THE PROGRAM
CIP’s 12 month Fellowship Program provides an opportunity for emerging researchers with disabilities from LMICs to develop their own research projects based on their local contexts. It connects fellows to the global discourse and developments in the policy landscape, and mentors people with disabilities from low- and middle-income countries who are actively working on issues of inclusive policy or policy research in support of the rights of people with disabilities as put forth in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Successful advocacy and policy change hinge on the ability to gather and analyze all types of data – quantitative, qualitative, legislative, financial – to provide a strong evidence base for policy change, and that it is of fundamental importance that people of disabilities from low and middle income countries be at the center of these efforts.
OUR OFFER
- Mentorship to develop the fellow’s work plan and achieve their deliverables
- Sponsorship for a week-long training on social protection policies or a similar training program
- A fellowship grant of US$ 1000 / month to help cover the time they spend on their projects.
- Involvement of fellows in the projects of CIP as per their interests and expertise. This will enrich the fellows experience and will offer exposure to a global perspective.
- Involvement of fellows in CIP meetings where fellows will have the opportunity to learn from other members of the organization and different country contexts.
- To see examples of the kind of projects we have funded you can check out our past and current fellows below.
WHO
We are looking for persons with disabilities in the early or mid-stages of their careers, from Low and Middle Income countries who have already begun undertaking research and policy analysis in disability inclusion, or who have worked as advocates or organizers but want to transition to more analytical work. It is highly preferred if these people already have connections with the disability rights movements in their countries.
We are searching for people with a focus on inclusive social protection and/or creating community support systems for independent living, including the care and support agenda.
NEW DISABILITY DATA FELLOWSHIP
This year, in addition to our usual we are recruiting for a fellowship that will focus on quantitative data collection.
The Disability Data Fellowship is a groundbreaking initiative that equips emerging leaders who are persons with disabilities from low- and middle-income countries with the skills and support to drive change through data. Through hands-on training, mentorship, and applied research, fellows will master issues related to generating, interpreting, and advocating for disability-inclusive data, as well as first principles in data analysis. This will include building their capacity to assist with training various stakeholders on collecting data for disability inclusion.
Please note that rather than looking for people who are engaged in training programs or service delivery, we are looking for people with a desire to engage in:
- Legal research
- Quantitative or qualitative research
- Policy analysis
- Budget analysis
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants should submit a cover letter describing themselves and their reason for applying, their CV, three references, and a proposed project to office@inclusive-policy.org. Please note that the project description is very important that clearly outlines the research question, the motivation for the study, and a general methodology.
The call for applications closes at 5pm US EDT (GMT-5) on July 31, 2025. The fellowship will begin in October 2025 and end in September 2026.
Short listed candidates will have to pass through an online interview. Reasonable accommodations based on the request from the candidate will be provided during the interview and throughout the fellowship period.
Please note that applications from Please note that applications from countries currently subject to comprehensive or targeted US sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and specific regions of Ukraine (Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk) will not be accepted.
NOTE: Applications that do not contain all required elements will not be considered.
NOTE: Applications received after 5pm US Eastern time on July 31, 2025 will not be considered.
NOTE: Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to confirm receipt of each application.