Safe Haven Fellowship

Applications for the second semester of the 2026–2027 academic year are now open. They close on 21 July 2026 at 12:00 noon (CET), at which point applications for the first semester of the 2027–2028 academic year open.

When applying for the second semester of the 2026–2027 academic year, please remember that submitting your project proposal alone is not sufficient. You must also complete your registration by confirming the email you will receive after submission – this must be done before the deadline of 21 July 2026 at 12:00 noon (CET).

Applications for the first semester of the 2027–2028 academic year will open on 21 July 2026 after 12:00 noon (CET). Please note that updated application regulations will apply – these are available under DOWNLOADS.

The NIAS Safe Haven Fellowship Programme provides up to three 5-month fellowships for at-risk scholarly researchers and literary, journalistic and artistic researchers at NIAS in Amsterdam per academic semester.

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 and research. Those 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.

The Safe Haven Fellowship supports accomplished researchers with a demonstrable track record of academic, literary, journalistic, or artistic output. Eligible applicants, including those from non-scholarly backgrounds, are researchers first and foremost.

• Applicants submitting a scholarly 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 literary, journalistic or artistic research proposal, must have completed a bachelor’s degree at a university or university of applied sciences and demonstrate 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 at an academic level (equivalent to C1 ) in order to contribute effectively to the fellows’ group and receive feedback on their own research.

NIAS has carefully considered what it can offer prospective fellows and what the programme can realistically deliver. As a result, only applicants meeting the profile above will be eligible. The programme does not offer exceptions or alternative pathways.

Applications must adhere to all formal requirements stated in our Safe Haven Fellowship Selection Regulations (under DOWNLOADS on this page). Applicants are expected to familiarise themselves with these requirements and confirm this upon submission. The application consists of the following steps:

Preparing your application:

1. Familiarise yourself fully with the Safe Haven Fellowship Selection Regulations (under DOWNLOADS on this page) and ensure that you meet all the formal requirements as a prospective applicant.
2. Prepare the required annexes — research proposal, CV, motivation statement, and, if you are applying after 21 July 2026, 12:00 CET for the 2027–2028 academic year, a risk statement — and make sure they meet all the formal requirements set out in the regulations (see step 1). All documents must be written in English.
3. Complete the application form through the online application module. Only applications received through the online form will be considered. Applications received via email are not eligible for selection.
4. Ensure that your application form has been completed correctly and truthfully, and contains all required information and documentation. Applications that are incomplete or do not meet one or more of the formal requirements are ineligible. Applications cannot be altered once submitted.
5. After submitting your application, you will receive an automated email asking you to confirm your registration. Please do so within 48 hours, otherwise your application under the programme will expire.

Note: NIAS is only able to process completed and registered application forms.

After submitting your application:

Once you’ve successfully confirmed your registration, your application will enter the next selection procedure. NIAS runs two Safe Haven Fellowship selection procedures per year, with deadlines in June and December. After the deadline for a given semester has passed, the selection procedure follows these steps:

1. NIAS selection staff checks all applications for compliance with the Safe Haven Fellowship Selection Regulations. Applications that do not meet the formal requirements will be rejected.
2. Applicants are informed whether their application is eligible or has been rejected.
3. Eligible applications are sent to two external referees drawn from NIAS’s panel of referees.
4. The external referees evaluate the research project proposal, with the applicant’s CV serving as background information. Please see the Safe Haven Fellowship Selection Regulations (under DOWNLOADS on this page) for a full overview of the evaluation criteria.
5. The ten best-scoring scholarly research applications and the ten best-scoring literary-, journalistic- or artistic-research applications are presented to the Advisory Committee which ranks the candidates and advises the Director of NIAS on the final selection.
6. NIAS informs all candidates in writing of the outcome.

• A Safe Haven Fellowship is granted for a period of 5 months (Sept-Jan or Feb–June).
• 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.
• On the NIAS website you can find more detailed information about what a fellowship at NIAS entails and on practical matters relating to the fellowship.
• A Safe Haven Fellowship is a temporary fellowship and does not offer the possibility of long-term residence at NIAS or in the Netherlands.
• A NIAS Fellowship does not constitute an employment relationship. Consequently, NIAS is not required to make social insurance, pension, or unemployment insurance contributions
• NIAS reimburses both outward and return travel for selected fellows; however, fellows are expected to organise and undertake their own travel arrangements.
• Fellows are expected to apply for their visa and obtain their work permit (if required) at the Dutch Embassy in their home country. Local travel costs to and from the Embassy may be submitted for reimbursement.
• For the purpose of issuing visas and permits, NIAS provides fellows with a letter of invitation and applies for their work permit (if required). Only if a fellow is unable to undertake their travel independently due to political, legal, or other restrictions will NIAS attempt to assist in arranging outward travel.

The resources and means available to the Safe Haven Fellowship Programme are limited and we are reminded daily that the global need for relief and safety far outweighs the capacity of the programme. Given the high volume of applications and queries, we wish to highlight the following limitations:

• NIAS is not an urgent response or refugee organization and does not offer emergency evacuation support, counseling or general assistance to people affected by war or political circumstances.
• The Safe Haven Fellowship Programme does not offer scholarships, PhD tracks, study opportunities, residencies, funding or other support to students or those seeking to begin, continue or resume their studies.
• NIAS has no influence over immigration authorities or visa applications and does not assist applicants who have not been selected for a fellowship.
• NIAS does not facilitate or assist requests for asylum status.
• NIAS receives far more applications than it is able to accommodate and cannot guarantee a fellowship to every eligible applicant.