Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship Opportunity

https://www.firstnations.org/rfps/likf-2/

General Information

In 2019, First Nations Development Institute (First Nations), in partnership with The Henry Luce Foundation (Luce), launched the Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship to honor and support a select cohort of fellows as they work to further Indigenous knowledge creation, dissemination and perpetuation in Indigenous communities. Through this fellowship program, we will award 10 fellowships of $50,000 each to outstanding Native knowledge holders and knowledge makers engaged in meaningful work that benefits Indigenous people.

This fellowship supports the exceptional creativity, progressive and critical thinking, and the potential of Native knowledge holders and knowledge makers as they move forward their field in ways that will ultimately lead to broad, transformative impacts for Indigenous communities.

Fellowship Overview

First Nations will award 10 fellowships of $50,000 each to 10 outstanding Native knowledge holders and knowledge makers engaged in meaningful work that benefits Indigenous people and communities in either reservation and/or urban settings. These fellowships support the work of Native knowledge holders and knowledge makers as they significantly advance their work and spark transformative change in their communities. In this sense, community is broadly defined and can include Native communities and knowledge communities.

The fellowship is a 12-month, self-directed enrichment program designed to support the growth, development, knowledge and networks of Native leaders. This unique and exciting fellowship supports individuals from diverse fields and engaged in different modes of expression. The fellowship is open to both emerging and experienced leaders from a wide variety of fields, including but not limited to, agriculture, food systems, youth leadership development, natural resource management, climate change, economic development, journalism, language and cultural revitalization, traditional and contemporary arts and more.

During the fellowship period, fellows will gather together three times during the year to pool their collective knowledge, and create a community of practice that crosses fields, geographies and tribal cultures. These three required convenings will give fellows the opportunity to engage in rich conversations intended to strengthen their leadership skills, reflect on their impact, share their learning and experiences and promote enduring professional relationships. These cohorts will empower fellows to overcome any geographic and cultural isolation they may experience by being a Native knowledge holder or knowledge maker, possibly as the only one in their field.

Important Note: Pending community and travel restrictions, these convenings may be redesigned to accommodate a virtual setting for the safety and health of all participants.

Award

This fellowship will provide awards in the amount of $50,000 each to 10 individuals. This fellowship is flexible in that it allows emerging and experienced knowledge holders and knowledge makers to determine their own goals, and decide how their funds are best used to make a positive impact for creation, dissemination and perpetuation of knowledge.

Fellows do not have to design or complete a project to be eligible or selected. The goal of this new fellowship is to provide flexible funding to selected fellows as they seek to achieve their goals and further or advance knowledge creation and dissemination in their respective field(s).

The fellowship may be used for a wide range of costs, including living expenses, tuition, conference registration, equipment, travel and childcare. The fellowship cannot be redirected to another person or organization.

Important Note: The $50,000 fellowship is considered taxable income. Fellowship recipients will be responsible for all related taxes resulting from this award.

Fellowship Period

First Nations provides a $50,000 award that may be used flexibly over 12 months. The start date of the fellowship is May 1, 2021, and the end date is April 30, 2022.

After 12 months, fellows will be eligible to apply for a supplemental grant of $25,000 to extend and deepen their work.

Submission Deadline

The deadline to apply for the Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship is Thursday, October 22, 2020. Complete applications must be submitted no later than 5 pm Mountain Daylight Time.