FAQ

1) - Does the summer fellows program occur annually?

RRA Network is launching the fellowship program this year. We expect to make this an annual occurrence.
2) - Are the themes the same every year?
The choice of themes will depend on the programs being planned by partners in the RRA Network. We aim
to maintain some continuity but the actual these are unlikely to be the same in successive years.
3) - The basic living expenses are covered as well as transportation to and from field sites but are students
responsible for the airfare?
Yes, the candidates are responsible for their own travel to Hyderabad and back. We are trying to raise
resources for supporting travel, but these may not be available in time for the 2015 program. Please indicate
your need in your application, so that we can generate estimates of required resources.
4) Will the fellows be given a stipend?
Yes. We will provide our fellows additional funds to cover their basic living expenses beyond what we will
provide. The exact amount is under consideration but it will be no less than INR 20,000. We will also
provide full logistical support at the field site, including housing, simple food, local travel and work space.
5) - Will an undergraduate senior who will graduate this coming May be considered for the summer
fellowship?
Yes, we invite post-baccalaureate students anywhere in the world to apply for the fellowship.
6) - Is an NGO and/or an organization eligible to apply for the fellowship?
No, this fellowship is open for individual candidates only.
7) - Can this fieldwork and resulting paper be used as dissertation?
Yes. In fact, we encourage it. We require the fellows to be engaged in the fellowship research full time for
the 9 weeks. But they can use the resulting paper and the field work towards their dissertation or Masters
thesis.
8) - Can a selected candidate start the fellowship later than June 1st?
No. Everyone must attend the opening workshop starting June 1st. The fellows need to be prepared to be in
the field sites for the entire duration of the fellowship, except during workshops.
9) - Can a fellow propose to work in a site of their choice different from an existing RRA site?
Yes, they can. However, we cannot provide any stipend or logistical support any projects in sites different
than RRAs Comprehensive Pilot sites. Such fellows will be welcome to join the cohort of summer fellows
and participate in the training and writing workshops. We will support travel to these workshops for fellows
not working in the RRA sites.
10) - Can a fellow do the fellowship as part of their job?
Possibly. We expect full-time research engagement through the fellowship period. The fellows are required
to work exclusively on the research project for the entire duration of the fellowship. This will require the
applicant to explicitly negotiate with their employers and gain permission to attend the fellowship.
11) - Can someone with a recent PhD apply?
Yes, they can. We encourage all candidates with training, experience and an interest in serious research to
apply for the fellowship.
12)- Will there be additional information on the field sites?
Yes. There is some additional information on the website. We have uploaded maps of all the villages in
field sites where quantitative baseline data is being collected. We will add the map of Mehbubnagar as the
villages are added. We will continue to update the website as more data comes in.