Applications are invited for India Acumen Fellowship 2024. The last date of application is 10 November.

About the Fellowship

Practical skills meet moral imagination in this intensive year-long leadership development program designed to equip extraordinary individuals with the tools, mindset, and community to tackle poverty and injustice within their communities.

Eligibility

To ensure that we select the most suitable individuals for our program, we have established the following eligibility criteria:

  • Profession: Applicants must have a minimum of five years of full-time work experience. This experience should be in a professional capacity, preferably in roles that demonstrate leadership, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
  • Focus on Poverty: Candidates must have a demonstrated commitment to addressing poverty with at least three years of full-time work towards social-development. We define poverty as working towards the dignity and well-being of marginalized communities.
  • Leadership Roles: Individuals who have served or currently hold senior leadership roles within their organizations are encouraged to apply. This includes founders, co-founders, executives, and other decision-making positions. Leadership roles can be within for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations and within the public sector.
  • Age: Although age is not a strict requirement, we highly encourage applicants within the age range of 25-46 to apply. However, it is essential to note that all applicants must be at least 18 years old or above in order to be eligible.

Learnings

  • Learn to catalyse and embrace the gradual and meaningful process of creating change at the personal, organisational, and societal levels
  • Cultivate the ability to lead effectively when opposing but interdependent values are in tension
  • Understand how to lead diverse stakeholders through recurring and complex challenges
  • Develop the capacity to tell meaningful stories that speak across lines of difference and move others to action
  • Examine your identities, values, and choices that have shaped your journey till now and cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself and your work in a broader context
  • Explore the meaning of a just society and the moral and historical foundation of social change through text-based dialogue
  • Navigate systemic problems and design more effective interventions using moral imagination
  • Question your assumptions and beliefs about leading effective change
  • Be supported and accompanied by a cohort of like-minded peers persevering in the process of driving social change.

Application

  • Stage 1: Apply online through the application form — what are you telling us? Applications open on 20th September & closes on 10th November, 2023
  • Stage 2: Attend the Selection Conference — why is this the right time for you to be a Fellow? The Selection Conference is on Feb 2nd and 3rd, 2024
  • START: Embark on the Acumen Fellowship journey in March (Spring cohort) and June (Fall cohort)

Deadline

The applications for two cohorts of the 2024 India Fellows Programs (Spring and Fall) will open starting September 20, 2023.

We will begin the Fellowship Year in March 2024 for the Spring Cohort and in June 2024 for the Fall Cohort. We will be announcing the schedule of the program and other details by mid February.

Additional Details

  • Join a diverse cohort of social change leaders in a rigorous year-long experience
  • Improve your capacity to innovate and drive change with a mix of in-person and online seminars and workshops
  • Drive initiatives focused on fighting poverty and injustice
  • Part-time — you stay in your job
  • 3-4 hour assignments every week

FAQs

How is the Fellowship structured?

The fellowship is a mix of offline and online seminars and workshops, involving a time commitment of approximately 30 days in 7 months.
The 2024 program structure and timelines will be communicated during the Selection Conference (mid February). The Spring cohort will commence in March 2024 and the Fall cohort will commence in June 2024.

Where will the different seminars and meetings for the program be held?

The seminars are typically held in or around major cities across India. In the past, they have been held in Bengaluru, Delhi, Guwahati, Kochi, Mumbai, Madurai, Pune, and Raipur.
For 2023, individuals will be notified the exact dates of the seminars upon being selected as a Fellow before or during the Selection Conference.

Which costs does the fellowship cover?

Acumen covers all fellowship-related expenses during the fellowship year. This includes all costs associated with the in-person seminars including lodging, & food.

How many Fellows are selected each year in each region?

In 2024, the India Fellows Program will run two cohorts (Spring and Fall) and select ~40 Fellows total in the final stage (Selection Conference).

Click here to view the official notification of India Acumen Fellowship 2024.