Job Description

Opportunity Description

Do you have lived or living experience of displacement and want your voice to shape global policy on sport and refugees? The Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) Think Tank, working through Columbia University’s Care and Protection of Children (CPC) Learning Network, has opened applications for the ORF Lived Experience Fellowship 2026-27. This part-time, remote fellowship funds one fellow to work alongside the ORF Think Tank on research, policy, and advocacy about the role of sport in supporting refugees and displaced people. The fellowship runs from September 2026 to August 2027 and welcomes applicants from any country, including Afghan refugees and displaced students.

Key Details

• Provided by: Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) Think Tank
• Host institution: Columbia University, Care and Protection of Children (CPC) Learning Network
• Location: Remote (part-time, worldwide)
• Admission Deadline: 19 August 2026, midnight EST
• Degree Level: Not applicable. This is a professional fellowship, not an academic degree program.
• Scholarship Number: 1 fellow (the official announcement refers to “a fellow” in the singular)
• Gender: All genders
• Type: Fellowship
• Eligible Nations: All nationalities. ORF “encourages eligible candidates from around the world to apply.”
• Eligible Degree Programs: None. This fellowship does not link to any degree program or field of study. It accepts applicants from any educational background, including those without university study.

Fellowship Benefits

• Mentorship from ORF Think Tank experts throughout the fellowship year
• Professional development opportunities in research, policy, and advocacy
• A regular stipend for the fellowship period
• A seat at the ORF Think Tank as a knowledge partner, working alongside academics, NGO leaders, and sector experts

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must have lived or living experience of displacement. This includes refugees, asylum seekers, stateless people, internally displaced people, and others affected by forced migration.
• Applicants do not need prior academic publications, formal research training, or graduate or postgraduate study.
• Applicants must show a strong interest in how sport, physical activity, or movement can support people affected by displacement or crisis.
• Applicants should demonstrate experience or potential in at least one relevant area: research, writing, storytelling, advocacy, community leadership, program delivery, youth engagement, creative practice, communications, or policy.
• Open to citizens of all countries. No nationality restriction applies.

No age limit, GPA requirement, degree equivalency note, or language test (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo) appears on the official announcement, so none is listed here.

How to Apply?

• Submit your application online through the official Qualtrics application form. Columbia University’s CPC Learning Network processes all applications on behalf of the ORF Think Tank.
• Apply before 19 August 2026, midnight EST. Late submissions will not be considered.

Apply Now

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