• DCHA/CMM Fellowship for Atrocity Prevention (Part-Time)
• DCHA/DRG Fellowship for Atrocity Prevention (Full-Time)

General applications to the program are accepted and processed on a continuing basis. IIE will notify you of acceptance into the Democracy Fellows Program’s pool of eligible candidates within one month of receiving your completed application. Applications are considered active for approximately one calendar year from their date of receipt.  Fellowships positions become available periodically throughout the year, according to USAID’s needs.  For a new position, IIE will consider pre-qualified candidates from the general pool, as well as applicants who apply specifically for the new position, which will be advertised on the program website.

Introduction
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is offering a fellowship in the field of Atrocity Prevention, as part of the Democracy Fellows and Grants Program (DFG) funded by USAID’s Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG Center) in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA). The DFG program is managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE), and the fellowship will be a full-time position as a salaried IIE employee, with benefits.

The Atrocity Prevention Fellow will report to the Chief of the Human Rights Team in the DRG Center and work with the rest of the Human Rights Team to support research, practical projects, and other activities related to atrocity prevention.

DRG Center’s Role in USG Atrocity Prevention Efforts
The DRG Center’s mission is to create and disseminate knowledge on the advancement of democracy, human rights, and sound governance abroad and to manage grants and provide technical support to USAID missions implementing programs in these areas.

Within its emphasis on human rights, the DRG Center is one of the key focal points for USAID’s implementation of Presidential Study Directive 10 (PSD-10) on atrocities prevention. In 2011, President Obama introduced PSD-10 and announced atrocity prevention as a “core national security interest and a core moral responsibility of the United States.” In April 2012, President Obama unveiled the results of PSD-10, a comprehensive strategy to prevent and respond to mass atrocities, including the creation of the Atrocity Prevention Board (APB) to guide this effort. The DRG Center works collaboratively with other USAID offices, in particular USAID’s Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation (CMM), as well as interagency partners to support the work of the APB.

As part of these efforts, the Fellow will support the DRG Center to respond to the mandate of PSD-10 by contributing to the research agenda and participating in the development of critical resources on atrocities prevention for DRG officers in the field. The Fellow will enhance USAID’s implementation of PSD-10 by building stronger relationships, furthering collaborative dialogue, and advancing shared learning with the academic and non-governmental atrocities prevention and peace building communities. Through this process, USAID will ensure that our products and thinking reflect, and are better linked with, other relevant work in this field. The Fellow will work closely with another part-time DFG Fellow, based in CMM, also working on the atrocity prevention portfolio. Many of the priorities and larger projects (such as the toolkit and training) will be developed collaboratively and reflect the inputs and perspectives of both the DRG Center and CMM, along with other USAID offices.

Objectives
The Democracy Fellow will support implementation of USAID’s Action Plan on Atrocity Prevention by working on specific areas of the research agenda and practical projects related to atrocities prevention.

Specific tasks include supporting DRG projects related to atrocities prevention, including the Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention, “listening sessions,” a toolkit, and a distance learning course. The Fellow will undertake new areas of technical research on atrocities prevention, participate in USAID’s PSD-10 working group, and work with agency colleagues to create and advance written products as needed. The Fellow will help foster greater dialogue and stronger relationships with the academic and non-governmental communities working on atrocities prevention. The Fellow also may be asked to support USAID participation on the APB.

Outcomes, Responsibilities, and Deliverables

• Support and contribute to USAID’s technical leadership and research related to atrocities prevention—including, but not limited to, the documentation of case studies and after-action reviews of USAID prevention and response efforts and the systematic documentation and dissemination of lessons learned through interagency processes.
• Interview current and former USAID officers with first-hand experience of prevention or response efforts (USAID’s “listening sessions”) to inform the development of new atrocity prevention tools and resources for Missions in countries with a high risk of atrocities.
• Serve as the principal author for the forthcoming USAID Toolkit for Atrocity Prevention, a technical publication intended to orient field officers quickly on key programming or operational issues and provide initial guidance and best practice on possible response options.
• Contribute to the design and development of a new, interactive, distance-learning training module intended to provide practical guidance on key atrocity prevention issues for USAID officers.
• Support the implementation of the Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention, capturing lessons learned and identifying potential follow-on activities, such as a possible Grand Challenge for Development.
• Cultivate strong relationships with NGOs, the academic community, and other key civil society groups and networks working on atrocity prevention to improve USAID outreach, contribute to implementation of best practices in atrocity prevention, and foster a community of practice.
• Other related responsibilities as assigned.

Eligibility Criteria

• US Citizenship.
  Completion of a relevant graduate degree (Master’s required, PhD strongly desired) or JD.
• At least 10 years of experience working on issues of foreign policy and development, human rights, democracy and governance, conflict mitigation, or other relevant areas.
• Strong analytic and research skills in atrocity prevention, human rights, and democracy and governance.
• Strong writing skills and the ability to communicate complex programming elements in atrocity prevention, human rights, and democracy and governance into clear, concise documents and actions.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead the development of projects, similar to the planned toolkit and training module, independently.
• Experience serving as the lead on inter- or intra-agency and/or multi-disciplinary teams.
• Relevant field experience; experience working with USAID and/or other USG agencies.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to foster relationships and coordinate the learning and expertise of multiple organizations engaged in the fields of atrocity prevention, human rights, and democracy and governance.

Supervision and Guidance
The Fellow will serve as a member of the Human Rights Team of the DRG Center and will be supervised on a day-to-day basis by the Human Rights Team Leader. The Fellow will be an employee of IIE and will report for administrative purposes to the DFG Director at IIE. The Fellow will participate in relevant working groups in other parts of the Agency as required. The Fellow is expected to exercise the highest degree of individual initiative, resourcefulness, responsibility, and authority, consistent with USAID’s overall policy and procedural framework.

Location
The incumbent will be based within the Human Rights Team at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC. Some international travel will be required.

Duration of the position
Initial appointment is for two years, with the possibility of renewal for up to four years. The second year, and any following years, are contingent upon available funding and acceptable performance.

Application
Please go to "How to Apply" page for the application form.
Deadline is Sunday, January 13, 2013. 

The Democracy Fellows Program is accepting applications for the program on a rolling basis. Accepted candidates will be eligible for consideration for future fellowships as it becomes available. You can also apply to specific fellowship positions once it is announced. Please fill out the form below to receive notifications of fellowship openings and other announcements: