Institute of Current World Affairs: Fellowships 2026-28

Fellowships

Fellowships, Institute of Current World Affairs, Washington, DC. Letters of interest for 2026-28 appointment are due 15 June 2025.

ICWA advances deep understanding of global cultures and affairs by sending outstanding young professionals on independent writing fellowships abroad. Fellows submit monthly dispatches about their research, travel and life during two years of cultural immersion. Many go on to become leaders in their fields.

In a letter of interest, you would write up a description of you would do if you had a two-year, self-designed writing fellowship overseas and why you’re the right person to carry it out. There is no fixed length for the letter. The deadline for submitting an initial letter of interest is June 15, 2025. Selected candidates will be invited to submit a full application. The final fellowship selection will be made in mid-November. New fellows are expected to begin within six months.

Humboldt U: inherit. heritage in transformation Fellowships 2026-27

Fellowships

Fellowships inherit. heritage in transformation, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. Letters of interest for 2026-27 appointment are due 14 April 2025.

The Centre for Advanced Study inherit. heritage in transformation, a BMBF-funded Käte Hamburger Kolleg based at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, is pleased to invite applications for its fellowship program, which will run from 1 October 2026 to 31 July 2027. This opportunity is open to both experienced and early-career postdoctoral researchers, as well as artists, filmmakers, and curators.

The theme for the 2026-2027 Fellowships is:
‘Addressing Heritage Loss’

Applications should relate to the following research areas of the Centre:
* Decentring the West
* Decentring of the human being
* Changing values

The Centre explores historical, contemporary, and potential future transformations in heritage and hosts up to fifteen international fellows each year to pursue their research. The topic for applications for fellowships for 2026-7 is Addressing Heritage Loss. Applications should also relate to one or more of our guiding themes: decentring the west. decentring the human, and transforming value.

U Oxford: Research Fellowship in Peace Studies (UK)

Fellowships

The Levin Junior Research Fellowship in Peace Studies, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. Deadline: 7 April 2025.

This Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) at Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) is intended as a career development post for an early career academic. It provides a three-year opportunity to develop independent research alongside gaining some experience and training in tutorial teaching. The successful applicant will be provided with a mentor, who will offer career guidance and general advice.

The person appointed would be expected to conduct significant research and teaching in the field of non-violent conflict resolution, broadly defined. They would be expected to undertake research that will have a substantial empirical component in the field. The research should have practical as well as academic impact in their subject area, and that will inform policymaking of the professionals working in the area. The person appointed will be expected to undertake up to three hours a week of undergraduate tutorial teaching in International Relations (for LMH during the three 8-week terms). S/he will help with the organisation and promotion of teaching and research in International Relations at LMH and will play a full role in the intellectual and social life of the College. The College would also encourage the Research Fellow to engage with the academic activities of the Department of Politics and International Relations.

Africa Institute, Global Studies U: Fellowships (UAE)

Fellowships

Fellowships, The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah, UAE, 2025-26. Deadline: varies by program (see below).

The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah offers three fellowship opportunities for scholars, writers, and translators engaged in Africa and African diaspora studies.

      • Restitution and Reparation Fellowship (Deadline: April 1, 2025) – Supported by Open Society Foundations, this program fosters research on African art restitution and cultural heritage.

      • Tejumola Olaniyan Creative Writers-in-Residence (Deadline: April 17, 2025) – A three-month residency in Sharjah, UAE, offering a 50,000 AED grant for writers exploring Africa and its diaspora.

      • Global Africa Translation Fellowship (Deadline: April 17, 2025) – Grants of up to $5,000 for translations of African works into English or Arabic.

LSE Fellow in Early Modern International History (UK)

FellowshipsFellow in Early Modern International History, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK. Deadline: 4 April 2025.

The Department of International History at LSE invites applications for an LSE Fellow in the academic session to commence in September 2025 with expertise in the following areas: Early Modern International History; Historical Methods and Historiography. This expertise will enable the Fellow to teach the following courses at undergraduate level: HY118 Faith, Power and Revolution: Europe and the Wider World, c.1500-c.1800; HY120 Historical Approaches to the Modern World.

The postholder will contribute to the scholarship and intellectual life of the School by conducting teaching and research which will enhance the School’s reputation as a research-led teaching institution, with appropriate mentoring from the Department. They will be expected to participate in teaching for up to a maximum of six classroom contact hours per week. They will have time to undertake research and will be expected to participate in the administrative and social activities of the Department.

The postholder will have completed or be close to completing a PhD in Early Modern International History by the post start date and will have relevant teaching experience. The successful candidate will have expertise in early modern International History and a particular interest in teaching historical methodology and historiography; A developing research record in the field; Excellent communication and presentation skills and the ability to work in close partnership with fellow teachers, as well as on a one-on-one basis with students and in small groups, and to provide effective support, as necessary.The ability to supervise and mark dissertations and assessments at both undergraduate and postgraduate level is also required. Previous use of Virtual Learning Environment would be desirable.

Centre for Advanced Study Sofia: Multiple Fellowships 2025-26 (Bulgaria)

FellowshipsMultiple fellowships, Centre for Advanced Study Sofia, Bulgaria. Deadline: 31 March 2025.

Under the Advanced Academia Platform CAS Sofia offers a number of different fellowship schemes for postdoctoral researchers from the social sciences and the humanities for the 2025/2026 academic year. Among the offerings are the following:

  • GERDA HENKEL Fellowship for fundamental historical research in the field of social sciences and humanities. The five-month in-residence fellowships are granted under the framework of the CAS Advanced Academia programme and supports 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 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.

Tampere IAS: Senior & Postdoctoral Fellowships (Finland)

FellowshipsSenior fellowships and postdoctoral fellowships, Tampere Institute for Advanced Study, University of Tampere, Finland. Deadline: 3 March 2025.

The Tampere Institute for Advanced Study is a university-level research community offering the most competitive researchers the opportunity to focus on their own research and career advancement and to broaden their research horizon. The Institute grants fixed-term Research Fellowships to researchers in all scientific fields represented at Tampere University. The Institute also invites leading international researchers for short visits, collaborates with similar institutes, and organizes scientific events.

The Tampere Institute for Advanced Study now calls for applications for nine (9) two-year, fixed-term and full-time Postdoctoral Research Fellowships starting on 1 September 2025 and ending on 31 August 2027. They are also calling for applications for three-year Senior Research Fellowships in separate job postings. There are altogether six job postings – one Postdoctoral Fellow and one Senior Fellow posting for each of the three focus areas (technology, health or society) separately. Please note that you are allowed to submit only one (1) application either for the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship or the Senior Research Fellowship after choosing the one that best fits your current academic career stage, and in one (1) focus area (technology, health or society) only.

ACLS: Leading Edge Fellowships 2025-26 (USA)

FellowshipsLeading Edge Fellowships, American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS is based in New York, but the fellowships are across the USA). Deadline: 12 March 2025.

The American Council of Learned Societies is pleased to announce the seventh competition of the Leading Edge Fellowship program, which demonstrates the potential of humanistic knowledge and methods to solve problems, build organizational capacity, and advance justice and equity in society. Leading Edge Fellowships place recent humanities PhDs with nonprofit organizations promoting social justice in their communities. Fellows take on substantive roles that draw on the skills and capacities honed in the course of earning the humanities PhD, including advanced communication, research, project management, and creative problem solving. This initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Mellon Foundation.

The fellowships are designed to foster mutually beneficial partnerships between fellows and their hosting organizations. Each applicant may apply for up to two of the available Leading Edge Fellowship opportunities listed below. There is a separate selection process for each fellowship opportunity.

U Edinburgh IASH: Heritage Collections Research Fellowships (UK)

FellowshipsHeritage Collections Research Fellowships, Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh, UK. Deadline: 25 April 2025.

Applications are invited for Heritage Collections Research Fellowships (previously known as Library Fellowships) from postdoctoral scholars in any area of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, to carry out research based on any of the Heritage Collections held at the University of Edinburgh in 2025-26.

The University’s collections include archives, manuscripts, rare books, art, musical instruments and other museum collections representing four centuries of collecting, and occupying 100km of shelving. They are managed by a multi-disciplinary team of curators within the Centre for Research Collections (CRC). The collections offer almost limitless possibilities for research across a wide range of scholarly disciplines. The Fellowships offer privileged access to the collections and curatorial team, enabling forms of collections-based research which are difficult to accomplish through ordinary reading room services. The Fellows are expected to be correspondingly engaged with the CRC, contributing to projects or events as appropriate.

They particularly welcome applications linked to the themes of the Institute Project on Decoloniality which took place at IASH from 2021 to 2024. Among other areas, this would include:

Identities and Inequalities

The CRC collections offer a range of objects and materials which explore or illustrate the intertwined concepts of identity and inequality. There is significant research potential not only in collection material and objects, but also in the records connected to the infrastructures and individuals related to the collections’ histories.

International Connections: Focus on Africa

There is a wealth of material within the collections which either originates in Africa, or records relationships between Scotland and Africa. It offers huge research potential, but much of it has been little explored.

Bielefield U: IAS Research Group Funding 2024-26 (Germany)

FellowshipsVisiting groups (not individuals), Center for Interdisciplinary Research, Bielefeld University, Germany. Deadline: 24 April 2025.

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 scholars from all disciplines post-PhD, based in Germany and abroad. They can 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 support. If their collaborative application is successful, ZiF will host these groups on its campus. Visiting Groups can, for example, explore new research topics and partnerships, finalise interdisciplinary publications or conduct small research projects during their stay at ZiF. Visiting Groups can, for example, explore new research topics and partnerships, finalise interdisciplinary publications or conduct small research projects during their stay at ZiF.

• Duration: one stay at ZiF of a duration between one and three months
• Funding Amount: up to EUR 50,000 to cover the costs for travel and accommodation, workshops and/or conferences on-site; personnel expenses (buy-outs) cannot be covered, but an allowance of 1.000 EUR per month will be paid as a compensation for any additional costs
• Timing: Projects can commence approximately 12 months after the deadline.