The GRF Young Academics Program is designed for young academics who are either pursuing or have completed their PhDs within the last three years.
Global Relations Forum launched the Young Academics Program to engage with academics who are willing to contribute to national and international policy discussions by drawing on their strong academic and theoretical backgrounds. Through this ever-expanding network of promising young academics, GRF hopes to contribute to bridging the divide between policy circles and academia.
While the overarching aim of all GRF Community programs is to advance a culture of intellectual diversity, constructive debate and analytic coherence, the Young Academics Program has an additional objective as it is uniquely designed to culminate in the preparation of a policy or an analysis paper authored by each participant. These papers are then published as part of the Policy Paper Series or the Analysis Paper Series. While both series are concerned with thoroughly analyzing a topic of interest related to global systemic issues, the former additionally proposes policy recommendations.
GRF Young Academics Program consists of two meetings.
First Meeting: This meeting brings together all participants, and enables them to clarify and improve their research topics based on the feedback they receive from their peers. At this stage, the participants are expected to deliver a presentation on their topic of choice. A discussion will follow each presentation.
Second Meeting: The second meeting is organized separately for each participant. At this stage, the expertise of GRF members comes into play more explicitly as GRF puts together a different commission for each participant. The commissions are made up of a select group of at least three GRF members with knowledge and expertise in the participants’ topic of choice. The participants present the first drafts of their papers to their commissions and receive detailed feedback.
Please click to read papers published under the GRF Young Academics Program Publications.
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Who Can Join?
GRF welcomes any topic that could contribute to its meticulous and constructive manner of thinking about global issues. Hence, the Young Academics Program is open to academics from all areas of study.
All participants must be proficient in English, as the program is carried out in this language.
Mastery of one’s research area is instrumental in benefiting from the Young Academics Program to the highest extent, and to author papers that meet their desired standard. Therefore, applicants who are at least halfway through their PhD studies have a better chance of being selected. Applicants who have already completed their degrees must have done so no earlier than in 2017.
Application Details
• Application documents should be submitted to yacapplication@gif.org.tr Documents required for applying to the GRF Young Academics Program are listed below:
o CV
o A cover letter (in English and/or Turkish) that summarizes the topic on which the candidate wishes to publish a paper and describes the importance of the topic from a global perspective.
o Application form.
• Candidates whose applications are rejected are encouraged to apply to the program again next year, by submitting a new application.
• The dates of the meetings in Istanbul will be designated in line with the availability of the program’s participants.
• All participants will need to physically attend the first meeting in Istanbul. Travel and accommodation costs at this stage will be covered by GRF. For the second meeting, two options are offered. If the participants chooses to hold the second meeting in Istanbul, travel and accommodation costs are covered. If the participant prefers and online meeting instead, they will receive an honorarium upon the successful completion of the program.