BASIC FUNCTION

The Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies (CNAPS) at the Brookings Institution is accepting applications for its Visiting Fellows program, a four-month residential research fellowship in Washington, DC. CNAPS will host two classes of Visiting Fellows in the 2013-2014 academic year. The Autumn class will be in residence at Brookings during August 19-December 20, 2013 and will include one Fellow each from China, Japan, and Korea. The Spring session is scheduled for March 1-June 30, 2014 and will include one Fellow each from Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan. During this program year, CNAPS will give preference to applications that include research proposals focused on “China.”

Fellows are drawn from mid- to senior-ranks of the governments, think tanks, universities, media, and business communities in East Asia. Fellows are selected on a highly competitive basis, following a careful review of all applications. Applicants selected for the fellowship are eligible for a living stipend of up to $20,000 for the four-month term. Brookings will withhold taxes from Fellows’ stipends according to U.S. tax guidelines.

During the four-month Fellowships, Visiting Fellows conduct individual research and collaborative activities, interact with the U.S. policymaking community, and take part in the rich array of policy seminars and discussions available at Brookings. The Brookings Institution’s location and convening power give Visiting Fellows the opportunity to hear views from and interact with policy scholars and opinion leaders, the diplomatic community, U.S. government officials, journalists, and others. Visiting Fellows also have the opportunity to meet frequently with experts outside Brookings at major universities and other policy organizations in Washington.

About CNAPS

Established in 1998 as part of the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy Program, CNAPS is a center for research, analysis, and exchange on the compelling policy challenges facing the Northeast Asia region and U.S.-Asia relations. CNAPS implements program activities in three program tracks: a Visiting Fellowship which targets Northeast Asia’s future policy and opinion leaders; an active series of events on political, economic, and security issues; and scholarly research and publication. Drawing on the Brookings Institution’s long-standing ties to the region, CNAPS is a leading venue for transpacific policy dialogue, research, and publication devoted to Northeast Asia.

The Center is directed by Dr. Richard Bush, a senior fellow in Brookings Foreign Policy Program. Dr. Bush has extensive experience in both the executive and legislative branches of the United States government, including service as chairman of the board and managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan during both the Clinton and Bush administrations. He also advised the then-Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Lee Hamilton, on Asian affairs. He has been at Brookings since 2002, and has written and lectured extensively on Asian politics and policy.

Visiting Fellowship Program Information

The Brookings Institution’s CNAPS Visiting Fellows program is a competitive residential fellowship that offers mid-career scholars and professionals from East Asia the opportunity to carry out substantive research and interact with a wide range of actors in the Washington policy community, from U.S. government officials and foreign diplomats to journalists and scholars of U.S. Asia relations. Fellows usually receive a modest stipend and limited reimbursement for moving expenses and transportation to and from the United States.

CNAPS hosts two separate classes of Visiting Fellows each year:

Autumn 2013
Term: August 19-December 20, 2013
Application deadline: March 18, 2013 (results announced April 2013)
Eligible regions: China, Japan, and Korea
Preferred research theme: “China”

Spring 2014
Term: March 1-June 30, 2014
Application deadline: September 16, 2013 (results announced November 2013)
Eligible regions: Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan
Preferred research theme: “China”

Applicant Requirements:

1. A Ph.D. in political science, international relations, history, or a discipline related to the current research theme is preferred but not required.

2. Applicants holding a Ph.D. should have 6-8 years of professional experience in one or more of the following fields: think tanks/academia, government, the media, or business, with practical or scholarly exposure to current political, security, or economic trends in the region.

3. Applicants without a Ph.D. should have 12-14 years of professional experience in one or more of the fields listed above.

4. Applicants with a professional interest in relations among East Asian nations, and in United States East Asian relations, are highly desirable.

5. Applicants must have a demonstrated ability to conduct professional, in-depth research and deliver spoken presentations in English.

Program Requirements:

1. Fellows must be available for a full-time affiliation with the Brookings Institution for the entire four-month program (e.g., August 19-December 20, 2013 or March 1-June 30, 2014).

2. Fellows are required to research and write a working paper (minimum 6,000 words, maximum 10,000 words) on an approved policy topic. Papers are due in final form at the end of the four-month program; each Fellow may present his or her paper at a Brookings seminar during the course of the Fellowship.

3. Fellows must be familiar with and uphold the Brookings Institution’s commitment to independent, nonpartisan research and publication, and to maintaining the highest level of integrity in pursuit of this mission.

4. Each Fellow is expected to be an active participant in Brookings and CNAPS activities, including but not limited to regularly organized Visiting Fellow discussions and attending CNAPS discussions, seminars, presentations, press briefings, and other CNAPS and Brookings events.

5.Fellows will participate in a group research trip outside Washington, possibly visiting one city for two or three days. On this trip, Fellows are expected to give short presentations on their research and engage in discussions with scholars at major universities and think tanks; meetings will be organized by CNAPS staff.

Application Information

There are two application deadlines, depending on the term for which the candidate is applying:

Autumn 2013: Deadline is March 18, 2013 (Fellowship term is August 19-December 20, 2013)
Eligible regions: China, Japan, and Korea

Spring 2014: Deadline is September 16, 2013 (Fellowship term is March 1-June 30, 2014)
Eligible regions: Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan

Applications should consist of five elements:

1. The applicant's resume or curriculum vitae, listing professional and educational experience, and publications (noting publications in English).

2. A detailed research proposal for a "working paper" to be researched and written at Brookings during the Visiting Fellowship. This paper is considered to be the main product of the Visiting Fellowship, and the proposal is an important part of the application.

In 2013-2014, CNAPS will give preference to research proposals focused on “China.” Within that theme the Center is looking for proposals based on either internal or external policy challenges facing China, or on implications of China’s rise for its Asian neighbors. For example, applicants may propose detailed examinations of specific issues such as China’s demographic or environmental challenges; or broader analysis of the ways in which China’s rise affects the potential for greater cooperation on regional and global problems in the economic, political, security, energy, environmental, development, or other fields. Proposals should address concrete policy challenges, and should lend themselves to in-depth and timely research and analysis.

Candidates should submit a detailed working paper proposal as part of the application. The proposal should be at least 2000 words (roughly four pages) and should include the following:

1a. A preliminary title and statement of the topic.
2a. An explanation of the problem or policy issue to be examined and the anticipated conclusion.
3a. A description of the paper’s organization and substantive components.
4a. A brief discussion of the analytical framework and research methods to be utilized.
5a. A statement of objectives to be met in researching this topic and completing this paper.
6a. An assessment of how the paper would contribute to the policy community’s understanding of the issue.
7a. An explanation of the impact that living in Washington would have on research of this topic.

3. Detailed written responses to the following questions:

1a. How would the CNAPS Visiting Fellows program, and more broadly your tenure at Brookings, advance your career?
2a. How would you use experiences you gain during your tenure at Brookings when you return to Northeast Asia? How would they contribute to your home institution and your work?
3a. Which organizations and individuals would you most like to have contact with during your CNAPS fellowship?


4. Two writing samples, in English, on topics related to national security or the disciplinary fields listed above. Writing samples should be at least 2500 words each (roughly five single-spaced pages) and should not have been edited by a third party.

5. Letters of reference from three professional colleagues. Letters can be sent directly to Brookings by the authors or can be included in the application package.

Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications for the position will be considered. No phone calls please. Brookings welcomes resumes from all qualified applicants, particularly women and minorities.

Completed application materials should be mailed or emailed by the dates listed above to:
Mr. Kevin Scott, Associate Director
Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: (1-202) 797 6307 / Fax: (1-202) 797 2481
Email: kscott@brookings.edu
Questions should be forwarded via email to Mr. Kevin Scott.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications for the position will be considered. Successful completion of a background investigation is required for employment in this position. No phone calls please. Brookings welcomes resumes from all qualified applicants, particularly women and minorities.