directly, not simply someone with a prestigious title.

What makes an application stand out?

Specificity. Reviewers respond to proposals that name a real problem, identify a specific audience, describe a concrete deliverable, and explain why the applicant is uniquely positioned to produce it. Clear writing and a realistic scope also matter far more than ambitious language.

Can I apply if I am still working in government?

Generally the fellowship is aimed at people who have left public service, since the work requires independent positioning. If you are planning to leave, you may need to confirm your departure before the fellowship begins. Check the current eligibility rules carefully, because this is one of the most common disqualifying issues.

What happens after the fellowship ends?

Alumni typically continue working on the same issue through nonprofits, think tanks, academia, advisory roles, or independent consulting. The main lasting benefit is a completed body of work plus a network of peers and organizations that can help it reach the right audience.