NIAS Individual Fellowship
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NIAS offers individual fellowships to scholars who wish to carry out independent research in the humanities and the social sciences. For five or ten months, scholars are offered time and space to work on their own research project as part of an interdisciplinary community.
Each year, NIAS awards around 30 fellows with a NIAS Individual Fellowship. This Fellowship allows scholars to come to Amsterdam and become a member of a diverse, interdisciplinary collaborative learning community where one can challenge boundaries, explore detours and get new perspectives. Fellows can apply for a stipend or Dutch University Grant, commuting travel expenses for daily commute or subsidized accommodation in Amsterdam. The Fellowship call (for the academic year 2026-2027) is open from 15 January until 17 March 2025, 12.00 noon CET.
Read more about why a fellowship could be of interest to you and what NIAS offers in general, or about the financial and practical details of a fellowship.
Who can apply?
NIAS Individual Fellowships are awarded to scholars, both from the Netherlands and abroad. Applicants should have at least three years of academic experience since they obtained their PhD-degree and their project proposal should be related to the field of Humanities and Social Sciences. NIAS Individual Fellowships are also open to scholars who do not have a fixed position at a university or research institute. The institute aims for a balanced year group in terms of academic cultures, gender, phase in career, and disciplines.
For a complete list of the formal requirements please see here.
As of March 2022, as part of the EU sanctions in response to the Ukraine crisis, NIAS does not accept applicants (whatever their nationality) affiliated to a Russian or Belarusian university or research institute. Applicants with a Russian or Belarusian nationality who are affiliated to a research institution not part of Russia or Belarus, may apply. NIAS’ sanctions are foremost targeted towards institutions, not people.
NIAS Fellowships for Dutch residents
NIAS reserves part of its positions at the institute for scholars, artists, journalists and authors from the Netherlands. Unlike most other Institutes for Advanced Study in Europe, who focus primarily on selecting fellows from abroad, NIAS believes that a mix of national and international fellows is valuable for many reasons. For example, it allows international fellows to become more easily embedded in Dutch academic and artistic networks, and in reverse, Dutch fellows can broaden their international network without having to move abroad for a longer period of time.
For Dutch scholars who think of applying for a NIAS Fellowship, it is important to realize that a residency at the Institute does constitute a full-time engagement, as if it was a residency abroad. The core of a fellowship at an Institute for Advanced Study consists of being able to withdraw as much as possible from other work-related obligations. Therefore, being present four days a week at the Institute is required, for Dutch and international fellows alike. Practice teaches us, that for those affiliated to Dutch universities it might be challenging to free oneself of the day-to-day obligations for a period of 5 or 10 months. Therefore, before applying for a fellowship at NIAS, Dutch residents are strongly advised to discuss the terms and requirements of a NIAS fellowship with their university first.
At a Glance: How to Apply
The call for individual fellowships is a project-based open call. Fellowships are awarded first and foremost on the basis of the quality of the research proposal; the applicant’s c.v. and publication record is of secondary importance. This way NIAS hopes to stimulate original research and a wide variety of perspectives.
Apply as early as possible for the next NIAS open call
NIAS will be capping the number of applications admitted to the 2025 NIAS Open Call for Fellowships at 215. This means that only the first 215 eligible applications will be considered for a NIAS Fellowship in the 2026-2027 academic year. We urge prospective applicants to submit their proposals as early as possible after the opening of the Call, to make sure their application is taken into consideration.
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.
How to Apply
Applicants fill in an online application form providing personal information, information about work & career and practical matters. In the same form, you upload a full proposal of max 1500 words, which includes a description of the topic of your choice, its academic and societal relevance, and the added value of the interdisciplinary environment at NIAS. In addition, a c.v. and publication list need to be uploaded. Please also provide the names and contact details of three international experts in your field who could be approached as reviewers and who do not have a conflict of interest by reviewing your work.
Note that for the academic year 2026/27 NIAS also invites scholars from economics to apply, as part of the Duisenberg fellowship programme.
For full details on what an application consists of, see here.
Time path
Call for individual proposals for the academic year 2026/27:
- Call opens: 15 January 2025
- Call closes: 17 March 2025, noon CET
- If the application does not meet the formal requirements the application will be rejected and the applicant will be informed by email before 15 May 2025.
- The Director of NIAS informs all eligible candidates in writing of his decision no later than 15 December 2025
For a complete overview of all steps in the selection procedure, see here.