Deadline: March 31, 2026
Applications are open for the NIAS Safe Haven Fellowship 2026-2027. The Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS) Safe Haven Fellowship supports scholars at risk. It is designed for established scholars, artists, writers, and journalists who are unable to carry out their work in their current location or circumstances due to conflict or war.
The aim of the Safe Haven Fellowship Programme is to protect scholars, journalists, writers and artists whose work is restricted or obstructed by state or non-state actors, by offering them temporary relocation and the opportunity to continue their work. Individuals facing severe infringements on their academic freedom as a result of conflict or war are also encouraged to apply. NIAS does not accept applicants affiliated with institutions boycotted by the Dutch state. The University of Amsterdam (UvA), Maastricht University (UM) and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) are official partners of this programme.
Benefits
- Fellows are provided with an office, research facilities, communal lunch, participation in the NIAS community and commuting travel expenses or subsidised accommodation in Amsterdam.
- Fellows receive a stipend of €3,500 per month.
Eligibility
- Open to established researchers, journalists, writers and artists.
- Applicants submitting a scientific research proposal must hold a PhD and have a minimum of three years of postdoctoral research experience at the time of application.
- An applicant submitting an artistic, journalistic or writing-focused proposal, is expected to have at least seven years of professional experience in their field as made evident in their provided C.V..
- The working language at NIAS is English. Applicants are required to have full proficiency in English in order to contribute effectively to the fellows’ group and receive feedback on their own research.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are evaluated based on:
- A clear research topic and research question;
- The project’s relation to existing literature in the field;
- The academic, societal, cultural or artistic relevance of the project;
- Identification of key problems and the proposed methodology;
- Feasibility of the time schedule;
- The intended research output;
- Fit with the candidate’s academic and/or professional trajectory to date;
- The added value of NIAS’ interdisciplinary environment for the proposed project;
- The applicant’s potential intellectual contribution to NIAS and its community.
Application
- Applications must fully adhere to the formal requirements stated in the 2026 Regulations Selection Procedure NIAS Safe Haven Fellowship. Applicants are expected to have familiarised themselves with all formal requirements stated in the regulations before submitting their application.
- Applicants must submit a fully completed application form through the online application module. The application must be completed correctly, truthfully and contain all the requested information and required documentation. In case an application is incomplete or does not meet the formal requirements for any other reason, the application will be rejected.
- Applications cannot be expanded, shortened, modified, or otherwise altered once submitted. Applicants cannot apply for a fellowship while they already have an application under review with NIAS.
- Applications and all required documentation must be written in English and submitted by the applicant themselves. Applications prepared and/or submitted by intermediaries will be rejected.
For more information, visit NIAS Safe Haven Fellowship.
