The CAS Sofia Advanced Academia Platform offers a number of different fellowship schemes for postdoctoral researchers from the social sciences and the humanities for the 2026/2027 academic year. Full details can be found further below.

GERDA HENKEL FELLOWSHIP

The five-month in-residence fellowships for fundamental historical research in the social sciences and the humanities support PhD holders from the following countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China (only Tibet and Xinjiang Autonomous Regions), Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

SUSTAINING UKRAINIAN SCHOLARSHIP

The SUS programme, coordinated jointly by the Centre for Advanced Study Sofia and New Europe College Bucharest, provides both in-residence and remote fellowships to postdoctoral Ukrainian scholars for five to ten months.

SOCIAL RELEVANCE OF THE HUMANITIES

Up to ten months in-residence research fellowship for international scholars – senior and junior. The programme is guided by the belief that there is a considerable added value for humanities scholars across the academe, whatever their field, to be encouraged to rethink their topics in terms of their broader contemporary relevance (be it political, ethical, religious or academic), yet necessarily of significance for the world we are living in.

ADVANCED ACADEMIA SCHOLARSHIPS FOR YOUNG SCHOLARS

Advanced Academia Fellowships for young Bulgarian Scholars from the fields of the social sciences and the humanities. Annually CAS Sofia grants five nine-month scholarships (including up to one month in a foreign institution) to promising Bulgarian post-doctoral researchers who are striving to advance in their academic career.

RE-LINK FELLOWSHIPS FOR THE BULGARIAN DIASPORA

The Centre for Advanced Study Sofia provides two three-month RE-LINK Fellowships in the field of the humanities and social sciences for Bulgarian scholars residing abroad.

PFORZHEIMER FELLOWSHIPS FOR SENIOR BULGARIAN FELLOWS

As part of the Advanced Academia Fellowship Platform, this call provides the opportunity for Senior Bulgarian scholars from the social sciences and humanities to apply for a five-month research fellowship at CAS for 2025/2026.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: RESIDENT GROUPS AT ZIF

Deadline for Application: 26 March 2026 (midnight CET)

The Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) is Bielefeld University’s Institute for Advanced Study. It offers opportunities—with respect to time, space, and funding—for outstanding interdisciplinary research. ZiF is open to scholarly applicants from all disciplines post-PhD, based at a university/research institute in Germany or abroad. Applicants may propose a research project to be conducted with a curated group of (preferably) international colleagues.

In support of the work of groups on-site in Bielefeld, ZiF allocates financial resources and pro- vides infrastructure as well as organisational assistance. If an application is successful, ZiF then hosts these groups on its campus, offering ideal working conditions.

Resident Groups may conduct research projects, which require intensive collaboration over an extended period, during a joint stay at ZiF.

Please note: Research projects funded by ZiF are primarily dedicated to theoretical reflection and aim at generating new insights in the disciplines involved, very much in the sense of basic research. ZiF cannot support projects that require essential fieldwork, nor can it provide laboratory facilities.

WHAT ZIF OFFERS

• Duration: one stay at ZiF; lasting a minimum of four to a maximum of six months
• Funding Amount: up to EUR 400,000 to cover costs for travel, accommodation, workshops and/ or conferences (to be held at ZiF), and personnel expenses (e.g. buy-outs)
• Timing: Projects can commence approximately 18 months past the deadline. Dates for the stay at ZiF will be finalized once a grant was made, depending on availability.

Group Requirements

• Size: The minimum number of participants required for a group is three.
• Composition: Different disciplines must be involved; international participation is encouraged. Decisions to not include international fellows must be well justified.
• We expect convenors and the majority of a group to be present at ZiF for their collaboration phase. Additional remote participants may be involved, but must not form the majority.
• The need for interdisciplinary collaboration must originate from the research at hand and must be explained in the proposal. The mere involvement of different disciplines does not suffice.
• The stage of preparation of the proposed project should clearly show its feasibility within the timeframe suggested.
• A gender balance appropriate to the disciplines involved is expected.

Important Selection Criteria

• Interdisciplinarity
• Academic quality
• Originality on an international level
   

Selection Process and Timing

Proposals will be selected competitively. Complete submissions will be reviewed externally. Upon positive assessment, applicants will be invited to an interview by ZiF’s Academic Advisory Board approximately 6 to 8 months past the deadline. The final decisions will be made by the Board of Directors shortly thereafter.

ANSWERS TO BUDGET-SPECIFIC AND GENERAL QUESTIONS CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN OUR FAQ.

Please contact us with any questions; we are happy to assist!
Dr. Daniela Noll-Opitz 
Dr. Nadine Sutmöller
Email: zif-proposalsupport uni-bielefeld [dot] de (zif-proposalsupport[at]uni-bielefeld[dot]de)
 

Please address your application to:
Executive Directors 
Prof. Dr. Marie I. Kaiser
Prof. Dr. Eleonora Rohland
 

Upload your application IN ONE PDF FILE (including CVs) here.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: LONG-TERM GROUPS AT ZIF

Deadline for Application: 26 March 2026 (midnight CET)

The Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) is Bielefeld University’s Institute for Advanced Study. It offers opportunities—with respect to time, space, and funding—for outstanding interdisciplinary research. ZiF is open to scholarly applicants from all disciplines post-PhD, based at a university/research institute in Germany or abroad. Applicants may propose a research project to be conducted with a curated group of (preferably) international colleagues. In support of the work of groups on-site in Bielefeld, ZiF allocates financial resources and provides infrastructure as well as organisational assistance. If an application is successful, ZiF then hosts these groups on its campus, offering ideal working conditions.

Long-Term Groups offer great organisational freedom and flexibility to meet the needs of various types of long-term projects in several stays; the set-up of the group work is based on the needs of the individual project idea. An overarching project design and coherent approach to planning the group are essential for a successful application.

A Long-Term Group must not consist of a series of individual events. Questions or topics should be addressed in a series of coherent, interrelated meetings. A substantial share of the members of a Long-Term Group should participate in all events; varying experts can be invited if required for the discussion.

Please note: Research projects funded by ZiF are primarily dedicated to theoretical reflection and aim at generating new insights in the disciplines involved, very much in the sense of basic research. ZiF cannot support projects that require essential fieldwork, nor can it provide laboratory facilities.

WHAT ZIF OFFERS

• Duration: several visits to ZiF over a period of up to three years; these recurring visits may add up to a total of ten months
• Funding Amount: up to EUR 200,000 to cover costs for travel, accommodation, workshops and/ or conferences (to be held at ZiF); personnel expenses (e.g. buy-outs) cannot be covered
• Timing: Projects can commence approximately 18 months past the deadline. Dates for visits to ZiF will be finalized once a grant was made, depending on availability.

Group Requirements

• Size: The minimum number of participants required for a group is three.
• Composition: Different disciplines must be involved; international participation is encouraged. Decisions to not include international fellows must be well justified.
• We expect convenors and the majority of a group to be present at ZiF for their collaboration
• phases. Additional remote participants may be involved.
• The need for interdisciplinary collaboration must originate from the research at hand and must be explained in the proposal. The mere involvement of different disciplines does not suffice to meet this criterion.
• The stage of preparation of the proposed project should clearly show its feasibility within the timeframe suggested.
• A gender balance appropriate to the disciplines involved is expected.

Important Selection Criteria

• Interdisciplinarity
• Academic quality
• Originality on an international level

Selection Process and Timing

Proposals will be selected competitively. Complete submissions will be reviewed externally. Upon positive assessment, applicants will be invited to an interview by ZiF’s Academic Advisory Board approximately 6 to 8 months past the deadline. The final decisions will be made shortly thereafter.

CHECKLIST FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications must be submitted by a team of two to four persons who also act as convenors of the group they propose. All convenors must have completed a doctorate and must be affiliated with a research institute/university. One of them acts as the main contact person. 

ANSWERS TO BUDGET-SPECIFIC AND GENERAL QUESTIONS CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN OUR FAQ.

Please contact us with any questions; we are happy to assist!
Dr. Daniela Noll-Opitz  
Dr. Nadine Sutmöller
Email: zif-proposalsupport uni-bielefeld [dot] de (zif-proposalsupport[at]uni-bielefeld[dot]de)

Please address your application to:
Executive Directors 
Prof. Dr. Marie I. Kaiser
Prof. Dr. Eleonora Rohland
Upload your application IN ONE PDF FILE (including CVs) here.

Find all our funding formats here.

The Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) is Bielefeld University’s Institute for Advanced Study. It offers opportunities—with respect to time, space, and funding—for outstanding interdisciplinary reearch. ZiF is open to scholarly applicants from all disciplines post-PhD, based at a university/research institute in Germany or abroad. Applicants may propose a research project to be conucted with a curated group of (preferably) international colleagues. In support of the work of groups on-site in Bielefeld, ZiF allocates financial resources and pro- vides infrastructure as well as organisational assistance. If an application is successful, ZiF then hosts these groups on its campus, offering ideal working conditions.

 Visiting Groups can, for example, explore new research topics and partnerships, finalise inter-disciplinary publications or conduct small research projects during their stay at ZiF. ZiF cannot support projects that require essential fieldwork, nor can it provide laboratory facilities.

WHAT ZIF OFFERS

• Duration: one stay at ZiF; lasting a minimum of one to a maximum of three months
• Funding Amount: up to EUR 50,000 to cover the costs for travel and accommodation, workshops and/or conferences on-site; please note: personnel expenses (buy-outs) cannot be covered, but an allowance of EUR 50 per day will be paid as a compensation for any additional costs
• Timing: Projects can commence approximately 12 months after the deadline. Dates for a stay at ZiF will be finalized once a grant was made, depending on availability.

Group Requirements

• Size: The minimum number of participants required for a group is three.
• Composition: Different disciplines must be involved; international participation is strongly encouraged. Decisions to not include international fellows must be well justified.
• We expect convenors and the majority of a group to be present at ZiF for their collaboration phase. Additional remote participants may be involved.
• The necessity for interdisciplinary collaboration must originate from the research at hand and must be explained in the proposal. The mere involvement of different disciplines does not suffice to meet this criterion.
• The stage of preparation of the proposed project should clearly show its feasibility within the timeframe suggested.
• A gender balance appropriate to the disciplines involved is expected.

Important Selection Criteria

• Interdisciplinarity
• Academic quality
• Originality on an international level

Selection Process and Timing

Proposals will be selected competitively. Complete submissions will be reviewed externally. Decisions will be made approximately 6 months after the deadline.

CHECKLIST FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications must be submitted by a team of two to four persons who also act as convenors of the group they propose. All convenors must have completed a doctorate and must be affiliated with a research institute/university. One of them acts as the main contact person. 

ANSWERS TO BUDGET-SPECIFIC AND GENERAL QUESTIONS CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN OUR FAQ.

Please contact us with any questions; we are happy to assist!
Dr. Daniela Noll-Opitz  
Dr. Nadine Sutmöller
Email: zif-proposalsupport uni-bielefeld [dot] de (zif-proposalsupport[at]uni-bielefeld[dot]de)

Please address your application to:
Executive Directors 
Prof. Dr. Marie I. Kaiser
Prof. Dr. Eleonora Rohland

Upload your application IN ONE PDF FILE (including CVs) here.

Find all our funding formats here.

New Europe College (NEC), an Institute for Advanced Study in Bucharest (Romania), launches the annual competition for the 2026-2027 Fellowships. Romanian and international postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences (all areas, including law and economics) are invited to apply. Around 25 fellowships are available across eight programmes.

What we offer

•  a monthly allowance of €1,000 (tax free) & accommodation in Bucharest (living quarters and working space)
• reimbursement of travel costs from the home/residence country to Bucharest and back
• free access to NEC’s library and electronic resources
• a lump sum for a research trip to, or conference attendance at, an institution of the Fellow’s choice

What we expect

• Fellows will work on their projects and take part in the scholarly events organised by NEC
• Fellows will attend the weekly seminars discussing progress in their work (compulsory)
• Fellows will hand in a final research paper on the project carried out during their Fellowship

Eligibility

NEC Fellowships are open to postdoctoral-level scholars, both Romanian and international, in all areas of the humanities and social sciences.

Duration

• for Romanian citizens: a full academic year (10 months, starting in October 2026)
• for foreign citizens: a full academic year or one term (5 months, starting in October 2026 or March 2027)

How to apply:

Applications (in English, French or German) will be submitted online only, using the form available at applications.nec.ro. Please refer to the guidelines below to make sure you have all the documents needed to fill in the form. Also, be advised that English is the preferred working language during most NEC events.

If you have any questions, please send an email to: applications nec [dot] ro (applications[at]nec[dot]ro)

GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS

Applications must be submitted online by filling in the Application Form.

Candidates need to upload the following documents onto the application platform:

• a recent photo
• a scan of their PhD diploma

Candidates need to answer all the questions in the application form without exceeding the space allotted. The project description must not exceed 12,000 characters (with spaces), including bibliographical references, and it should mention the current stage of the research project that the candidate is submitting in her/his particular area of interest, as well as its objectives.

Optionally, candidates can also upload their CV and/or one or two letters of reference, neither of which is mandatory. If the candidates do decide to include references, the following requirements have to be fulfilled:

•  letters of reference (in English, French or German) have to be written expressly to support the application for the NEC Fellowship. Once the candidate has submitted the application, the referees receive an automatic message with the link and the deadline for uploading their reference. We strongly recommend that candidates announce the referees in advance that the letters of reference are to be submitted by 25 JANUARY 2026.

 Selection Criteria

•  high quality of the candidate’s academic track record, publications and participation in international research
• innovative research proposal with significant contribution to scholarship
• interdisciplinary and/or comparative approaches are an advantage

NEC Fellowships (since 1994)
This is NEC’s core Fellowship Programme addressing scholars who work on projects in all areas of the humanities and social sciences. The programme originally targeted only Romanian scholars, and it was in place as such for a number of years, along with other fellowship programmes which enabled NEC to include scholars from neighbouring countries. Following several Board decisions, NEC subsequently went beyond that local and regional framework, and addressed the world at large, without diminishing its support for young Romanian scholars. Thus, starting from 2008 NEC’s core programme has been split into two distinct, though closely interrelated, ones: NEC International Fellowships, supported financially by NEC’s institutional sponsors and open to young scholars irrespective of their country of origin, and the Ştefan Odobleja Fellowships, targeting specifically Romanian researchers, with financial support from UEFISCDI (The Romanian Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation).

NEC Award Fellowships (since 2016)
These fellowships are meant to complement and enlarge NEC’s core fellowship programme. They are supported by UEFISCDI and are correlative to NEC hosting ERC Grants conducive to the UEFISCDI Prize for Excellence in Research.

Ameropa Fellowships (since 2020)
Organised with financial support from Ameropa and its subsidiaries in Romania, and with academic support from the Centre for Governance and Culture at the University of St. Gallen, this programme aims to investigate the conditions and prerequisites for democratic stability and economic prosperity in Romania and the neighbouring region. The Ameropa Fellowship Programme is open to early-career Romanian researchers in political science, economics, anthropology or sociology. Their projects should focus on aspects related to the challenges posed to democratic consolidation, economic development and the strengthening of civil society in Romania and the region.

Sustaining Ukrainian Scholarship Fellowships (since 2023)
The Sustaining Ukrainian Scholarship (SUS) Fellowship Programme, proposed jointly by NEC Bucharest and the Centre for Advanced Study (CAS) Sofia, aims to support scholars from the regions affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine. The programme targets qualified postdoctoral-level researchers in the humanities and social sciences, including law and economics, who intend to pursue a project of their own choice. The selected applicants will have the opportunity to spend an extended period (one or two semesters) as resident fellows in either Bucharest or Sofia, where they will enjoy all the benefits associated with a fellowship. By agreement, financial support can also be granted to researchers who are not in residence for the full period and who want or need to continue their work in their country of residence. Seed funding to support the fellows’ scholarly activities is also available, e.g. for the organisation of small events, for projects in collaboration with partners in the host country or at home, or for the provision, development or reconstruction of research infrastructure, especially in the digital arena. Overall, NEC and CAS hope to contribute through this programme to the sustainability and reinvigoration of scholarly life and work in Ukraine and beyond. Through this fellowship programme, NEC contributes to the initiative promoted by the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin and supported by the VolkswagenStiftung, aiming to set up an Institute for Advanced Study (VUIAS), for the time being virtual, in Kyiv.

Mattei Dogan Fellowships (since 2023)
These Fellowships, organised with academic and financial support from Fondation «Mattei Dogan» (Paris), target early-career scholars who received their PhD degree no earlier than five years ago and are natives of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) or in Black Sea countries (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Belarus, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan). The scholars should be attached to an academic institution in those countries at the time of the application, and they should propose original approaches to comparative social science research. The programme is open to all academic disciplines in the social sciences. The selected postdoctoral researchers will have the opportunity to work on projects of their choice for one or two semesters, as resident Fellows in Bucharest.

Gerda Henkel Fellowships (since 2017)
Developed with support from the “Gerda Henkel” Stiftung (Germany), this programme is open to postdoctoral researchers and academics from ex-Soviet countries (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan), as well as from Afghanistan and China (only Tibet and the Xinjiang Autonomous Region), who work in the humanities and social sciences (in particular history, art history, history of law, history of science, historical Islamic studies, archaeology, prehistory and early history).  The fellowships include one- or two-term residencies at NEC, allowing fellows to work on projects of their choice.

Trust Fellowships (since 2025)
The Trust Fellowship Programme, developed with financial support from the Porticus Foundation, aims to examine the factors that contribute to the erosion of trust in science in the digital age. Open to both Romanian and international scholars in the humanities and social sciences, the programme invites research into the cultural, historical, ethical and symbolic dimensions of digital misinformation. Selected fellows will investigate, within their respective fields, the ways in which science is distorted, manipulated or instrumentalised in digital environments. They will analyse the mechanisms of misinformation, identify the key actors that endorse it, and situate these practices within broader ideological, political and economic agendas. The criteria for selection and participation in this Programme are aligned with those of the other NEC fellowship programmes.

Academic freedom is under pressure today. This requires rescue havens of free research. The Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), the Tübingen College of Fellows (CoF), and the Zukunftskolleg Konstanz (ZuKo) invite early career researchers, whose work is restricted due to political pressure in the USA, to apply for the Baden-Württemberg Early Career Rescue Fellowships 2026-2028 (Ref. No. 2025/229).

Funded by the State of Baden-Württemberg, we are offering:

The fellowships are available to researchers from all over the world and from any discipline represented at one of the three universities with a minimum of one year and a maximum of seven years of post-doctoral experience, who cannot conduct or continue their work in the USA appropriately because of actual political pressure. The aim is to provide time and space for their noexcellent research and open up international prospects for their future career. The programme offers a two-year research position at one of the three universities, preferred by the applicant, and local disciplinary cooperation, as well as support, resources, networks and exchange within the respective Institute for Advanced Studies with its international and interdisciplinary community of fellows.

For application please consult the Programme and Application Manual and then apply on the Application Form.

Deadline: 9 January 2026, 11 AM (CET)!

For further questions please contact one of the participating Institutes for Advanced Studies:

Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz: Mihaela Mihaylova, zuko-application uni-konstanz [dot] de (zuko-application[at]uni-konstanz[dot]de)
FRIAS, University of Freiburg: Annette Doll, zuko-application uni-konstanz [dot] de (fellowships[at]frias[dot]uni-freiburg[dot]de)
Tübinger College of Fellows, University of Tübingen: Niels Weidtmann, info cof [dot] uni-tuebingen [dot] de (info[at]cof[dot]uni-tuebingen[dot]de)

YOU are a researcher at the University of Konstanz, with a non-tenured or a tenure-track position.

YOU are interested in bursting open new boundaries, think beyond and across disciplines.

YOU want to investigate an exciting question in collaboration with colleagues across the world.

YOU want to create a

Zukunftskolleg Exchange Network: interdisciplinary Talent (ZENiT)

!! If so – do apply!!

WE offer financial support for up to 3 research groups:

• of up to 5 people in total to meet in Konstanz for
• up to 3 times on short research stays,
• up to 3 years.

These stays could be symposia, group discussions, writing retreats, preparations for experiments, coordination of group activities – it is up to you. We cover the costs for the meetings, and research costs for the group in the range of € 10.000 to € 100.000 over the three years (within DFG funding rules).

You will be a ZUKUNFTSKOLLEG RESEARCH FELLOW with all its benefits:

• An interdisciplinary community with a weekly Jour fixe during teaching term
• An international, interdisciplinary network and visibility
• € 3.000/year research funds and the possibility for additional funding upon application, based on yearly decision by the Zukunftskolleg’s Executive Committee

Researchers at an early career stage have to focus on a single research question in order to become the best in their fields, gain visibility and create a successful career. At the same time, this is a career stage in which new questions, often across disciplinary boundaries, become particularly interesting: creating tomorrows ideas! These projects are best pursued as groups, with the best colleagues from across the world, and need preparation – but often the structures within our universities are not ideal for creating such groups.

The Zukunftskolleg ZENiT Research Group allows the creation of a group, which would meet in Konstanz over the course of three years, to develop such ideas: maybe write a joint book, or a grant application; develop a new research idea; found a new society, or establish a specialized meeting series; invent a new discipline at the interface of related ones; create a new show or exhibition, or follow the dream project on the sidelines of your current focus: think big, think long-term, think creative.together!

All applications should be submitted via the Online Application Platform and contain the following supporting materials:

1. Letter of motivation (1 page max., the length is an eligibility criterion*)
2. Research proposal (5 pages max., including references, the length is an eligibility criterion*). The proposal should include the long-term goal! Where are we, what do we expect to know in 3 years, that we do not know now? Do you foresee a sequel for the group?
3. Curriculum vitae of the applicant (3 pages max., the length is eligibility criterion*)
4. Curriculum vitae of the partners (3 pages max./each, the length is eligibility criterion*)
5. Letters of consents of the partners.
6. Excel table with the yearly budget

* If the length of 1, 2, 3 and 4 exceeds the max. allowed number of pages, your application will be ineligible and will not be considered further.

• You generally hold a PhD, you have a (postdoc) position at the University of Konstanz, you do not (yet) have tenure.
• Your position should ideally be available to you for the whole project time. If that is not the case, propose a scenario for how you will follow the project after your working contract termination!
• Any department is eligible.

Your partners should have complementary expertise to your own, in order to create synergistic effects. They should be active academics and/or artists or they might come from other fields in any place in the world. They should ideally hold a PhD (or equivalent grade if in an artistic discipline), and may well have tenure or be emeriti. Interdisciplinarity and diversity is encouraged.

The group needs to be international, but more than one member per institution (including Konstanz) is permissible.

The Zukunftskolleg ZENiT Research Group comes with two packages:

(1) the group is funded according to the submitted cost plan (with – if necessary – the amendments requested by the Recruitment Committee), with up to €100.000 to be spent within the three years of the project duration. This money is intended for the meetings, and for necessary research to be conducted during the time between meetings. Just as an example, a prolonged research stay of yours at another university or in an archive, a major equipment item, the extension of a PhD salary.

(2) You will be a Zukunftskolleg Research Fellow, with the following benefits:

• An interdisciplinary community with a weekly Jour fixe during teaching term
• Research funds upon application, decided by the Zukunftskolleg’s Executive Committee
• An international, interdisciplinary network and visibility
• € 3.000/year research funds, upon decision by the Executive Committee.

1. Eligibility, as stated above.
2. The academic originality and quality of the research proposal
3. The feasibility of the research plan
4. The accuracy of the proposed budget
5. The appropriateness of the research group members
6. Diversity of network members
7. Congruency to the 5i strategy of the Zukunftskolleg
8. Considerations for sustainability within a finite planet

As funding challenges continue to impact the humanities and social sciences, CAS is taking proactive steps to support researchers in these disciplines. In partnership with Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ), CAS is pleased to offer the Nordic Fellowship Program, a unique program designed to foster academic collaboration and mobility across the border between Sweden and Norway. The program has two available slots for the academic year of 2026/2027.

Through this initiative, researchers from Swedish research institutions within the humanities and social sciences have an exceptional opportunity to apply for research stay for a semester at CAS.

RJ fellows receive a fully paid sabbatical, with all administrative arrangements managed by CAS. The fellowship covers accommodation in Oslo and travel to and from the researcher’s home institution in Sweden and provides the fellow with the same exceptional academic environment, support, and resources as all CAS fellows. 

The RJ fellowship gives the selected fellow the opportunity to concentrate on their own research interests while also being an active member of the research community at CAS. Freed from the obligations of academic life, the fellow will conduct the project of their choice in an interdisciplinary environment.

To qualify, the applicant must have completed a PhD and have a tenured academic position in the humanities and/or social sciences at a Swedish research institution. The RJ fellow must have a research experience of a minimum of 4 years after completion of the PhD and relocate to CAS in Oslo for the research period.

The selection is based on scientific quality, the applicant’s merits, the project’s alignment with CAS’ mission as well as the match with the CRG projects and cohort of fellows of the 2026/2027 academic year.

A generous service platform and a unique research infrastructure

CAS provides a unique research infrastructure, an extensive service platform and an inspiring, collegial atmosphere. This includes:

• Office space in a well-equipped office.
• Well-equipped seminar rooms with video conferencing equipment.
• IT and library services.
• Subsidised lunch in the Centre’s Turret room.
• Pleasant accommodation within walking distance of the Centre.

Successful applicants will submit a proposal that clearly formulates:

• the specific visions and research goals of the project.
• the project's potential as a contribution to excellent basic research.
• the added value of joining the CAS community

The project description should count no more than four pages (excluding the list of references) and should begin with a section of approximately 400 words addressed to readers outside your specific field of research. The remaining pages should be directed towards specialists in your field. List of references is limited to one page. The project description must:

• Clearly state the hypotheses and/or research question(s) the project seeks to explore
• Describe the purpose and objectives of the project, and how it aligns with CAS’s mission
• Outline the theoretical framework and methodology
• Provide an overview of the most significant work within the research area and explain how the proposed project will contribute to the research front.
• Detail the expected outcomes to be achieved during the grant period and as a result of the funding.
• Provide a research plan that shows how the research at CAS will be conducted and organised to achieve the objectives of the project.
• Indicate the preferred semester (15 August – 15 December, 15 January – 15 June)

Additional documents to be included in the application:

• A CV which includes a publication list. No more than four pages in total. Download template here >
• A brief ethical self-assessment (no more than half a page) certifying that you are familiar with the relevant ethical guidelines. Please read our guidelines for ethics in research >
• A letter of support  from the head of section at your home institution. 

The application must be submitted to application cas-nor [dot] no (subject: Application%20for%20RJ%20Fellowship) (application[at]cas-nor[dot]no).

All documents should be written in English and saved as PDF files. 

Number of contracts offered in 2026-2027: 2
 

-Profile

Holders of a Ph.D. degree issued for at least 3 years and up to 10 years
 

-Duration

3 years, renewable for an additional two years
 

-Disciplines

Human and Social Science disciplines as listed as reference department in this document.
 

-Financial conditions

Gross annual salary of €36,000 during the first 3 years and €42,500 during the last 2 years - Contract of local Spanish law

Number of contracts offered in 2026-2027: up to 2 (1 senior fellow and 1 junior fellow)
 

-Profile

PhD graduates
 

-Residency duration and period

10 months non renewable, from 1 October 2026
 

-Disciplines

All Human and Social Science disciplines
 

-Financial conditions

Gross salary of around 27,000 € (junior) and 37,000 € (senior) for ten months. Contract of local Spanish law

Researchers with at least 10 years of post-doctoral research experience will be considered senior fellows

The application portal is shared for Marcel Bataillon and Tomás y Valiente programmes.

Research project to be written in French and English or Spanish and English. 

Application deadline: 28 November 2025 at 17h (Madrid time).

Candidacy portal:
https://bataillon-tomasyvaliente.madrid-ias.eu/en

 

The College for Life Sciences is a junior program of the Wiko. It offers excellent early career researchers in the life/natural sciences, medicine, and psychology an opportunity to take a break from the lab and clinic. Fellows will gain time to think and develop their own projects and immerse themselves in the intellectually and culturally diverse environment of the Wissenschaftskolleg. Each year the Wissenschaftskolleg welcomes around 40 internationally recognized senior as well as promising junior scholars from all fields of knowledge, including the humanities, the social sciences, and the arts.
Our goal is to promote a kind of science that transcends disciplinary boundaries and goes beyond established issues and approaches. As we do not provide lab space, it is not “just another fellowship”, but the opportunity to step back from your lab routines and reflect on your institutional and intellectual “settings”. Through the College for Life Sciences we promote scientists at the beginning of their career, i.e., postdocs, junior group leaders, lecturers, and assistant, associate, and junior professors.

The fellowships are intended for residencies of 3 to 5 months during the academic year 2026/27, from September 2026 to July 2027.

Starting in the academic year 2026/2027, the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (Berlin Institute for Advanced Study) will offer several 10-month fellowships for outstanding early career scholars in the humanities and social sciences. Successful applicants will become members of a lively intellectual community of approximately forty fellows from all over the world, representing disciplines in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences as well as the arts. The Institute offers excellent support for fellows’ research, as well as help to both fellows and their families in settling in to Berlin life. Further information about the Institute and its facilities may be found here.

APPLICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Applicants should possess a doctorate granted no more than five years before the fellowship begins. Selection will be based on the applicant’s academic qualifications, including publications commensurate with the applicant’s discipline and career stage, and a research project that the applicant intends to pursue during the fellowship. Applications from early career scholars from all nations and all disciplines in the social sciences and humanities are welcome. Although scholarly communication at the Institute takes place in English and all fellows are expected to be able to discuss their own work and that of others in that language, applications may also be submitted in German and French. The deadline for applications for the 2026-7 academic year is 1 September 2025; applicants will be notified by 1 December 2025. Further information on the application procedure may be found here.

Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS) is pleased to announce up to 10 AIAS-AUFF Fellowships open for application by curiosity-driven, talented researchers from all over the world and within all research disciplines. Fellowships start on 1 September 2026, and last for 23 months for researchers with 2 to10 years of experience after completion of their PhD.

The call is open to curiosity-driven researchers and welcomes applications from researchers:

• who have a career experience of 2-10 years after completion of their PhD by the deadline of the call
• from all research disciplines of any nationality
• who comply with a mobility demand as applicants must not have resided or carried out their main work activity in Denmark for more than 12 months in the two years immediately prior to the deadline of the call.
• who have an interdisciplinary research project and/or interest
• who have/see relevant collaboration possibilities at Aarhus University

AIAS and Aarhus University strive to create a multidisciplinary, inclusive academic environment and to be an inspiring workplace for all by fostering a culture in which the individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

The fellowships include a full salary based on seniority, with employment conditions and wages regulated through the Danish Collective Union agreements. The fellowship covers travel costs to Aarhus and offers relo-cation assistance. Fellows will have office space at AIAS and can participate in academic training activities, conferences and workshops at AIAS. Fellows will also be affiliated with the relevant research environments at Aarhus University.

• Opening of call: 26 August 2025.
• Deadline for applications: 28 October 2025 at 12.00 (noon) CET.
• Evaluation and selection period: November 2025 - February 2026.
• Applicants will receive answers: March 2026.
• Fellowships begin: 1 September 2026.

For 2026-27 academic year, Iméra, the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) of Aix Marseille Université, is opening six residency places for academic researchers, each lasting 5 or 10 months. Of these, the Fulbright / Iméra Chair in Migration Studies and the Friche La Belle de Mai / Iméra residency are the subject of separate calls, which will close in the second half of September 2025. All these residencies are divided into four programmes (“Arts & sciences: undisciplined knowledge”, “Interdisciplinary explorations”, “Mediterranean” and “Necessary utopias”).

• 1 or 2 grants to be awarded
• For established scholars
• Residency duration: 5 or 10 months
• Possibilities : from September 2026 to June 2027 / from September 2026 to January 2027 / from February to June 2027.

Citizenship/Residence

Candidates residing in the country of the Chair at the time of application or subsequently are not eligible. Permanent residents of the country of the Chair are not eligible.

Invitation

Optional: A letter of invitation from a researcher or teacher-researcher from the Aix-Marseille site and/or a letter of recommendation from a university researcher or an artist recognised in his or her field, in connection with the field in which the project falls.

Language proficiency

English is sufficient. However, the feasibility of carrying out the project must be demonstrated in the project declaration.

French language skills are desirable because of Iméra’s bilingual environment: for example, weekly seminars are held in French and English. Laureates who are not fluent in French are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the language during their stay, if not before.

Further information

Applicants must be affiliated to a higher education institution.

Iméra is the Institute for Advanced Study of Aix Marseille Université, the largest French-speaking university in the world. Iméra welcomes researchers from all over the world involved in interdisciplinary research projects for short stays.

Recipients should expect to participate in weekly meetings with other resident researchers to strengthen Iméra’s scientific community.

CAT will provide teams of early-career researchers (three to five persons) time and space for thought and discussion in the best research environments Europe has to offer. The groups may include one representative of a stakeholder organization related to the theme of the project. During a period of up to three years, teams will benefit from a series of short stays (i.e. between one and two weeks, two to three times a year, for a maximum of six stays) in institutes participating in the program (see list below). Online meetings and digital research stays at the institutes are possible alternatives to onsite stays and can complete the work and time plan of CAT groups.

CAT will cover travel and accommodation expenses for the team meetings/short work stays in the participating institutes. CAT will not fund salaries or research-related expenses.

The participating institutes will support the teams by connecting them with the most knowledgeable and experienced researchers onsite as well as digitally, and by helping them valorise the obtained results through their legitimating channels. During their stay, CAT teams will benefit from the institutes’ amenities and conviviality for work and exchanges. Discussions at the institutes will provide a unique sounding board for innovative ideas and will give valuable feedback.

The project must address emergent societal issues.

• The Principal Investigator (team leader) must have a stable research position in a European (EU as well as UK and associated countries) higher education and/or research institution for the entire duration of the project.
• S/he must have obtained a PhD between January 2016 and September 2025.         
• No team member should have obtained his/her PhD before January 2016. Doctoral researchers may also participate.
• The eligibility can be extended beyond 10 years after the PhD for any member of the group for certain properly documented circumstances such as maternity and paternity leaves, clinical training, long-term illness, national service, natural disaster or seeking asylum.
• There is no specific diploma or age requirement for representatives of stakeholder organizations.
• Each team should include participants from at least two different countries (current workplace, including non-European countries; any nationality).
• The team of 3 to 5 persons (stakeholders included) must be fully constituted, with CVs of all members named in the proposal.

IAS CEU offers annually one Writer in Residence fellowship and one Visual/New Media Artist in Residence fellowship to provide selected artists with opportunities to conceptualize and create new works while providing the fellow community with opportunities for meaningful interaction with artists working in various fields. These two residential fellowships (up to 5 months each with a minimum stay of 3 months) are offered on a competitive basis to internationally established as well as emerging artists, in creative writing (from poetry and prose to drama, screen and playwriting) and in the visual arts, including new media art (from painting to filming and from digital art to computer graphics to interactive art). 

We seek artists who will be able to work independently, have a solid plan of work for their fellowship period and are ready to engage with the intellectual life at the Institute and the university. Artists in residence are expected to participate in the academic life of the community of IAS Fellows, which includes participation in the weekly Fellows’ seminar and a presentation of their own artistic or literary work. 

To be in residence at IAS CEU means to work and participate in an academic community, to receive technical and artistic assistance and to be immersed in a vibrant city's cultural life. While in residence, artists benefit from an intense production time enhanced by the exchange of ideas and experiences with fellows of the Institute. The Institute views art and scholarship as complementary rather than separate activities, which interact dynamically and encourage mutual productivity. 

IAS CEU is an independent Institute for Advanced Study based at the Budapest site of Central European University. CEU operates at two locations, with the main campus in Vienna and several research institutes and centers in Budapest. Located in the heart of one of Central Europe's most attractive cities, IAS CEU seeks to benefit from this arrangement and to be part of the rich academic life and research generated in both places. The Budapest site hosts, besides the IAS, a part of the CEU Library, the Blinken OSA Archivum, the Democracy Institute (DI), the Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine, and the Summer University (SUN), as well as various research units and non-degree education programs. For further information, please refer to the Institute's website at https://ias.ceu.edu. 

As CEU is in the process of transformation, our fellowship programs are meant to contribute to the formation of a Global Invisible University framework as an innovative new format coordinated by CEU’s Budapest site. This framework builds on the Global Forum organized by the Democracy Institute, as well as CEU’s engagement with different groups of scholars and students at risk (including the Invisible University for Ukraine and various Southeast European and Southeast Asian academic networks among others). It seeks to rethink the relationship of research, education, and civic engagement in a transnational manner and reinforce CEU’s links to individuals and institutions defending academic freedom and seeking to develop innovative strategies in autocratic contexts. For the Artist in Residence Fellowship, we are particularly interested in applications that bring together the question of the freedom of artistic expression and its political, aesthetic, and material implications with the broader theme described above.

A net allowance of EUR 2,000 per month + accommodation at the Raoul Wallenberg Guesthouse and/or office space at IAS CEU premises as available, either of which may serve as a studio, limited equipment and technical support from the CEU Media Hub (located in Vienna). We encourage all applicants for the visual artist fellowship to inquire about existing facilities and technology available. Awarded fellows are responsible for their own travel arrangements and health insurance. Fellowships may start in October 2026. Fellows are required to be in continuous residence for the duration of the fellowship.

All applications must be submitted through our online application system: Prepare your application package: create one pdf file no larger than 12 MBs containing all your application documents. The name of the pdf file should contain your last name, first name and the type of fellowship you are applying for in the following format: Doe, Jane_ AIR_Writer.pdf OR Doe, John_ AIR_Visual-Media_Artist.pdf 

Your application package should contain the following documents:

• Cover letter indicating how the fellowship is beneficial for the artistic project with a paragraph engaging with the questions of the entanglement of artistic and academic freedom and its implications in education and the civil sphere (max. 1,000 words)
• Abstract of the project (max. 200 words)
• For visual/media/new media artists: Project plan which describes a concrete project that can be developed while in residence, identifying any technical support needed (max. 1,500 words, not counting references; possible additional video material)
• For writers: Work plan while in residence (max. 1,500 words, not counting references)

• CV (max. 5 pages), including a list of published works and/or portfolio (the selection committee might request samples at a later stage)

  Successful candidates will be informed in mid-March 2026.

Enquiries should be sent to IAS_art_applications ceu [dot] edu (IAS_art_applications[at]ceu[dot]edu)

Candidates meeting these 5 conditions are eligible:

• The selected candidate must have the administrative and consular capacity to travel to the six countries concerned (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon and France).
• Proven scientific excellence in one of the areas of research related to creative hubs, third places, hybrid spaces, their narratives and functions.
• Not have been resident in France for more than 12 months in the 3 years preceding the call for applications
• Hold a doctorate or Ph.D. or have 6 years’ research experience after obtaining a Master’s degree
• The candidate must have the legal status to enter into a contract for the provision of a service.
• Language skills: English, French (full professional written skills and full oral comprehension) and literary Arabic (spoken) or, failing that, dialectal Arabic spoken in one of the project countries.

The Botstiber Institute for Austrian-American Studies (BIAAS) and the Institute for Advanced Study at Central European University in Budapest (IAS CEU) are pleased to invite applications for a short-term Research Fellowship in Central European Histories and Societies for Fall 2025. 

Fellowships are available for all scholarly work related to the past or present of Mitteleuropa (former Habsburg lands and adjacent territories) and linked to the doctoral dissertation research carried out by the Applicant. There are no disciplinary constraints; however, preference will be given to research proposals with a transnational or comparative aspect. 

At IAS CEU, Fellows will join outstanding junior and senior scholars from around the world, each conducting research related to their diverse disciplinary interests. IAS CEU in Budapest provides a stimulating environment in which fellows can devote themselves to their research and share their work with peers through weekly seminars and other community programs. Fellows have access to all CEU facilities, including seminar and conference space, computer services, and library resources; accommodation is also provided as part of the fellowship at the CEU Residence Center in Budapest.

All applications must be submitted through the following online application form (accessible only to CEU account users): https://forms.office.com/e/XcJ0bFQgUC 

Prepare your application package: create a single pdf file no larger than 10 MBs containing all your application documents (itemized below). The name of the pdf file should contain your name and the type of fellowship you are applying for: Doe, Jane_Botstiber-IAS_Application.pdf. 

Your application package should contain the following documents:

• A letter of intent (max 1,000 words) – please make sure to discuss the type of research (archival, oral history, library, etc.) and/or the consultative work (with scholars at the IAS, the Democracy Institute or the Open Society Archive) you are planning to carry out during the fellowship period;
• The abstract of the research project (max. 150 words);
• A description of the research project (min. 1,000 - max. 2,000 words; the reference list is not included in the word count);
• Copy of your most recent transcript;
• Letter of confirmation of eligibility from the director of your PhD program (copy of email message will suffice).

Applicants will be notified of the result of the evaluation process by the end of September, 2025.

for more information on the BIAAS, please visit: http://www.botstiberbiaas.org/

Questions and comments may be sent to IAS_applications ceu [dot] edu (IAS_applications[at]ceu[dot]edu)

The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS CEU) together with the Democracy Institute (DI) and the Blinken OSA Archivum (OSA) at the Budapest site of CEU are pleased to announce their joint call for applications for its thematic fellowship program Modalities of Resilience and Resistance: Academia and Society in Illiberal Times for the academic year 2026/27. 

The three Budapest-based units of CEU invite applications for their joint fellowship call. In various capacities, the Democracy Institute, the Blinken OSA Archivum and the Institute for Advanced Study are engaged in research, teaching and public program series focusing on the cultural, political, social, legal, economic, aesthetic and epistemic problems posed by the rise of autocratic governments and regimes in the last two decades worldwide. These regimes use new techniques of mobilization and undermine traditional conceptions of truth, verification, and falsification; they merge populist, neoliberal, religious fundamentalist, biopolitical and other ideological components into a new mix that subverts the liberal democratic institutional system. 

The present call focuses on analyzing the morphology of these tendencies and regimes, as well as on the ways of defying and resisting them. We seek to pay special attention to the transnational entanglements of these regimes and ideologies as well as of those who contest them. Our aim is to pursue this in a multidisciplinary manner, creating new synergies between different fields and methodological traditions. We seek to involve in this dialogue scholars at risk from different contexts whose work is also shaped by their own lived experience. We thus seek to reflect together on the entanglement of research, teaching, and civic engagement in an autocratic context. Our fellowship program is also meant as a pilot project for the Global Invisible University framework in the making as an innovative new format coordinated by CEU’s Budapest site. This project builds on the Global Forum organized by the Democracy Institute, as well as CEU’s engagement with different groups of scholars and students at risk (including the Invisible University for Ukraine and various Southeast European and Southeast Asian academic networks among others). 

Along these lines, this thematic call is addressed to scholars, artists and media professionals from all disciplines and fields who are interested in exploring the ways in which these autocratic regimes and movements are contested, resisted, and critically analyzed and how we can learn from each other while seeking to preserve academic freedom in the context of increasingly interconnected illiberal projects. The call has no regional preference. 

Fellowships are available in all research areas of the social sciences and humanities, broadly defined and for artists of all fields of practice who can link their artistic work to these questions. Fellowships run for the full 9-month period (OctoberJune), for the 3-month short fall semester (October-December), the 5-month fall semester (October-February) or the 6-month spring semester (January-June). 

Fellows are chosen through a rigorous selection process, which includes stages of pre-selection and peer reviews as well as a final decision made by an independent, interdisciplinary, and international selection committee. The Institute and her partners are committed to the pursuit of cutting-edge interdisciplinary scholarship and will seek innovative research proposals. Young scholars with demonstrable promise of excellence will be considered; established senior scholars are expected to have solid records of first-rate scholarship. Scholars at risk are especially encouraged to apply. A primary criterion for selection is the expectation that each fellow’s stay at the Institute will yield original and significant research results in conversation with other fellows working on the broad topic of Modalities of Resilience and Resistance, and how these research results can also be redeployed in the educational process and in the civil sphere. 

IAS CEU is an independent Institute for Advanced Study based at the Budapest site of Central European University. CEU operates at two locations, with the main campus in Vienna and several research institutes and centers in Budapest. Located in the heart of one of Central Europe's most attractive cities, IAS CEU seeks to benefit from this arrangement and to be part of the rich academic life and research generated in both places. The Budapest site hosts, besides the IAS, a part of the CEU Library, the Blinken OSA Archivum, the Democracy Institute, the Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine, and the Summer University (SUN), as well as various research units and non-degree education programs. For further information, please refer to the Institute's website at https://ias.ceu.edu. 

The Budapest site provides a stimulating environment in which fellows can devote themselves to research and share their work with peers both at the Institute and the other units of the University in Budapest and Vienna, through weekly seminars and other community programs. Fellows have access to all CEU facilities, including seminar and conference space, computer services, and library resources. They benefit from CEU’s vibrant international atmosphere, its strong regional ties in Central and Eastern Europe, and its international scholarly networks. CEU facilitates the fellows’ engagement with CEU and with Hungarian and Austrian, regional and international scholarly communities by encouraging collaborative projects, organizing joint public lectures and related activities. 

Fellows of this program receive a monthly stipend and accommodation in the Raoul Wallenberg Guesthouse, located in the Castle district. Fellows are expected to reside in Budapest during their fellowship year, participate in the intellectual life of the Institute, and pursue their research agenda.

Senior Fellows receive a net monthly stipend of 2,600 Euros, Junior Fellows receive a net monthly stipend of 1,500 Euros, and Artists in Residence 2,000 Euros to help support their stay in Budapest. In addition, all fellows and their families receive housing at the Raoul Wallenberg Guesthouse. Utilities at the Guesthouse will be charged to the Fellows. Fellows are also responsible for their own travel and health care provisions.

All applications must be submitted through our online application system:

Prepare your application package: create a single pdf file no larger than 12 MBs containing all your application documents. The name of the pdf file should contain your name and the type of fellowship you are applying to. Examples: Smith, Evelyn_BOSF_Junior OR Taylor, Judith_BOSF_Senior OR Rodriguez, Jose_BOSF_Artist.pdf 

Application packages submitted by junior/senior scholars should contain the following documents (only applications complying with the requested format and word counts will be considered for review):

• A letter of intent (max 1000 words)
• The abstract of your research project (max. 150 words)
• A description of your research project (min. 1000 - max. 2500 words; the reference list is not included in the word count)
• A description of the applicant’s ideas on linking research, teaching, and civic engagement in the context of the rise of illiberalism (max. 1500 words)
• A CV (max. 5 pages)
• References: for junior applicants ONLY: please include the name and email address of two referees (for potential reference).

Application packages submitted by artists should contain the following:

• Cover letter indicating how the fellowship is beneficial for the artistic project (max. 1000 words)
• Abstract of the project (max. 200 words)
• Project plan which describes a concrete project that can be developed while in residence, identifying any technical support needed (max. 1500 words, not counting references; possible additional video material)
• A description of the applicant’s ideas on linking research, teaching, and civic engagement in the context of the rise of illiberalism (max 1500 words)
• CV (max. 5 pages), including a list of published works and/or portfolio (the selection committee might request samples at a later stage)

Questions and comments may be sent to IAS_applications ceu [dot] hu (IAS_applications[at]ceu[dot]hu)

The Institute for Advanced Study at CEU (IAS CEU) is pleased to invite applications for its Junior and Senior Core Fellowship program for the academic year 2026/27. Fellowships are available in all research areas of the social sciences and humanities, broadly defined.  Fellowships run for the full 9-month period (October-June), for the 3-month short fall semester (October-December), the 5month fall semester (October-February) or the 6-month spring semester (JanuaryJune).  

Each year, IAS CEU selects some twenty fellows for its fellowship programs. Fellows are chosen through a rigorous selection process, which includes stages of pre-selection and peer reviews as well as a final decision made by an independent, interdisciplinary, and international Selection Committee. The Institute is committed to the pursuit of cutting-edge interdisciplinary scholarship and will seek innovative research proposals. Young scholars with demonstrable promise of excellence will be considered; established senior scholars are expected to have solid records of first-rate scholarship. All disciplines within this remit are welcome. A primary criterion for selection is the expectation that each fellow’s stay at the Institute will yield original and significant research results.  

As CEU is in the process of transformation, our fellowship programs are meant to contribute to the formation of a Global Invisible University framework as an innovative new format coordinated by CEU’s Budapest site. This framework builds on the Global Forum organized by the CEU Democracy Institute,  as well as CEU’s engagement with different groups of scholars and students at risk (including the Invisible University for Ukraine and various Southeast European and Southeast Asian academic networks among others). It seeks to rethink the relationship of research, education, and civic engagement in a transnational manner and reinforce CEU’s links to individuals and institutions defending academic freedom and seeking to develop innovative strategies in autorcratic contexts.   IAS CEU is an independent Institute for Advanced Study based at the Budapest site of Central European University. CEU operates at two locations, with the main campus in Vienna and several research institutes and centers in Budapest. Located in the heart of one of Central Europe's most attractive cities, IAS CEU seeks to benefit from this arrangement and to be part of the rich academic life and research generated in both places. The Budapest site hosts, besides the IAS, a part of the CEU Library, the Blinken OSA Archivum, the Democracy Institute, the Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine, and the Summer University (SUN), as well as various research units and non-degree education programs. For further information, please refer to the Institute's website at https://ias.ceu.edu. 

The Institute and the Budapest site provide a stimulating environment in which fellows can devote themselves to research and writing, and share their work with peers through weekly seminars and other community activities. Fellows have access to all CEU facilities, including seminar and conference space, computer services, and library resources. They benefit from CEU’s  international atmosphere, its strong regional ties in Central and Eastern Europe, and its international scholarly networks. CEU facilitates the fellows’ engagement with the university of CEU, Vienna and with Hungarian and Austrian, regional and international scholarly communities by encouraging collaborative projects, organizing joint public lectures and related activities. Scholars at IAS CEU receive a monthly stipend and accommodation in the Raoul Wallenberg Guesthouse, located in the Castle district and in close proximity to CEU’s Budapest site. Fellows are expected to reside in Budapest during their fellowship, participate in the intellectual life of the Institute, and pursue their research agenda. 

Senior fellows receive a net monthly stipend of 2,600 Euros and junior fellows receive a net monthly stipend of 1,500 Euros to help support their stay in Budapest. In addition, all fellows and their families receive housing at the Raoul Wallenberg Guesthouse. Utilities at the Guesthouse will be charged to the Fellows. Fellows are also responsible for their own travel and health care provisions. 

The deadline for application is 20 September 2025.   All applications must be submitted through our online application system. This year’s application form will be open starting from 10 July 2025. Step 1: Prepare your application package: create a single pdf file no larger than 12 MBs containing all your application documents. The name of the pdf file should contain your name and the type of fellowship you are applying to. Example:  Doe, Jane_Senior Core.pdf   OR  Doe, John_Junior Core.pdf 

Your application package should contain the following documents. Only applications using the requested format and word counts will be considered for review: 1. A letter of intent, including a paragraph on how the applicant sees the problems of academic freedom, scholars at risk, and transnational cooperation in the face of global autocratic threats against higher education and research institutions (max 1,500 words)  2. The abstract of your research project (max. 150 words) 3. A description of your research project (min. 1,000 - max. 2,500 words; the reference list is not included in the word count) 4. A CV (max. 5 pages) 5. A list of your most important publications, including up to 5 items for junior applicants and up to 15 items for senior applicants (please do not include full text articles!) 6. References: for junior applicants ONLY: the name and email address of two referees (for potential reference). 

Please also note that if you wish to apply to IAS for more than one fellowship type, you should fill in and send a separate application for each (choosing the relevant category each time in “Fellowship type”). 

Successful candidates will be informed between late February 2026. All others will be notified of the result of the evaluation process by the end of April 2026 the latest.

The Institute for Advanced Study at CEU (IAS CEU) is pleased to invite applications for Affiliated Fellowships for the academic year 2026/27. Scholars from all research areas of the social sciences and humanities, broadly defined, may apply for this status. Affiliated fellows typically use their own funding or external fellowships to spend their research period, or parts thereof, at IAS CEU. The stay of Affiliated fellows varies between a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 months; fellowships run for the 3-month short fall semester (October-December), the 5-month fall semester (October-February) or the 6-month spring semester (January-June). 

IAS CEU is an independent Institute for Advanced Study based at the Budapest site of Central European University. CEU operates at two locations, with the main campus in Vienna and several research institutes and centers in Budapest. Located in the heart of one of Central Europe's most attractive cities, IAS CEU seeks to benefit from this arrangement and to be part of the rich academic life and research generated in both places. The Budapest site hosts, besides the IAS, a part of the CEU Library, the Blinken OSA Archivum, the Democracy Institute, the Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine, and the Summer University (SUN), as well as various research units and non-degree education programs. For further information, please refer to the Institute's website at https://ias.ceu.edu. 

The Budapest site provides a stimulating environment in which fellows can devote themselves to research and share their work with peers through weekly seminars and other community programs. Fellows have access to all CEU facilities, including seminar and conference space, computer services and library resources. They benefit from CEU’s vibrant international atmosphere, its strong regional ties in Central and Eastern Europe and its international scholarly networks. CEU facilitates the fellows’ engagement with CEU and with the Hungarian and Austrian, the regional and international scholarly communities by encouraging collaborative projects, organizing joint public lectures and related activities.

In accordance with all fellowships at IAS, Affiliated Fellows are expected to be in residence in Budapest during their affiliation with the Institute, participate in the intellectual life of the Institute and pursue their research agenda. As CEU is in the process of transformation, our fellowship programs are meant to contribute to the formation of a Global Invisible University framework as an innovative new format coordinated by CEU’s Budapest site. This framework builds on the Global Forum organized by the Democracy Institute, as well as CEU’s engagement with different groups of scholars and students at risk (including the Invisible University for Ukraine and various Southeast European and Southeast Asian academic networks among others). It seeks to rethink the relationship of research, education, and civic engagement in a transnational manner and reinforce CEU’s links to individuals and institutions defending academic freedom and seeking to develop innovative strategies in autocratic contexts.

Affiliated fellows do not receive a stipend and may or may not receive housing from the Institute. They may receive office space based on availability. Fellows are responsible for their own travel and health care provisions.

For additional questions, please send a email to IAS_applications ceu [dot] edu (IAS_applications[at]ceu[dot]edu)

The Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies was established in 2001 as an independent institute of the University of Helsinki to enhance scholarly excellence in the humanities and social sciences, promote interaction between different fields of academic research, and to further international academic cooperation. The Collegium’s fellowships are open to researchers in the humanities, social sciences, educational sciences, theology, and law, and to researchers in other fields focusing on topics related to the human sciences. The applicant’s doctoral degree must have been conferred by the application deadline.

The Collegium appoints fellows at various stages in their academic careers and from different disciplines, but has no fixed quotas for seniority, discipline, nationality or gender. The Collegium is committed to promoting equality and preventing discrimination.

Applications must be prepared in accordance with the specified instructions (see link above). Successful applicants should provide evidence of their ability to work in an international, interdisciplinary research environment and of their ability to publish at a high international level. In the application documents, applicants must also indicate how they plan to participate in the interdisciplinary cooperation central for the Collegium as an institute of advanced study. Relevant evidence may be provided by reference to publications, academic activities or participation in research projects or posts at research institutes, or in the research proposal itself. Planned or existing cooperation with researchers of the University of Helsinki may be explained in the letter of motivation, in which the applicants are asked to explain why the University of Helsinki is a suitable environment for their research.

The Collegium does not consider research plans that propose to rewrite the applicant’s PhD thesis as a book. The Collegium will not grant two consecutive funding periods to one researcher. If an applicant has been at the Collegium before, at least five years must have passed after the previous fellowship term, and the applicant must justify why they ought to be accepted for another funding period.

The Core Fellowship Program is the basis of all HCAS activities and the majority of our fellows are appointed through it. You may find the key information on the core fellowship below. In 2025, the application period begins on 21 August and closes on 11 September. 

The Kone Foundation postdoctoral fellowship in the arts aims to develop new forms of cooperation and dialogue between art and scholarship. The positions are primarily intended for persons holding a doctoral degree in the arts. However, also persons engaged in artistic work but having completed a doctoral degree in a different academic field are eligible to apply.

There is an annual call for applications for the position of the postdoctoral researcher in the arts. The 2026 call opens on 21 August 2025 and closes on 11 September 2025 (at 23:59 local Helsinki time). You may find the instructions for applicants and the link to the electronic application form below.

The selection process is based on a high-level international competition. Applicants are advised to prepare their applications with care and in accordance with the guidelines explained below. Postdoctoral researchers in the arts will be based at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies. The positions are primarily intended for persons holding a doctoral degree in the arts. However, also persons engaged in artistic work but having completed a doctoral degree in a different academic field are eligible to apply. Applicants must have completed their doctoral degree by the end of the application period. In addition to the doctoral degree, the requirements for the position include experience of artistic work or artistic research. Applicants for the position must demonstrate ability to produce high-quality artistic work at an internationally significant level. They should also explain why working in an academic community will enhance their proposed project. Should the applicant already have connections to a Finnish university in the field of the arts or to a department or discipline at the University of Helsinki, they are advised to mention this in their application.

Practitioners of all fields of art may apply for the position. The Collegium does not have nationality or gender quotas but, in accordance to the policy of the University of Helsinki, it is committed to promoting equality and preventing discrimination in its operations. Successful applications should propose a research project that brings together academic research and the arts and holds a promise of internationally significant results. Both artistic and academic publications and productions count as such results. The research proposal should include a publishing plan for the results of the project, which may include, for example, artistic events, exhibitions, or academic publications. The applicants must describe in their applications what kinds of facilities and equipment their project requires. The postdoctoral researchers in the arts must be committed to working at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies. They are expected to be present 80% of their annual workload of 1,612 hours and to participate actively in the activities of the Collegium, most importantly the weekly Fellows' Seminars. They are also encouraged to organize, for instance, an artistic event or seminar during the research period. As no more than 20% of the research period may be spent working abroad, long trips should be arranged outside the academic year of the University. No leaves of absence will be granted for other duties. All research appointments will begin in August and may not be postponed. The postdoctoral researchers in the arts must submit a final report at the end of their term at the Collegium. Appointments may not be extended. Only individual researchers, not research groups, are eligible to apply to the Collegium.

The postdoctoral fellowship in the arts programme is funded by the Kone Foundation.   

HCAS invites applications for fixed-term appointments to begin in August 2026. We are looking for 10–15 Core Fellows representing the career stages of early career (post-doctoral researchers), mid-career (university researchers) and full professors (visiting professors). Professorial fellows are appointed for a term of six to twelve months, university researchers for one to two years, and post-doctoral researchers for one to three years, beginning in fall 2026. The Fall 2025 application period begins on 21 August 2025 and ends on 11 September 2025 at 23:59 local Helsinki time.

The Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies was established in 2001 as an independent institute of the University of Helsinki to enhance scholarly excellence in the humanities and social sciences, promote interaction between different fields of academic research, and to further international academic cooperation. The Collegium’s fellowships are open to researchers in the humanities, social sciences, educational sciences, theology, and law, and to researchers in other fields focusing on topics related to the human sciences. The applicant’s doctoral degree must have been conferred by the application deadline.

The Collegium appoints fellows at various stages in their academic careers and from different disciplines, but has no fixed quotas for seniority, discipline, nationality or gender. The Collegium is committed to promoting equality and preventing discrimination.

Applications must be prepared in accordance with the specified instructions (see link above). Successful applicants should provide evidence of their ability to work in an international, interdisciplinary research environment and of their ability to publish at a high international level. In the application documents, applicants must also indicate how they plan to participate in the interdisciplinary cooperation central for the Collegium as an institute of advanced study. Relevant evidence may be provided by reference to publications, academic activities or participation in research projects or posts at research institutes, or in the research proposal itself. Planned or existing cooperation with researchers of the University of Helsinki may be explained in the letter of motivation, in which the applicants are asked to explain why the University of Helsinki is a suitable environment for their research.

The Collegium does not consider research plans that propose to rewrite the applicant’s PhD thesis as a book. The Collegium will not grant two consecutive funding periods to one researcher. If an applicant has been at the Collegium before, at least five years must have passed after the previous fellowship term, and the applicant must justify why they ought to be accepted for another funding period.