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~ Information, Instructions and Forms for Fellows ~ |
Fellows
must familiarize themselves with the information presented below and visit this
page regularly as it is periodically updated. Furthermore, throughout the
Fellowship Programme, Fellows will be required to complete and return to the
Programme Advisor various documents which are available for download by
following the links below. Fellows will also find links to web-pages which are
maintained by DESA and provide information regarding certain administrative
aspects of the Fellowship Programme.
United
Nations Fellows are reminded that they understand and have accepted obligations,
including the following:
(1) To conduct themselves at all times in a manner compatible with my
responsibilities as the holder of a United Nations Fellowship;
(2) To refrain during the period of the award from engaging in political,
commercial and any other activities other than those governed by the fellowship
programme;
(3) To not use their office, knowledge or confidential information gained from
the Fellowship Programme for private gain, financial or otherwise, or for the
private gain of any third party, including family, friends and those they favour. Nor to use the above-mentioned information for
personal reasons to prejudice the position of those they do not favour.
(4) To provide all necessary information in a timely manner to the Fellowship
Programme and Host Institutions so as to ensure the normal administration of
the Fellowship Programme;
(5) To carry out their research and studies in the manner, and within the
period, prescribed by the Fellowship Programme;
(6) To comply with the reporting requirements as stipulated by the Fellowship
Programme;
(7) To follow travel and payment instructions issued by the United Nations;
(8) To bear the cost of all medical expenses for which the insurance company
will not assume specific responsibility;
(9) To refund the United Nations in a timely manner any and all stipend
payments and other Fellowship entitlements for any period for which the United
Nations determines that the Fellow is not in compliance with the Programme
requirements, or is deemed to have abandoned the Programme.
This
page is organized into the following hyperlinked
sections:
Fellowship Coordination
Award of Fellowships (new sequence for
2013-2014 Fellows)
Placement Process
Visas
Travel and Payment (Stipends – Book Allowance)
Medical Insurance
Housing
OBLIGATORY Reporting Requirements
Fellows' Group Server and Alumni
Website
Fellowship
Coordination top
The
United Nations - The Nippon Foundation of Japan Fellowship Programme is
administered by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS),
Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations.
The Fellowship
application and selection process is administered by DOALOS, as is the
placement and overall coordination of the Fellows during their tenure with the
host institutions. Travel, stipend payment and insurance services are
coordinated jointly by DOALOS and the United Nations System as required.
Unless otherwise instructed by DOALOS, Fellows should
communicate directly with the Programme Advisor and all other correspondence,
for example with host institutions, should be copied to the same.
Following
the Selection Committee's decision on the award of Fellowships, DOALOS will
contact successful candidates to inform them of the decision and confirm their
availability to accept the Award. Each successful candidate must duly complete,
sign, and return the “UN-Nippon Fellow Acceptance Statement”. This form is
included with the notice of award sent to successful candidates.
It is
critical that Fellows provide their accurate e-mail, telephone and fax numbers,
as well as their postal address, as the subsequent placement process will
require frequent direct communications between the Fellows, the Programme
Advisor and Host Institution officials. Failure to provide this information,
or to react to communications in a timely manner, may lead to the withdrawal of
the Fellowship award.
Medical Clearance
procedure for SUCCESSFUL candidates only:
Successfully candidates must
be “medically cleared” by the United Nations Medical Service before their award
is processed. It is thus very important that all successful candidates ensure
that the UN Medical Form is duly completed by a physician and submitted,
including the required supporting documentation, to DOALOS by the deadline. The
UN Medical Form must be completed by a physician no more than four (4) months
prior to the effective date of the award, and all costs related to the medical
examinations are to be borne by the candidates.
Note that the results of the laboratory tests preformed under the “Laboratory”
section of this form must be entered in the form and the original laboratory
results (reports) must also be submitted with the form, along with the X-ray
film and x-ray report. Incomplete UN Medical Forms, including the omission of
original laboratory results and x-rays, will cause delays in the processing of
your application and may lead to the withdrawal of the Fellowship award.
--> Successful candidates must forward directly to DOALOS their completed
UN Medical Form, along with the original laboratory reports and x-ray film.
The form can be downloaded here: The UN Medical Form (click to download in Adobe PDF format)
Note that no award will be processed until the
Letter of Acceptance has been returned and Medical Clearance and relevant visa
requirements have been fulfilled.
Placement Process top (new
sequence for 2013-2014 Fellows)
Once
the Fellow’s Acceptance Statement has been received, and he/she is medically cleared
by the United Nations Medical Service, the placement process will begin.
Fellows
should understand that the placement process must take into account a wide
range of factors including host institution availability, research/study
themes, and visa requirements. As such, every effort will be made in order to
ensure that Fellows are placed with the most appropriate host institutions (and
supervisors), as per their stated preferences, and in accordance with their
proposed study/research theme.
However,
the Fellowship Programme reserves the right to make a final decision on all
placements.
Normally,
all Fellows will commence the Fellowship Programme at the same time with the
first phase placement for 3-months with DOALOS (
It is
very important that once Fellows receive confirmation of their placement,
they immediately begin applying for visa(s) for the host country(ies). While the United Nations and the host institution(s)
may provide Fellows with certain supporting documents in this regard, the
timely obtention of all necessary visa(s) – including
transit visa(s) – is the sole responsibility of the Fellows. Although the
Fellows are also responsible for the costs of obtaining visa(s), it should be
noted that the first month’s stipend rate (“Max Trav”
rate) is higher than the subsequent months (“Max Res” rate) so as to offset
such costs.
Fellows
will not be authorized to travel until they have secured the necessary visa(s)
for both placements.
Fellows
should understand that certain visa application processes are very lengthy and
thus they should plan accordingly while considering the timing of their
placements and the overall duration of the Fellowship tenure.
Once
Fellows have secured the required visa(s), they should immediately provide a
copy to DOALOS so that Travel and Payment
instructions can be processed.
Fellows are asked not to take family members with
them during the Fellowship placements. The United Nations and the host
institutions will not provide any supporting documentation for visa
application(s) of family members. Also note that the monthly stipend rates are
sufficient to cover the normal living expenses of one person, and that no
allowances of any kind will be paid for accompanying family members.
Furthermore, the Fellows’ medical insurance, which is arranged by the United
Nations, will not cover any family members accompanying Fellows during their
tenure. Fellows should also consider that, in the course of their award, they
may be required to travel under circumstances that would make it difficult or
impossible for their family members to accompany them.
Travel and Payment (Stipends – Book Allowance)
top
Fellows
will be provided with a return air-ticket in economy class for travels from
their home country to the first host institution, from the first host
institution to the second, and from the second host institution back to their
home country.
Travel
arrangements will be made by the United Nations, in certain cases through local
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offices, and in accordance with the
applicable United Nations policies.
Fellows
will receive a stipend during their 9-month fellowship in accordance with the
established United Nations rates for each host Country. These rates are updated
regularly and available on the following URL:
http://esa.un.org/techcoop/fellowships/stipendrates.html
For
the first month of each of the Fellowship placement phases, Fellows will
receive their stipend at the “Max Trav” rate, and all
subsequent months will be at the non-academic “Max Res” rate. Stipend paid to
Fellows while outside the home country is a monthly allowance intended to cover
the cost of lodging, board and other essentials such as laundry and local
transport. Stipend is normally payable in the local currency of the host
country. Stipend is not a salary or honorarium. It is not intended to cover the
Fellows' continuing expenses at home for themselves, nor their families.
Stipend
is due from the date the Fellows depart from their home countries, and ends on
the date of completion of the Fellowship, including a maximum travel time of up
to two days by the most direct air route.
Whenever
possible, the first month’s stipend for each phase will be paid to the Fellow
in advance. This payment will be organized in conjunction with travel
arrangements, both of which may be facilitated by a local UNDP office. Specific
information regarding the travel and payment instructions will be provided to
the Fellow, as early as possible, but not before all medical, placement and
visa procedures have been completed.
During
the first phase of the Fellowship placement, Fellows will be provided with a
Book Allowance of US$100 per month. This allowance will be transferred to the
Fellow either as a lump-sum payment with the second month’s stipend payment, or
on a monthly basis with each stipend payment.
Once Fellows
start their placements, they should open a local bank account, and complete and
return a "Funds Transfer Form" (F249) to DOALOS
without delay. This form is available for download here.
Subsequent
payments will be made through direct bank transfers to the bank account as
stipulated in the Funds Transfer Request Form filed by the Fellow. If Fellows
are unable to open a bank account due to local banking policies, they are
requested to immediately contact DOALOS.
As international financial transactions are strictly
regulated, Fellows are strongly advised to open a local bank account and
communicate their banking information to DOALOS immediately
upon arrival so as to avoid delays in the transfer of subsequent stipend
payments.
Fellows
are enrolled in a medical insurance scheme for the duration of their Fellowship
award. This coverage is provided by J. VAN
Fellows
should familiarize themselves with their coverage levels and claim procedures, before
traveling to their first placement, by consulting the following URLs:
http://esa.un.org/techcoop/fellowships/policies_III_medical.html
and
http://www.vanbreda-international.com
Fellows
are responsible for securing their accommodations for both placement locations.
In certain cases, it may be possible for Fellows to make the appropriate
arrangements through their host institutions. Nonetheless, all such
arrangements are the sole responsibility of the Fellows. The United Nations, as
well as the Host Institutions, will not act on behalf of the Fellows, serve as
guarantors, or accept any liabilities or responsibilities in this regard.
Fellows are strongly encouraged to research local
housing markets as soon as possible, and secure their accommodations as early
as possible.
Fellows
are required to complete several reports during the Fellowship Programme. These
reporting requirements are mandatory, and if Fellows do not meet these
requirements, they will not be granted a confirmation of completion for the
Fellowship Programme and the United Nations will take all appropriate actions
including informing the Fellows’ nominating authority and Government.
Please
note that the Fellowship Programme reserves the right to make modifications to
these reporting requirements during the course of the Programme, and the
fulfillment of such modifications by Fellows will also be mandatory.
The
current requirements are outlined in the "Fellowship Reporting
Requirements" document which is available for download
here. It is also the Fellows' responsibility to discuss these requirements
with the host institution supervisor when elaborating the programme of work.
The mandatory thesis structure template is available for download here.
Fellowship Alumni Organization, Group Server
and Alumni Website top
Upon successful
completion of the Fellowship Programme, Fellows will become Alumni and be
inducted into the Alumni Organization, a prestigious international group of
individuals. Information on this organization ccan be found on the Alumni
website which is also a rich source of information.
As Fellows
you will already be included in many activities of the Alumni, including the
possibility of participating in alumni meetings and projects. You will also be provided
with unique access to a range of information and media pages as well as
services and a @unfalumni.org e-mail address. Fellows are also required to
maintain their own profile page on the Alumni website.
Incoming
Fellows must join the UN-Nippon
Fellows Group which is a group-server established with the following
vision:
"This group is dedicated to the United Nations and the Nippon Foundation
Fellows on the Law of the Sea. The group email will be the platform for the
Fellows to exchange their views and discuss issues related to the Law of the
sea and to associated subjects. The group will be open to Fellows who have
completed their programmes as well as the incoming
Fellows. In this way, the new Fellows might take advantage of the experiences
of the previous Fellows. The group email will be used also to keep in touch,
given that the Fellows come from the four corners of the world. It will be a
good place to share experiences and giving little briefs on the type of
projects or work being undertaken once the Fellows have returned back to their
own country."
Fellows
may join the group-server by following the "Join this Group" link on
the group homepage.
New
Fellows are encouraged to make use of the group-server to discuss with the
alumni substantive and administrative topics, including information regarding
experiences with visa requirements and housing. However, it should be noted
that the group-server is an initiative of the Fellows, and not an official
website of the Fellowship Programme. As such, the information posted on the
group-server and its associated e-mail list should be accurate and useful, but
does constitute an official source of information for the Fellowship Programme,
and does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations, The Nippon
Foundation of Japan, or that of the Programme Host Institutions.