Ashoka Fellowship 2020: Ashoka Fellowship is primarily aimed to provide social entrepreneurs the means to realize their ideas and innovations. The scholarship came to fruition in 1981; today, there are over 350 Ashoka Fellows working in over 60 countries worldwide.
Graduate, Post Graduate Students and Research Fellows can also find more Fellowship Articles to explore various fellowships across India to know the funding opportunities.
The Ashoka Fellowship provides a living stipend for up to 3 years, enabling the Fellows to turn their ideas into reality. Granted, the selection process is not like any other typical scholarship it is far more dynamic and does not conform to any restrictions. In other words, the fellowship is accessible to all, provided that they have an idea with the potential to make a big impact.
Ashoka Fellowship Selection Process
Nominations for the fellowship may be provided by staff, volunteers, partners, and Ashoka Fellows. The official link can be found on their official website at https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/engage/recommend/fellow.
The selection process typically involves four stages:
- Phase 1: First opinion interviews are conducted where the candidate’s central idea is scrutinized. Reference checks are also performed during this phase.
- Phase 2: A second-opinion interview is undertaken by an interviewer from outside India.
- Phase 3: A national panel is formed consisting of three predominant business/ social entrepreneurs.
- Phase 4: An Executive Board review is undertaken where the second-opinion interviewer, panel and the Ashoka Venture’s Board of Directors collaborate to write the candidate’s profile. The goal is to present the primary elements of the candidature and demonstrate how each element is satisfied.
Ashoka Fellowship Selection Criteria
The Ashoka Fellowship evaluates candidates primarily on these five criteria.
- New Idea
- Impact on Society
- Creativity
- Entrepreneurial quality
- Ethical perspective
Ashoka Fellowship Eligibility Criteria
Candidates are eligible if they are the citizens of the aforementioned countries:
| Afghanistan | Kyrgyzstan | Peru | France | Sao Tome and Principe | Chile |
| Albania | Laos | Philippines | Gabon | Saudi Arabia | China |
| Algeria | Latvia | Poland | Gambia | Senegal | Colombia |
| Andorra | Lebanon | Portugal | Georgia | Serbia | Comoros |
| Angola | Lesotho | Puerto Rico | Germany | Seychelles | Congo: Democratic Republic |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Liberia | Qatar | Ghana | Sierra Leone | Congo: Republic |
| Argentina | Libya | Romania | Gibraltar | Singapore | Cook Islands |
| Armenia | Liechtenstein | Russia | Greece | Slovakia | Costa Rica |
| Australia | Lithuania | Rwanda | Grenada | Slovenia | Croatia |
| Austria | Luxembourg | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Guatemala | Solomon Islands | Cuba |
| Azerbaijan | Macau | Saint Lucia | Guinea | Somalia | Cyprus |
| Bahamas | Madagascar | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Guinea-Bissau | South Africa | Czech Republic |
| Bahrain | Malawi | Samoa | Guyana | South Sudan | United Kingdom |
| Bangladesh | Malaysia | San Marino | Haiti | Spain | United States of America |
| Barbados | Maldives | Denmark | Honduras | Sri Lanka | Uruguay |
| Belarus | Mali | Djibouti | Hong Kong | Sudan | Uzbekistan |
| Belgium | Malta | Dominica | Hungary | Suriname | Vanuatu |
| Belize | Marshall Islands | Dominican Republic | Iceland | Swaziland | Vatican City |
| Benin | Mauritania | East Timor | India | Sweden | Venezuela |
| Bermuda | Mauritius | Ecuador | Indonesia | Switzerland | Vietnam |
| Bhutan | Mexico | Egypt | Iran | Syria | Western Sahara |
| Bolivia | Micronesia | El Salvador | Iraq | Taiwan | Yemen |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Moldova | Equatorial Guinea | Ireland | Tajikistan | Zambia |
| Botswana | Monaco | Eritrea | Israel | Tanzania | Zimbabwe |
| Brazil | Mongolia | Estonia | Italy | Thailand | Palau |
| Brunei | Montenegro | Ethiopia | Ivory Coast | Togo | Palestinian Authority |
| Bulgaria | Morocco | Fiji | Jamaica | Tonga | Panama |
| Burkina Faso | Mozambique | Finland | Japan | Trinidad and Tobago | Papua New Guinea |
| Burundi | Myanmar | Tunisia | Jordan | Niger | Paraguay |
| Cambodia | Namibia | Turkey | Kazakhstan | Norway | Nigeria |
| Cameroon | Nauru | Turkmenistan | Kenya | Oman | Niue |
| Canada | Nepal | Tuvalu | Kiribati | Pakistan | North Macedonia |
| Cape Verde | Netherlands | Uganda | Korea, North | Kuwait | Korea, South |
| Central African Republic | New Zealand | Ukraine | United Arab Emirates | Nicaragua | Chad |
Ashoka Fellowship Benefits
- Stipend upto three years
- Full funding and cost recovery for participants
- Plethora of opportunities
- Increased benefits
- World class resources for research at their disposal
- Networking with the global community of peers
FAQ’s On Ashoka Fellowship 2020
Question 1.
What is the official website to access the Ashoka Fellowship application form?
Answer:
The application form can be accessed by visiting the official website https://www.ashoka.org/en/engage/recommend/fellow/form
Question 2.
When is the last date to submit the application?
Answer:
There is no such last date for submission of the Ashoka Fellowship form.
Question 3.
What are the selection criteria for the Fellowship?
Answer:
There are five primary criteria a candidate has to fulfill in order to be deemed eligible:
- New Idea
- Impact on Society
- Creativity
- Entrepreneurial quality
- Ethical perspective
Question 4.
What is Ashoka Fellowship?
Answer:
The Ashoka Fellowship, Ashoka Fellows are the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. They champion innovative new ideas that transform society’s systems, providing benefits for everyone and improving the lives of millions of people.
Question 5.
How many Ashoka fellows are there?
Answer:
Of Ashoka fellows with ventures that are more than five years old, Ashoka says that more than 80 percent have had their solution implemented by others; 59 percent have directly affected national policy and each Ashoka fellow is helping an average of 174,000 people.
Question 6.
How can you apply for Ashoka Fellowship?
Answer:
The application can be done online and by nomination.