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Announcing Request for Applications

Application Deadline - June 26, 2008 .

www.foodandsocietyfellows.org

The Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute is pleased to announce a request for applications for the 2009-2010 class of Food & Society Policy Fellows. The Food & Society Policy (FASP) Fellows Program provides fellowships to professionals in food and agriculture from across North America. Fellowship activities are intended to catalyze a healthier, diverse, just and sustainable U.S. food and agricultural system through cultural shifts and policy changes. The fellowship is a part-time, two-year professional fellowship. Primary support for the fellowship comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Significant additional support comes from the Fair Food Foundation. Fellows will begin activities January 1, 2009.

The Food & Society Policy Fellows impact local, regional, and national policy, shaping the U.S. food system through communications efforts using a multitude of media. With the seventh fellowship class, we are seeking fellows who work in various areas of sustainable food and agriculture systems. In this class, approximately five fellows will be selected who have been engaged in food systems issues affecting inner city populations.

Criteria

Applicants should be U.S. citizens actively involved in a professional career that involves food systems work such as agriculture, health, advocacy, food production, and/or policy analysis.  A portion of the 2009 fellowship class slots will be reserved for early career professionals (35 years of age or younger at application deadline). Individuals representing
populations of color are strongly encouraged to apply.  Please note, this is a highly competitive program, but we encourage all applicants.

Administration

The Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute in Columbia, Missouri administers the fellowship. Fellows carry out their activities in their existing workplace or residence. Fellows must gain release time from their current job duties to devote time to the Fellowship. A stipend of $30,000 per year is provided to cover income support for a time commitment of 30-50% to the fellowship program. Most fellows make a half time commitment to the
program. For salaried individuals, the stipend amount will be paid to the individual's employer to compensate for partial salary and benefits. Approximately 13-14 fellowships will be awarded for 2009-2010.

During their fellowship period, fellows are expected to generate communications in the areas identified above.  Communications are generated for a variety of audiences from consumers to policy makers. Fellows work both independently and cooperatively with other fellows to create a communications impact.  Fellows can also contribute to policy discussion through participation in policy forums or other relevant work.

Fellowship recipients are required to do a modest amount of travel in conjunction with the program, including participation in three multi-day orientation and training sessions.  The first of these is an orientation and media training to be held from January 12-15, 2009 (fellows must be able to attend this entire orientation).  Travel expenses to fellowship events are covered in full, but no additional travel budget is provided.

Application

Applications for the 2009-2010 Food & Society Policy Fellows Program will be accepted starting April 1, 2008 and are due by 5:00 PM CDT, June 26, 2008. Please mail five collated copies of each of the following materials in your application packet

*         Cover letter (2 pages maximum) explaining: 1) why you want to be a FASP Fellow; 2) how the fellowship will help you do work you could not do without the fellowship; 3) what goals or topics you would like to focus on as a fellow; 4) a brief outline of how you would plan to use the media to accomplish your goals as a fellow. If your age is 35 years or less at the application deadline, please identify yourself as an early career applicant in your cover letter.

*         Resume covering educational degrees, work experience (both current and previous positions held and time periods) and other relevant information.

*         Two examples of your published communication/media work illustrating your ability to communicate about food and/or agricultural topics with the general public.  Short written samples are strongly preferred, but for individuals who work in other media (such as
film-makers), we will review non-print samples.  Please note that these sample materials will not be returned, so submit copies, not originals.  Do not submit books or other long monographs.

*         List of three references - include their name, title, organizational affiliation, and one or more phone numbers.  References will only be contacted for individuals selected as semi-finalists.

*         Cover sheet with contact information - download from fellowship website at http://www.foodandsocietyfellows.org/about.cfm and attach one copy of the cover sheet to the five sets of materials listed above.

Applications should be mailed to arrive by 5 p.m. central time, June 26, 2008 to:

Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute
Attn: Selection Committee Chair
601 W. Nifong Blvd., Suite 1D
Columbia, MO 65203

(office phone # to provide for overnight delivery services is 573-449-3518)

Contact Us

We welcome inquiries about the Food & Society Policy Fellows Program. For
more information, please contact:

Susan Roberts, JD, MS, RD
Fellowship Director, Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute
Email:  susan@susan-roberts.net
Phone: 515.965.3859 or 515.480.5898

Information about previous fellows and the program can be found at the
program website: http://www.foodandsocietyfellows.org/

Schedule

April 1, 2008
Applications accepted by the Jefferson Institute

June 26, 2008
Application deadline for 2009-2010 fellowship class

September, 2008
Semi-finalists notified and interviewed

October, 2008
Finalists announced

January 1, 2009
2009-2010 FASP Fellowships begin

January 12-15, 2009
Fellowship orientation training

December 31, 2010
Conclusion of two-year fellowship period

Susan L Roberts, JD, MS, RD
Director, Food & Society Policy Fellows Program
Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute
8830 NW 35th Street
Ankeny, Iowa 50023
515.965.3859
515.480.5898 (c)
www.foodandsocietyfellows.org