2023 Electoral Integrity Project Fellowship Programme (Non-residential)

Applications are open for the 2023 EIP Fellowship Programme!

Our Fellowship programme is designed for academics and practitioners at all stages of their career to engage in electoral integrity research, with the support of the EIP, other fellows, and members of our Advisory Board. Junior Fellows are academics at the level of Master’s or PhD Student. Fellows are academic at the level of postdoctoral fellow, Assistant Professor, Lecturer, or the equivalent. Senior Fellows are academics at the level of Associate or Full Professor, Senior or Principal Lecturer, Reader, or the equivalent. Practitioner Fellows are practitioners in a field related to electoral integrity at any stage of their career. This may include fellows from government, non-governmental, civil society, or industry.

Call for Applications: 2022 Electoral Integrity Project Fellowship Programme (Non-residential)

The EIP Fellowship programme is designed for academics and practitioners at all stages of their career to engage in electoral integrity research, with the support of the EIP, other fellows, and members of our Advisory Board.

Components: Fellows will…

• Conduct an academic research project on a topic related to electoral integrity.

• Have the opportunity to apply for seed funding (normally no more than $2000) to support their research project.

• Produce a working paper and associated conference presentation for our annual workshop

• Engage in monthly seminars, where fellows will present their work to receive valuable feedback and engage in stimulating discussion.

• Be matched with a senior mentor from our International Advisory Board or established practitioner partners. Mentorship is optional for senior fellows.

Residential opportunities in Kingston or Norwich may be available on an ad hoc basis but are not anticipated for the 2022 cohort. This cohort will be virtual/online-only and will not require any travel.

Types of Fellowships:

• Junior Fellows: Academic at the level of Master’s or Doctoral Student or Candidate.

• Fellows: Academic at the level of senior PhD students (ABD), postdoctoral fellows, Assistant Professor, Lecturer, or the equivalent.

• Senior Fellows: Academics at the level of Associate or Full Professor, Senior or Principal Lecturer, Reader, or the equivalent

• Practitioner Fellows: Practitioners in a field related to electoral integrity at any stage of their career. This may include fellows from government, non-governmental, civil society, or industry.

Timelines

• October 30, 2021 - Application Deadline

• November, 2021 - Fellows notified of selection

• January, 2022 - Seminar #1 Introductions

• February, 2022 - Seminar #3 Workshopping Proposals/Front Ends, Seed Funding Applications Due

• March, 2022 - Seminar #4

• April, 2022 - Seminar #5

• May, 2022 - Seminar #6 Works-in-Progress for Feedback

• September, 2022 - Present papers at Annual Workshop – Montreal (pre-APSA) [hybrid]

Applications:

Applicants are requested to fill out an application form online (https://forms.gle/YDTKCNPrkQ6MEigLA), which includes the following information: Name & Contact Information, Type of fellowship applied for, Current CV, Brief proposal, with the following sections: Rationale/Research Question, Theory/Literature, Proposed Methodology . Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of Advisory Board Members.   

Major Canadian Research Grant Award for the Electoral Integrity Project

The Electoral Integrity Project is delighted to announce that it has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for three years as part the Partnership Development Scheme with partners the Carter Center, the International IDEA, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.

The Electoral Integrity Project (EIP) is a world-leading project that focusses on the democratic quality of elections around the globe and how they can be improved. The project is currently directed by Dr. Holly Ann Garnett and Prof. Toby S. James and is housed at the Royal Military College of Canada/Queen’s University in Canada and the University of East Anglia in the UK. It was founded by Professor Pippa Norris in 2012 at Harvard and Sydney Universities.

The grant will enable the project to undertake the collection of cross-national data on elections, develop policy solutions for improving electoral integrity and build a lasting network between scholars and practitioners.

See press release from the University of East Anglia here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/news/-/article/uea-collaborative-project-to-improve-global-electoral-integrity

Call for Applications - Postdoctoral Fellow

The Electoral Integrity Project invites applications for a postdoctoral fellow.

The Electoral Integrity Project

The Electoral Integrity Project (EIP) is a world leading project that focusses on the democratic quality of elections around the globe and how they can be improved. It produces innovative and policy-relevant research comparing elections worldwide by gathering valid, reliable, and generalizable empirical evidence (through expert indicators, mass surveys, experimental designs, and case-studies) monitoring and comparing electoral integrity across and within nations. It also builds a worldwide research community engaging scholarly and practitioner networks drawn from diverse disciplines, theoretical approaches, global regions, international organizations, and methodological techniques to advance knowledge of electoral integrity. The project is currently directed by Dr. Holly Ann Garnett and Prof. Toby S. James, and is housed at the Royal Military College of Canada/Queen’s University in Canada and the University of East Anglia in the UK.

The Position

The incumbent will oversee the collection of the Perceptions of Electoral Integrity Index and assist in organization of the EIP’s seminar series and annual workshop. They will also be expected to work on an independent research project relating to electoral integrity and complete other duties related to the EIP as required.

The position will be hosted at the Department of Political Science and Economics at the Royal Military College and the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University. Reliability security clearance will be required (will be assessed following selection of the successful candidate).

Essential Qualifications:

·       PhD completed (or near completion) in political science or related discipline

·       Knowledge and research expertise in electoral integrity

·       Demonstrated ability to generate high quality research

·       Strong quantitative skills

·       Familiarity with STATA statistical software

·       Well-organised

·       Strong attention to detail

·       Enthusiasm for collaborative work

·       Fluency in English

Desirable qualifications:

·       A second language (Spanish or French desirable)

The position will commence on September 6, 2021. Compensation will be $36 000 for 48 weeks (gross pay), with additional support available for conference travel. This position is funded by a SSHRC Partnership Development Grant. The initial appointment will be 48 weeks, with a possibility for extension pending available funds and performance.

How to apply?

We invite applicants to submit via email: a letter of interest, specifically outlining how their research agenda and interests would complement the Electoral Integrity Project, a C.V., a research sample, and contact information for two academic referees. Applications must be received by the close of business on June 11, 2021. Inquiries and applications should be directed to Dr. Holly Ann Garnett at holly-ann.garnett@rmc-cmr.ca, cc’ing Prof. Toby James at T.S.James@uea.ac.uk.

New Directorship for Electoral Integrity Project

Following 8 years under the directorship of Professor Pippa Norris, we are pleased to introduce our new director and deputy director of the Electoral Integrity Project, beginning in January 2021.

Director – Holly Ann Garnett

Holly Ann Garnett is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Royal Military College of Canada and cross-appointed faculty at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Her research interests include electoral management, election technology and cyber-security, registration and voting procedures, civic literacy, and campaign finance. Dr. Garnett was the co-convenor of the Electoral Management Network.

Deputy Director – Toby S. James

Toby S. James is a Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. He is known for his work on the delivery and management of elections, and on political leadership and the policy process. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Policy Studies. Professor James was the co-convenor of the Electoral Management Network.

Moving Forward

We intend to continue the legacy of Pippa Norris, and the EIP team from 2012-2020, including:

1)     Cross-National Perceptions of Electoral Index – Experts, please watch your emails for an invitation to fill out the survey for elections that took place in 2019-2020. We intend to have a mid-term report and new cross-national dataset available this Summer.

2)     Annual Workshop – Our annual workshop planned last year for Lisbon (July 2020) will take place this summer. Stay tuned for information as we continue planning for a virtual and in-person (hybrid) conference.

3)     Practitioner Guidance – We will provide bespoke advice to practitioners and policy makers on how to improve electoral integrity, building on existing and new partnerships.

4)     Media Commentary – We will provide media commentary on developments in electoral integrity worldwide, and begin a database of experts for public commentary on electoral issues.

We have several activities planned for the coming year, including:

1)     New Data Collection Projects – We have a number of new data collection projects relating to electoral management and voting, and registration processes cross-nationally. We look forward to sharing them with you soon.

2)     New International Advisory Board – We will be inviting new scholars to take part in the International Advisory Board in January. We look forward to including emerging scholars and practitioners in this endeavour.

3)     New Hybrid (virtual/in-person) Seminar Series - Launching next September, our new seminar series will allow for participation from around the globe through an online hybrid seminar series.

4)     New Partnerships – We are excited to be partnering with new academic institutions, and both new and existing practitioner organizations. Our offices and staff will be located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada (Royal Military College and Queen’s University) and in Norwich, UK (University of East Anglia). Please see our new contact information below.

Over the next two years we have identified three key areas of study on electoral integrity that will be our major research focus:

1)     Elections and COVID – Co-Director Toby James is PI on an ESRC-funded study with Alistair Clark and Erik Asplund from International IDEA on how the pandemic is shaping electoral integrity.

2)     Cyber-Threats to Democracy – Director Holly Ann Garnett is leading a series of research studies, funded in part by a NATO Resiliency Grant, on public trust and civic attitudes in an era of dis- and mis-information.

3)     Participation of Under-Represented Groups – Building on the edited volume ‘Building Inclusive Elections,’ we are prioritizing the further study of the participation of marginalized groups, with a specific focus this year on citizens with low literacy levels and disabilities.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Our staff and offices have moved to the Royal Military College of Canada, the University of East Anglia, and Queen’s University. Please note our new contact information:

Email: electoralintegrity@gmail.com

Website: https://www.electoralintegrityproject.com/

Mailing Address (Canada):

Electoral Integrity Project
c/o Dr. Holly Ann Garnett
Department of Political Science and Economics
Royal Military College of Canada
PO Box 17000, Station Forces
Kingston, Ontario CANADA
K7K 7B4