HRLA – BURSARY AWARD POLICY 2012
The 2012 Bursary Scheme is now open!
INTRODUCTION
The HRLA recognises that those without independent financial backing
can sometimes be unable to take up internships, work placements and
other either unpaid or poorly paid work in human rights law. They may
therefore miss out on these opportunities and this can lead to their
being disadvantaged when applying for jobs within the human rights
field. To assist people in this position, in 2006 the HRLA established
a bursary scheme to assist law students, either those currently
studying (either undergraduate degree, postgraduate studies or
LPC/BVC/Law Conversion Course) or those who have recently graduated, in
undertaking such work.
Each year the HRLA will provide around 5 awards from a maximum annual
bursary fund of £6,000, provided there are suitable applicants. A
single award will not normally total more than £1,000.
The bursary money is to be used to enable the successful applicants to
undertake work related to human rights law that they would otherwise be
unable to afford to do. That work need not take place in the United
Kingdom, but it must be relevant to human rights law in the United
Kingdom.
ELIGIBILITY
A
person is eligible to apply if he or she is studying for, or has
recently undertaken, a law undergraduate degree, or postgraduate
studies in law, the Law Conversion Course, BVC or LPC. “Recently” will
be determined on a case by case basis at the discretion of the HRLA,
but it is expected that only those who are yet to have secured full
time paid employment in the UK, or yet to begin practice in the UK,
will be eligible.
The applicant must demonstrate that he or she
is committed to finding employment in law, or practising as a lawyer,
in the UK in the human rights field in the future.
Purpose of award
The successful applicant will be granted an award to enable him or her
to undertake either unfunded or low paid short-term work that is
related, in some way, to UK human rights law. This
award scheme is designed to assist people who, otherwise, would be
unable to undertake work/an internship because they would lack the
financial means.
‘Relevant to human rights law in the United Kingdom’
The work/internship does not need to take place within the United
Kingdom. What is required is that as a result of carrying out the
placement, internship or contract (wherever in the world it is carried
out); the applicant can establish (in the application form) a link to
promoting and protecting human rights law within the United Kingdom.
For example, an applicant might seek funding to assist him or her to
undertake an internship at the International Commission of Jurists
(ICJ) in Geneva. The applicant will have to identify why such an
internship will be relevant to human rights law in the United Kingdom.
During the bursary process, prospective applicants often ask “whether x
or y placement would be considered to be relevant to human rights law
in the United Kingdom.” There are no set rules as to which placements
qualify and which do not – it is for the applicant to demonstrate the
relevance as they see it and you will see from reports from previous
bursary awardees that we have funded individuals to undertake a
placement abroad.
Evidence of placement/internship
Applicants must provide evidence that they have been given a firm offer
of work/an internship and that, subject to funding, they are in a
position to take up the offer. If by the deadline the applicant has not
yet received confirmation of an offer, he or she needs to show that he
or she has applied for a position and then, if successful, the money
will only be released when the applicant has provided evidence of a
confirmed offer.
Publicity
With their consent, we will publish the names and placements of
successful applicants on the HRLA website and may seek to publish this
information in other relevant publications – for example, Counsel or
the Law Gazette.
Report requirement
On conclusion of the placement, internship or contract the successful
applicant will be required to write a short report (1,000 to 2000
words) summarising the work he or she has done. This report must be
provided to the HRLA within 6 weeks of the completion of the placement,
and may (with the permission of the bursary recipient) be published on
the HRLA website.
Validity of award
Awards are only valid for 12 months from the date on which they are
offered. No awards will be made retrospectively for
internships/placements/contracts which have already been completed.
CRITERIA
The following criteria will be applied when considering each application (in no particular order):
- Relevance and value of internship/placement/contract to be undertaken to human rights law in the United Kingdom;
- Ability of applicant to demonstrate commitment to human rights work in the United Kingdom;
- Suitability of applicant to the internship/placement/contract intended to be undertaken – with regard to background and experience;
- Benefit to applicant’s development as a lawyer and their future United Kingdom based career in human rights by undertaking internship/placement/contract;
- Reasons why the applicant needs the bursary, given that the aim of the scheme is to assist people who, otherwise, would be unable to undertake work/an internship because of their financial situation.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Every applicant must complete an application form; the deadline for receipt of the application form will be midnight on Sunday 6th May 2012 . Successful applicants will be informed by 15th June 2012 with the awards being made soon after.
Application forms can be obtained here
For further information please see the HRLA Awards Policy
Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
The application form must be completed fully. It must contain the names of two referees (including email address and telephone number), and must include (by way of an annex/additional item if necessary) evidence of an offer of a placement/internship/contract (or evidence that an application has been made and the decision is pending), and information about the placement/internship/contract the applicant proposes to undertake. The applicant must also state how much funding they are applying for and why they are applying for that amount.
Applications are by way of application form and proof of internship document only. No other supporting materials will be accepted with the application, this includes CVs which will not be considered and will be discarded. The decision as to who receives a bursary will only be made on documents provided, there will be no interviews.
In each annual Bursary round, an individual can only make one application to the scheme relating to one specified placement/internship/contract. Any individual who was unsuccessful in any of the previous bursary round is entitled to re-apply to the scheme. Previous bursary recipients are not entitled to apply for a further bursary in a subsequent year(s).
Communication with applicants will be by email, unless applicants state a preference/need for another method of communication on their application form. Applicants are advised to check their emails regularly after the closing date of the scheme, for updates on their application.
DECISION MAKING
The decision as to which applicants will be awarded a bursary will be made in accordance with the published criteria of the HRLA bursary scheme. In assessing the applications the HRLA will strive to abide by equal opportunities principles.
AMOUNTS AND NUMBER OF AWARDS
Each year the HRLA will provide around 5 awards from a maximum annual
bursary fund of £6,000, provided there are suitable applicants. A
single award will normally not total more than £1,000.
CONDITIONS OF AWARD
The money will be paid direct to the successful applicants, who will be asked to provide evidence of a firm offer of a placement/internship/contract before the money is released. A written report must be provided to the HRLA at the end of the placement, internship or contract summarising the work they have done. This report must be provided to the HRLA within 6 weeks of the completion of the placement.
For further information see the HRLA Awards Policy
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