Fully Funded Master Scholarships in Disability Rights from the Open Society Foundations

The Disability Rights Scholarship Program provides yearlong awards for master’s degree study to disability rights advocates, lawyers, and educators to develop new legislation, jurisprudence, policy, research, and scholarship to harness the innovations and opportunities offered by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Eligibility Criteria:

The program does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Candidates with disabilities are particularly encouraged to apply. The competition is merit-based and open to those meeting the following criteria:

1. Be a citizen and legal resident Mozambique, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Mexico, Czech Republic, Georgia, or Ukraine at the time of application.
2. Have work experience in the legal profession or advocacy focusing on human/disability rights.
3. Have an excellent academic record with a bachelor of laws (LLB; in exceptional circumstances, those without a LLB but with substantial relevant experience may be considered)—a degree must be awarded by the application deadline.
4. Have demonstrated leadership in the field of disability rights.
5. Be proficient in spoken and written English or French and able to meet university-designated minimum scores on standardized language tests.
6. Be able to participate in an intensive academic writing program in August or September 2019.
7. Be able to begin the graduate program in August or September 2019.
8. Be able to receive and maintain visa or study permit required by host country.
9. Demonstrate a clear commitment to return to home country to contribute to advancing the inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in their communities.

Participating Institutions

1. Faculty of Law, McGill University, Canada
2. School of Law, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
3. School of Law, University of Leeds, UK
4. College of Law, Syracuse University, USA
5. Washington College of Law, American University, USA

The program provides:

1. Tuition and mandatory university fees
2. Monthly stipend for room, board, and other living expenses
3. Program-related travel
4. Accident and health insurance during the program
5. Funds for educational materials and professional development
6. All costs associated with pre-academic summer program and annual conference
7. Support for students with disabilities to obtain reasonable accommodations necessary for participating in the program of study

About the Open Society Foundations:

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant societies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. They seek to strengthen the rule of law; respect for human rights, minorities, and a diversity of opinions; democratically elected governments; and a civil society that helps keep government power in check.

They help to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. They believe in fundamental human rights, dignity, and the rule of law. Also, they believe in a society where all people are free to participate fully in civic, economic, and cultural life.

See more scholarships on Forsa website.