Guidelines

Recent political developments in Central Europe demonstrate that populism and anti-democratic values continue to thrive in some new EU member states. An increasing number of governments show little interest in independent oversight of government activities, protection of minority rights, media independence, and the rule of law.

Public discourse in some new EU member states has taken a particularly negative turn, with attacks against vulnerable groups and minority communities as well as against NGOs promoting tolerance and accountability. Debates within EU member states on issues such as immigration and security exacerbate negative discourse at the local level. Civil society in the region seems ill-prepared to counter these illiberal tendencies systematically and consistently.

Most think tank leaders agree that more should be done, and that liberal democratic values are at the core of their missions. However, given the current funding environment, tackling these types of issues is increasingly difficult. The Think Tank Fund response is to establish a competitive project fund that will support established policy centers in the region to confront issues critical to open society.

Via Open Society New Response Projects, the Think Tank Fund aims to support independent policy centers in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia to promote policy research and alternatives on political and social issues critical to effective and accountable democratic governance in their own countries.

Open Society New Response Projects should reflect the core values of the applicant organization as well as tackle key social and political policy areas. Projects will provide think tanks in the region with the opportunity to:

sustain their work on sensitive and unpopular social and political issues, particularly work that seeks to improve the position of disadvantaged and marginalized groups;
promote transparent and effective democratic processes in their countries and to counteract illiberal tendencies; and
advance systems for monitoring the performance of governmental institutions in ensuring tolerance and public accountability.

The issues to be addressed should be important in the policy context of the applicant�s country and linked with the promotion of open society values. Applicants should have already undertaken similar research and policy work for a number of years. They should clearly demonstrate that the proposed research is in line with their missions. Funding requests can be related to new initiatives or to ongoing activities that require funding. Similar to its guidelines for core funding, the Think Tank Fund will avoid providing support for single-issue think tanks and funding for individual projects that fall within the mandates of other OSI programs.

In line with the Think Tank Fund's aim of fostering inclusive policy change, Open Society New Response Projects should increase public participation in policy discussions, influence public policy discourse and help to shape the policy agenda. Projects should aim to address the full policy cycle and reach out to relevant stakeholders. Priority will be given to research and policymaking that directly respond to threats to liberal democratic governance and promotes open society values.

Eligible Countries

Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

To Apply

Prior to sending a full proposal, applicants should submit a brief concept paper of no more than 2-3 pages. The Think Tank Fund will use this paper to determine whether projects meet its current priorities and guidelines. The concept paper should include:

Brief description of the project and the issue(s) it addresses
Overview of the planned activities and methodology to be utilized
Short description of the applicant organization and its mission
Estimated overall budget and timeframe for the project

Based on a review of the concept paper, grant applicants may be invited to submit a full application. A full proposal should provide a description of the project idea and background information on the context and rationale for the project. In addition, the proposal should provide a list of objectives, a detailed activity plan that highlights the expected outcomes of the project and benchmarks for assessing the project�s impact. Finally, the proposal should discuss how the project fits within the organization�s broader project portfolio and its overall agenda.

The narrative part of the proposal should not exceed 10-15 pages. Other relevant information, such as an organizational history, a full institutional budget, and examples of previous policy products, should be appended. Applicant organizations should also provide a detailed project budget and implementation plan. The requested grant should constitute no more than 20 percent of the group�s total annual budget.

Priority will be given to projects that can demonstrate co-funding. Grants will not exceed $75,000 per year and can be up to three years in length.

Applicants should email a concept paper to the Think Tank Fund at the email address below.

Decision-Making Process

The OSI Policy Advisory Board will take the final funding decisions, and grants will be awarded on a matching-funds basis. There are no deadlines for the submission of proposals, but interested organizations are recommended to contact the fund for more information prior to submitting a full proposal. Once a complete application has been received, it typically takes about three months to complete the application review process and deliver a decision.

Contact Information

Open Society Institute
Think Tank Fund
Oktober 6. u. 12.
Budapest 1051, Hungary
Tel: +36-1-327-3000, ext. 2244
Fax: +36-1-235-3101
ttf_applications@osi.hu (Attn: Goran Buldioski)