Time path
The selection process takes almost a year: from the opening of the call in January to the moment when all candidates are informed of their selection, reserve status or rejection in December. We then take a further four months to finalise the cohort and contract all its members.
- The annual call for applications for NIAS Individual Fellowships is open from 15 January to 15 March (or the following Monday if this date falls on a Saturday or Sunday).
- All non-eligible applicants are notified by 1 May.
- In December, all eligible candidates will be informed of their selection, reserve status or rejection.
- At the beginning of June, the NIAS year group for the following academic year is published.
Limited access to the procedure in the upcoming NIAS open call for applications
This numerus clausus does not apply to applications for the Theme Groups or from candidates who are affiliated to an institute outside, or who are independently based outside the following countries: the EU, Andorra, Faeroe, Iceland, Monaco, Norway, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Vatican City, Switzerland, the UK, the US,Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. At NIAS, fellows from the so-called Global South are underrepresented, whereas we believe that a research community that is diverse in many ways, is all the more inspiring for all participants.
Steps in the selection procedure NIAS individual Fellowships
There are five stages in the selection prodedure
First stage: checking on eligibility
In order to be eligible for a NIAS Fellowship, candidates must meet all formal eligibility criteria that are communicated with the call. By 1 May Team Selection at NIAS will let applicants know by email if their application does not comply with these criteria, and is therefore rejected. Please, note that among them are those conditions concerning the maximum lengths of your entries and submitted documents. NIAS will not allow any additions or changes after submission.
Second stage: basic academic quality, and collaborative commitment
A NIAS Staff Committee will evaluate the academic quality and collaborative engagement of eligible candidates. If an applicant demonstrates a clear commitment to the NIAS research community and the necessary qualifications to contribute, their application will be passed on to the NIAS Selection Support Team for external review. Should the Staff Committee issue a negative recommendation, the Selection Support Team will notify the Academic Advisory Board about the candidate’s application. Based on this notification, the Academic Advisory Board may request the application be reconsidered for review.
Third stage: assessment by external reviewers
Applications that meet the stated requirements will be forwarded to two selected external referees. These referees are chosen either from NIAS’s expanding panel of reviewers or from the three referees proposed by the applicant.
The NIAS panel represents a diverse range of expertise and backgrounds. All referees are provided with a set of evaluation guidelines, which include consideration of the applicant’s personal circumstances when preparing their proposal.
By the end of September, the dossiers of the 75 highest-rated applications will be submitted to the Academic Advisory Board. A more concise overview will be provided for the other applicants.
Fourth stage: evaluation by the Academic Advisory Board
The NIAS Academic Advisory Board (AAB) is responsible for advising the NIAS Directorate on which candidates should be invited as fellows.
As part of this role, the board ranks the candidates presented to them in dossiers. They are specifically asked to consider the overall balance of the proposed year group, taking into account factors such as discipline, gender, career stage, and regional diversity.
The Academic Advisory Board will recommend up to 120% of the institute’s capacity, based on which the Directors will finalise both the selection and the order of candidates to be invited.
Fifth stage: final selection by the NIAS Directorate
Based on the Academic Advisory Board’s (AAB) recommendations, the NIAS Director, with the support of the Head of Academic Affairs, makes the final decision on fellowship allocations from the Open Call.
While academic considerations—both individual excellence and the potential impact on the collective of fellows—remain the priority, practical factors may also be considered at this stage. These include the availability of housing and other resources relative to demand, for which the Institute Manager will be consulted.
By 15 December, the NIAS Director will inform all candidates via email of the decision on their application. Candidates will be notified if they have been accepted, placed on reserve, or rejected.
Accepted candidates receive a Preliminary Offer, and upon acceptance, a Fellowship Agreement will be issued along with any relevant attachments and documents. Full agreement must be reached and signed by 15 April, after which the offer will expire. Offers cannot be deferred to a future year.
If an accepted candidate declines or their offer expires, the Director will offer the position to an alternate candidate. By 15 May, the final NIAS year group for the upcoming academic year will be confirmed and ready for presentation in June.
Download the Regulations – NIAS Selection Procedure
