The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is pleased to announce the 2012 Taiwan Fellowship Program, a wonderful opportunity for scholars, research fellows, doctoral students and experts around the world to conduct their research at colleges, universities and academic institutions in Taiwan, in the field of social sciences and humanities, with a topic related to Taiwan, cross-Strait relations, mainland China, the Asia Pacific, and Sinology.

In addition to a round-trip ticket between the Fellowship recipient’s country of residence and Taiwan, he/she will also be awarded a monthly stipend during his/her research period in Taiwan. Those interested in conducting research in Taiwan from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2014, are welcome to apply for the Fellowship. The application period is from May 1 to July 15, 2012. Applicants in the New England area shall submit their application to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston after uploading their online application at the official website: http://taiwanfellowship.ncl.edu.tw

Please find more information in the “Guidelines to the 2012 Taiwan Fellowship” as attached. For further questions regarding the Fellowship, please visit the above-mentioned website or contact Rita Chen at (617) 259-1351 or email: pychen@mofa.gov.tw

Guidelines to the 2012 Taiwan Fellowship
I. To encourage experts and scholars overseas who are interested in topics related to the Republic of China (Taiwan), cross-strait relations, mainland China, the Asia Pacific, and Sinology to pursue advanced studies at Taiwan’s universities, colleges or research institutions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has issued the guidelines to the Taiwan Fellowship (hereinafter referred to as “the Fellowship”).

II. A scholar’s field of study should be in the social sciences and humanities, with a topic related to Taiwan, cross-strait relations, mainland China, the Asia Pacific, and Sinology.

III. The Fellowship recipients (herein referred to as “the recipients”) are as follows:
A. foreign nationals who are professors, associate professors, assistant professors, post-doctoral researchers, doctoral candidates, or doctoral program students at related departments of overseas universities, or are research fellows at an equivalent level in academic institutions abroad;
B. candidates recommended by ROC (Taiwan) overseas missions with a field of study on Taiwan’s foreign relations or cross-strait relations.
Those who are currently conducting research, teaching, or studying in Taiwan are ineligible.

IV. The Fellowship includes the following:
A. Ticket subsidy:
1. The recipients will be provided one direct round-trip economy-class ticket subsidized between their country of residence and Taiwan.
2. Tickets will be subsidized according to the actual purchasing price, but with a maximum subsidy for each area as follows:
a) Northeast and Southeast Asia: NT$25,000;
b) Europe and West Asia: NT$60,000;
c) North America: NT$45,000;
d) Central and South America: NT$75,000;
e) Africa: NT$90,000;
f) Oceania: NT$65,000.
3. After the recipients arrive in Taiwan, they must submit the following documents and signed receipts to apply for the subsidy:
a) Stub of their tickets or e-tickets;
b) Receipts for tickets or other paperwork proving payment was made.
B. Monthly stipends are as follows:
1. Professors, associate professors, research fellows, or associate research fellows: NT$60,000; and
2. Assistant professors, assistant research fellows, doctoral candidates, doctoral program students, and other candidates recommended by ROC (Taiwan) missions: NT$50,000.

C. Accident insurance is provided during the term of research in Taiwan (NT$1 million for accidental death: please refer to the Fellowship website for details.)

V. The total number of recipients is subject to MOFA’s annual budget.

VI. Research Period: January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014. The minimum duration of a fellowship is three months, and the maximum is one year.

VII. Application period: May 1, 2012 to July 15, 2012

VIII. Applicants should first submit their application online (http:// taiwanfellowship.ncl.edu.tw) and then submit the following documents to the ROC Embassy or Representative Office in or nearest to their country of residence for preliminary review:
A. Printed application form;
B. Resume (including a publication list);
C. Research proposal (Three pages in principle using a standard research format); and
D. Two letters of recommendation, or one letter of recommendation and one letter of consent from the chief administrator of their institute.

IX. The evaluation process is as follows:
A. The ROC Embassy or Representative Office receives the application, verifies the data, and evaluates the applicant’s academic achievement or potential;
B. The ROC Embassy or Representative Office describes the reasons for recommending a candidate as a reference for the evaluation committee;
C. An evaluation committee formed by scholars, experts and representatives from MOFA will screen the candidates for the Fellowship; MOFA will inform applicants of evaluation results via the ROC Embassies or Representative Offices in October 2012.
D. To secure the Fellowship qualification, the candidate should contact universities or academic institutions in Taiwan for a “Letter of Consent for Research.” The letter should be submitted to MOFA to complete the application process.

X. The recipients shall observe the following regulations:
A. The research proposal and research area provided in the application cannot be changed without MOFA’s approval. If the recipient changes the topic without approval, MOFA reserves the right to terminate the recipient’s Fellowship.
B. The recipients should submit their research findings in writing (at least 20 pages) to MOFA within three months after the end of the project. During their stay in Taiwan, the recipients may be invited to participate in lectures or seminars related to their research topics and hosted by MOFA as speakers or discussants.
C. During the period of the Fellowship, the recipients are not allowed to receive any scholarships granted by other governmental agencies, or public or private academic institutions and schools based in Taiwan.
D. While in Taiwan, the recipients must abide by ROC law. If a recipient is convicted of violating the Criminal Code or engages in any severe misconduct during the duration of the Fellowship, the recipient’s Fellowship shall be revoked.
E. All expenses exceeding the Fellowship amount must be covered by the recipients.
F. All related oral or written research reports made by recipients must mention or note the support of the Taiwan Fellowship Program.
G. Recipients must make their own research arrangements in Taiwan.
H. Recipients must submit their travel itinerary and information regarding the cooperating research institution(s) in Taiwan to the ROC Embassies and Representative Offices in or nearest to their country of residence, as appropriate, before departing for Taiwan.

XI. For those awarded a fellowship less than six months in duration, the ROC Embassies or Representative Offices abroad will issue a Visitor Visa. For those awarded a fellowship greater than six months in duration, the ROC Embassies or Representative Offices abroad will issue a Resident Visa. Visa fees will be waived in both cases, and “FR-Taiwan Fellowship Recipient” will be noted on the visa.