Selection Procedure
As the number of applications NIAS can assess is limited, applicants are advised to submit their proposals as early as possible after the call opens. The caps and their current status are set out on the NIAS Fellowship page.
Time path
15 January to 15 March
The call is open. If 15 March falls on a weekend, the call closes on the following Monday.
By 1 May
Applicants who do not meet the formal requirements are notified.
By 15 May
Applicants not proposed for peer review are notified.
By 15 December
All eligible candidates are informed whether they have been selected, placed on reserve or rejected.
By 15 April
Fellowship Agreements are signed.
Beginning of June
The new year group is announced.
First stage: eligibility
Applications are first checked against the formal requirements, including the maximum length of each document. Applications that do not meet them are rejected, and applicants are notified by email by 1 May. No additions or changes can be made after submission.
Second stage: commitment
A NIAS staff committee whose members are not otherwise involved in the selection assesses each applicant’s commitment to the interdisciplinary community at NIAS, a value central to the institute. The committee reviews the statements on interdisciplinary and community engagement and proposes up to 150 candidates for peer review, taking into account the dedication and care evident in the applications.
Third stage: peer review
Each application proposed by the staff committee is sent to two external referees, who may come from the NIAS panel of reviewers, from the three experts suggested by the applicant, or from both. The panel brings together a wide range of expertise and backgrounds. All referees receive evaluation guidelines, which ask them to take into account the applicant’s personal circumstances when preparing the proposal.
The dossiers of the 75 highest-rated applications are then presented to the NIAS Fellowship Advisory Committee, together with a shorter overview of the other applications.
Fourth stage: NIAS Fellowship Advisory Committee
The NIAS Fellowship Advisory Committee advises the Director on which candidates to invite. The committee ranks the candidates presented in the dossiers, taking into account the overall balance of the proposed year group in terms of discipline, gender, seniority and region. It recommends up to 120 per cent of the institute’s capacity, on the basis of which the Director decides on the final selection and the order in which candidates are invited.
Fifth stage: Director
The NIAS Director makes the final decision on the basis of the committee’s recommendations. Academic considerations come first, both the quality of the individual proposal and what the candidate can bring to the group of fellows as a whole. Practical factors may also play a part, such as the availability of housing, for which the Institute Manager is consulted.
By 15 December, the Director informs all candidates by email whether they have been selected, placed on reserve or rejected. Selected candidates receive a Preliminary Offer, followed on acceptance by a Fellowship Agreement. The agreement must be signed by 15 April, after which the offer expires. Offers cannot be deferred to a later year.
If a selected candidate declines or an offer expires, the Director offers the place to a candidate on the reserve list. The new year group is confirmed by 15 May and announced in June.
