Field Work

Field Work programme is run and funded entirely by the University of Bologna and is the result of a collaboration agreement signed by the University with the Network of NGOs of Emilia-Romagna (COONGER).

What is it, who can apply and what use is it to you?

Field Work is a mobility programme offering the opportunity to spend a mobility period in a Global South country to carry out “field work” activities at NGOs or other actors active in development cooperation.

Students enrolled at the University of Bologna for the academic year of reference in a second-cycle degree (laurea magistrale), or in at least the fourth year of a single-cycle degree programme (laurea magistrale a ciclo unico), or in at least the third year of a first-cycle degree giving access to healthcare professions (corso di laurea abilitante alle professioni sanitarie) can apply. Activities carried out within a Field Work mobility may be recognised as research for dissertation preparation or curricular internship, depending on your study plan and a learning agreement subject to approval by your Degree programme.

What types of mobility does Field Work offer to me?

Field Work offers two types of mobility places:

• the so-called pre-defined positions: these are learning experiences already defined by the Call and offered in collaboration with the NGOs members of the Network of NGOs of Emilia-Romagna (COONGER). Places offered under the pre-defined positions change every year and you can know about their details once the Call is published. You will find the following information in the Info Sheets enclosed to the Call: host organisation, country of destination, type of activity, duration, period, eligible Departments, working language and language skills required by the host organisation.
• and undefined positions: these are learning experiences proposed by the student according to the requirements of the Call. The student independently identifies an NGO or actor active in the field of development cooperation and, together with the host organisation, designs the learning experience agreeing on the country of destination, type of activity, duration, period and working language. The undefined positions are open to all Departments. Those interested in applying for an undefined position are advised to start looking for a host organisation of interest before the opening of the Call. Find here some tips to find a host organization [.pdf 166 KB].

Students can apply for only one Field Work position.

What kind of host organizations and which countries of destination can I propose for an undefined position?

Eligible host organisations for undefined positions are: NGOs, associations or other entities/bodies/organisations (public or private; Italian, from the country of destination, European or international) active in international development cooperation or local development in the eligible countries of destination and operating in those countries. Host organisations must include international development cooperation or local development as a main purpose in their statutes and the statutes are required at the application stage.

Eligible countries of destination are those identified by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in the Official Development Assistance countries category. The complete list, known as DAC List, is available at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) web site.

Countries included in the DAC list may be countries or areas characterised by possible situations of instability and unsafeness. Mobility proposals to countries characterised by instability and unsafeness should be avoided. During the assessment of eligible applications, the Committee may decide to exclude applications to these countries or areas due to lack of security and the safety risk they pose to students. The Committee may also decide to exclude applications whose research topic/activity and related implementation tasks are deemed to put the student’s safety and security at risk.

Can I be granted financial support?

Yes, Field Work Call always provides for a financial contribution intended as an economic support to partially cover the higher expenses incurred abroad.

The contribution is provided by the University of Bologna, financed by funds provided by the MUR (Ministry of University and Research). The contribution will be calculated on an ISEE (Equivalent Financial Situation Indicator) basis. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for the ISEE certificate well in advance. In order to obtain an ISEE certificate, students may turn to either INPS (Italian National Pension Institute), or a tax assistance centre (CAF) or the Municipality offices and they must expressly request the ISEE calculation for services for the right to higher education. For more information read the ISEE Guideline.

For international students who have income and assets only abroad and cannot apply for ISEE, detailed information on how to submit documentation to calculate their financial status can be found on the ISEE and other certifications useful for tuition fee exemptions page.

Those who do not submit ISEE will still be able to participate in the call, in this case selected students will automatically be placed in the highest ISEE bracket, thus receiving the lowest monthly payment.

Shall I be fluent in a specific language?

All students must have, at the time of application, adequate language skills in the working language required by the host organisation to carry out the activities. No certification nor language test are required for participation in the Call for applications. The host organisation will verify and assess the adequate language skills of the candidate during the interview (pre-defined positions) or during the negogation phase (undefined positions).

How and when to apply for a Field Work mobility?

Applications must be submitted via the Alma-RM application, which can be accessed from Students Online after the publication of the Call for Applications. Every year the Call is published in the first half of October and interested students will have approximately one month from the publication of the call to submit their application.

The application consists of an online form and a series of documents to be attached. Some of these documents require a signature from your degree programme (as indicated in the Call for Applications) and/or from the host institution (for undefined positions).

To successfully apply for the Field Work call, it is essential to carefully read the call and all its annexes. It is also suggested that you attend the virtual information meetings that will be held during the month of October.

Pending the publication of the 2024/2025 Call for applications, in order to get to know the Field Work mobility programme, we suggest you to consult the 2023/2024 Call for applications.

For any questions, write to arin.coopsvil@unibo.it