Overview
Commonwealth Gender and Sexuality Fellowships are for mid-career professionals from low and middle income Commonwealth countries to spend a period of time at a UK host organisation working in their sector for a programme of professional development.
Purpose: To provide professionals with the opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills in their given sector, and to have catalytic effects on their workplaces.
Intended beneficiaries: Mid-career professionals (with five years’ relevant work experience) working in development-related organisations in low and middle income Commonwealth countries.
How to apply
Gender and Sexuality Fellowships in 2024
Fellowship applications are now open and will close at 16:00 BST on Wednesday 16 August 2023.
You can apply by completing our online application form. Please refer to the ‘Completing application form’ tab to access the application form.
In 2024/25, the CSC is running a Fellowship programme aimed at professionals whose work supports the rights, freedoms, dignity and inclusion of communities who are discriminated again because of gender identity or sexuality.
All Fellowships in this round will be tenable for three months from Wednesday 21 February 2024.
Fellow eligibility
To be eligible for these Fellowships, prospective Fellows must:
- Be a citizen of, or have been granted refugee status by, an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
- Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
- Have at least five years’ full-time, or equivalent part-time, relevant work experience, in a profession related to the subject of the fellowship programme, by the proposed start of the fellowship – voluntary work experience will not be counted towards this minimum
- Be in employment at the time of application at an organisation that they will return to upon completion of the fellowship
- Provide at least two references, one of which must be from their current employer. Any applications for which references are not received by the reference closing date will be considered ineligible.
- Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship within the last five years (at the time of taking up the award)
- Not be seeking to undertake an academic programme of research or study. Academics are eligible to apply for the scheme, but only to undertake programmes of academic management, not research or courses relevant to their research subject
- Be available to undertake their fellowship within the full duration of the prescribed dates
In addition to the above, prospective fellows must ensure they meet any eligibility criteria set out by each individual host organisation.
The CSC aims to identify talented individuals who have the potential to make change. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non-discrimination and encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates. For further information on the support available to fellows with a disability, see the CSC disability support statement.
Please note: Your personal information will be used to conduct necessary due diligence checks to CSC’s satisfaction, before CSC proceeds with any type of formal agreement or contractual relationship. In most cases, the due diligence checks will be straightforward, however further information may be requested, so we ask for your full co-operation to speed up the process.
If you do not agree to your personal data being used for the purpose of conducting due diligence, unfortunately CSC will not be able to proceed further with the application process.
Completing Fellow application form
To submit an application for the Gender and Sexuality Fellowships programme you must complete the online application form.
In the application form, prospective Fellows will be asked to:
- List all undergraduate and postgraduate university qualifications obtained (where applicable)
- List up to 10 publications and prizes (if applicable)
- Provide details of your employment history and explain how each job is relevant to the programme you wish to undertake in the UK (up to 100 words per employment)
- Provide a statement on the relevance of your previous work experience to the proposed fellowship (up to 300 words)
- List names and positions of up to three referees who are qualified to comment on both your capacity to benefit from your proposed fellowship in the UK and your ability to deliver development impact afterwards. One of your referees must be your current employer
Provide a development impact statement in 4 parts.
- Part 1: (up to 200 words) Explain how participation on your selected fellowship relates to:
- UN principle to leave no one behind as it related to supporting the rights, freedoms, dignity and inclusion of communities who are discriminated against because of their gender identity or sexuality.
- development issues at the global, national and local level
- development issues connected to the theme of human rights of people and communities who are discriminated against, or criminalised because of their gender identity or sexuality and the wider sector
- Part 2 (up to 100 words) Explain how you intend to apply your new skills once your Fellowship ends.
- Part 3 (up to 250 words) Outline what you expect will change in development terms following your fellowship including:
- the outcomes that you aim to achieve
- the timeframe for their implementation
- who the beneficiaries will be
- Part 4: (up to 100 words) Write about how the impact of your work could be best measured.
- Confirm what your award objectives are and how each of them will be met by the fellowship programme
- Confirm what your objectives are for the next two years and how each of them will be met by the fellowship programme
- Confirm what your objectives are in the longer term and how each of them will be met by the fellowship programme
- Provide a personal statement to summarise the ways in which your personal background has encouraged you to want to make an impact in your home country. You should indicate areas in which you have already contributed, such as having overcome any personal or community barriers to your chosen career (up to 500 words)
- Summarise the ways in which you have engaged in voluntary activities and the opportunities you have had to demonstrate leadership (up to 500 words)
- Provide a scan of your passport or national identity card
Financial assistance
Each Fellowship provides:
- Approved return airfare from the Fellow’s home country to the UK
- Reimbursement of the standard visa application fee
- Stipend (living allowance) payable monthly (or pro rata) for the duration of the award at the rate of £1,944 per month, or £2,397 per month for those at organisations in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2021/22 levels)
- If a Fellow declares a disability, a full assessment of needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC. See the CSC disability support statement for more information
- Arrival allowance of up to £1,061.10 (rates quoted at 2021/22 levels), including an element for warm clothing
- For the Gender and Sexuality programme a £1,000 travel allowance per fellow to facilitate attendance at events (administered by host organisations)
- A maximum of £3,000 per fellow can be agreed by host organisations for short courses/conferences as well as travel to visit other UK organisations where this forms an integral part of the programme. Host organisations should bear in mind the restrictions set out in our guidance on claimable costs.
General conditions
- A Commonwealth Gender and Sexuality Fellowship covers a contribution to the host organisation costs, approved fares, and personal maintenance. Other fellowships, awards, or bursaries that cover the same costs may not be held concurrently.
- In order for the CSC to administer a Fellow’s application effectively and efficiently after they have submitted, it will be necessary to create a record in their name. The details of Fellows who are nominated to the CSC will be kept on file. Basic anonymised demographic data for all applicants will be kept for analytical research. The CSC is committed to protecting personal information and to being transparent about the information we are collecting about individuals and what we do with it. To find out more, see our privacy notice.
- Fellows must submit a health and disability form before a Confirmation of Award can be issued
- Fellows will be asked to sign an undertaking which requires them to return to their home country and their previous place of employment at the time of being awarded the fellowship. Fellows must leave within five days of the end of their award
- Fellows are expected to start and complete their award on the dates stated in their Notification of Award. The CSC is usually not able to agree any changes to these dates after the Notification of Award has been issued
- Fellows require a Temporary Work – Government Authorised Exchange visa to come to the UK for their award and must meet all relevant immigration regulations set by UK Visas and Immigration. These regulations are subject to change at any time. See immigration conditions for more information.
- Fellows must reside in the UK throughout their award, and seek approval from the CSC in advance for any overseas travel, which will be granted in exceptional circumstances only
- Fellows must not undertake paid employment during their award
- The CSC cannot provide a letter of support for any fellow to remain in the UK after their award
- An award may be terminated at any time for reasons of unsatisfactory conduct, progress, attendance, or violation of visa conditions, or if the host organisation decides it is unable to proceed with the fellowship for any reason before or during the award
- Applicants and selected Fellows must adhere to the CSC’s code of conduct for award holders and disciplinary policy and procedure which states:
As a Commonwealth Scholar or Fellow, you are an ambassador for both the CSC and your home country, and your actions and remarks will have an impact on the reputation of both. You are therefore expected to adhere to high standards of conduct and behaviour and to show respect to others and your surroundings at all times.
The CSC aims to enable a free exchange of ideas during all its activities in order to achieve the maximum potential impact for all participants. Recognising the diversity of backgrounds among our award holders – in terms of race, religion, gender, sexuality and cultural values – you are reminded to always be respectful to others.
The CSC is committed to proactively safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows, and to protecting all those with whom the CSC comes into contact. The CSC requires Commissioners, Secretariat staff, Scholars and Fellows to fulfil their role and responsibilities in a manner consistent with requirements for safeguarding.
- In line with the UK Bribery Act 2010, any applicant convicted of bribery will be banned from reapplying for a Commonwealth Scholarship or Fellowship for a period of up to five years
- The CSC is committed to administering and managing its Scholarships and Fellowships in a fair and transparent manner. For more information, see the CSC anti-fraud policy and procedure and the FCDO guidance on reporting fraud.
- All terms and conditions of award are subject to UK local law and practices and are subject to change by the CSC.
For more information, see the handbook for Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows. Please note that the conditions outlined in the handbook are subject to change.
Enquiries
If you have any queries about Commonwealth Gender and Sexuality Fellowships, please email professional.fellowships@cscuk.org.uk
General enquiries about applying for Commonwealth Scholarships or Fellowships sent to this email address will not be answered; please use the contact us form instead.
To see a list of our previous Fellowship hosts please visit our Professional Fellowship Host Organisation page and to learn more about previous Time Limited programmes please visit our TLP page.
Click here for more information and Application.
