FCO Fellowship Katja Ziegler

This call is limited to the FCO and designed to meet the distinct needs of the Diplomatic Service, which differ from many parts of the Home Civil Service. The FCO requires security vetting, the highest levels of discretion and confidentiality and agile, subject-specific advice. The FCO has an almost limitless demand for expert specialist knowledge of foreign countries, international institutions and global policy challenges.

This call will provide the opportunity for each intake of Fellows to be seconded into the FCO to work alongside, advise and influence policymakers. Fellows will bring fresh thinking, depth and breadth of expert knowledge and apply their learning to policy challenges. This is not a call to support research projects about the FCO. It will build new capacity in the FCO and across the UK research base.

Fellows will report to a line manager either from the RA Cadre or the generalist body of the FCO. Additional support and mentoring will be provided by both senior Generalists (Directors; Ambassadors; Heads of Department; Deputy Heads) and by senior Research Analysts. Work-planning, as for permanent Research Analysts, will be a mixture of demand and self-tasking based on evolving FCO needs. An indicative list of tasks include: writing papers and shorter notes, oral briefings for senior officials and ministers, meeting external and cross-Whitehall partners, research visits overseas as well as organising and running masterclasses.

The individual Fellows will acquire:
a) A deep, broad and practical understanding of foreign policy-making and Government work which will underpin their own research, research supervision and teaching over their careers;
b) Networks of trusted connections across Government and internationally on which they can draw throughout their career;
c) Opportunities for career development.

The main benefit anticipated from this call for the FCO will be more robust and better-informed foreign policy. The Fellowship scheme aims over time to create a group of highly-trained, specialised and policy-aware academics that can act as a resource on which policymakers can continue to draw long after the formal Fellowship is completed. It also aims, through the downloading of their insight into the policymaking environment, to help build wider understanding among scholars and students of how best to seek influence and impact on policy departments.