On the requirements for the President Néstor Kirchner Fellowship
1. Are there any age restrictions?
No, there are no minimum or maximum age requirements.
2. Can I apply for two Fellowships with only one application?
Yes, Argentine candidates can apply simultaneously to Fellowships 1 and 3, and South Americans to Fellowships 2 and 3 with a single application.
3. Does unpaid work count for public service experience?
Yes, it is not necessary to have been paid for the activities in politics, public service, or civil society.
4. Are activities associated with university extension programs considered experience in the political/civil society area?
Yes, they are.
5. I was not born in a South American country, but I am a citizen of one those countries, can I apply?
Yes, all South American citizens are entitled to apply.
6. I am not a citizen of a South American country, but I am a permanent resident of one of those, can I apply?
Yes, but in the executive summary of the CV you should indicate how many years you have you been working in that South American country.
On the level of english required
7. I have not taken the TOEFL, which tests are considered for to present my level of equivalency?
Fluency in English is a requirement for applicants, since the interviews, meetings and seminars in New York will take place in that language.
However, as stated in the rules, the TOEFL is not the only test to demonstrate English proficiency.
The following are some of the tests accepted:
– IELTS Band 7 or above
– Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English passed with A or B
– University of Michigan Proficiency in English Test Pass or Honors
Candidates who do not possess one of these certificates can apply to take the Institutional IBT TOEFL at a local TOEFL center (check complete list of international centers on www.ets.org).
Please, scan your results and email them directly to us OLAbecaPNK@observatorylatinamerica.org.
8. I will take the TOEFL, but the results will not be ready before June 30, can I apply?
Yes, it is possible to submit the application with a note indicating that the test results will be sent once they are ready.
Documents to submit
9. What is the difference between the CV Executive Summary and the personal statement?
The CV Executive Summary should be a brief text detailing academic, professional and civic experience, while in the personal statement you should include an explanation of interest in this Fellowship, expected benefits and related future activities.
10. Should I mail or email the documents?
All documents should be scanned and attached to the email in which the application is submitted. All documents (Application form and documents 1, 2 and 3) must be submitted together (partial applications will not be accepted). Please email the application with the documents attached to OLAbecaPNK@observatorylatinamerica.org .
11. In which language should I submit the documents?
Documents 1 and 2 (CV and personal statement) must be submitted in two versions: one in Spanish (or Portuguese) and another one in English.
Document 3 (essay) can be submitted in one language (Spanish, Portuguese or English), with an accompanying abstract in two languages: Spanish (or Portuguese) and English. That is to say, in the case of essays in Spanish (or Portuguese), the abstracts must be submitted in Spanish (or Portuguese) and English; while in the case of the essays in English, the abstracts must be submitted in English and Spanish (or Portuguese). Applicants who pass to the second round of evaluation will be given a week to translate the essay in its entirety. Those originally submitted in Spanish (or Portuguese) must be translated into English, while those originally submitted in English must be translated into Spanish (or Portuguese). All documents (Application form and documents 1, 2 and 3) must be submitted together (partial applications will not be accepted).
