KB Fellowship

The call especially invites proposals addressing their topic from an international (comparative) perspective. The call for applications for the KB Fellowship in the academic year 2026-2027 is open from 15 January to 16 March 2026.

The KB Fellowship at NIAS was established in cooperation between NIAS and the KB National Library of the Netherlands in 2025 and is intended for talented researchers in all scholarly and artistic disciplines. During the fellowship, researchers are given the opportunity to work on any topic that sits at a cross section with- or broadens the scope of the KB research agenda. The call is open to proposals addressing societal and practical challenges reaching beyond the KB as national library or even the library field, as well as to those focusing on problems pertaining to the (digital) collections or other aspects of the national library per se

Fellows join a stimulating international academic community at NIAS in Amsterdam where they may benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration with scholars from the humanities and social sciences. Fellows at NIAS are enabled to concentrate fully on the study of their chosen topic while being committed not only to their own, but also to each other’s work and progress.

Fellows are requested to publish any potential publications that may result from the KB Fellowship according to the Creative Commons license CC-BY 4.0. KB Fellows at NIAS are encouraged to actively exchange ideas and insights with KB and make active use of the collections, working facilities, services and expertise that KB offers.

The KB is the national library of the Netherlands and was founded in 1798. Since its foundation, the KB has grown nationally and internationally into a renowned knowledge institution that aims to keep the National Library collection visible, usable and sustainable for any and all purposes, whether it be as a resource for scholarly and non-scholarly research, as a hub for public information and conversation, or as a repository of cultural heritage.

The KB thus plays a key part in the fields of academia and public library work, as well as in the cultural heritage sector. In addition, KB collaborates with (commercial) developers of library design and technology. Please refer to the KB website for more information.

The fellowship is open to scholarly researchers, with or without institutional affiliation, with at least 3 years of research experience after having obtained their PhD (on the closing date of the call) and to creative practitioners, with or without institutional affiliation, with at least 3 years of independent art practice since formal graduation or equivalent. Note that artists are welcome for artistic production as a research strategy and for pre-production research. NIAS does not offer ateliers nor materials or tools for artistic production.

The working language at NIAS is English. Applicants must have a good command of English to contribute effectively to the fellows group and receive input on their own research.

• The KB offers one five-month fellowship per year at NIAS (September 2026 to January 2027).
• Fellows receive a personal stipend or, for scholars affiliated to a Dutch university or research institute, a Dutch University Grant, given to the institution.
• Fellows are provided with an office in the NIAS building, including research facilities, and (where eligible) subsidized accommodation in Amsterdam.
• A residency at the Institute constitutes a full-time commitment and fellows are expected to be present at the Institute four workdays a week from the opening of their semester until the end of their semester.
• In order to contribute effectively to the fellows’ group and to benefit from communal work and life. A test and/or interview may be part of the selection procedure.

Applications must be submitted via the online application form. The call for the academic year 2026-2027 is open from 15 January to March 16 2026. An application consists of:

• A completed online application form
• Full project proposal (max. 1500 words excluding bibliography)
• Academic/artistic CV including an overview of any international collaborations you are involved in as well as a list of relevant key publications, preferably most recent, in refereed journals/books (max 4 pages)
• Motivation (max. 300 words) addressing the following items:
  • How does your proposed project relate to your academic trajectory to date?
  • Why is this fellowship timely for your current academic context?

NIAS staff is responsible for processing all fellowship applications and will check their eligibility. The KB ranking committee will select and rank suitable candidates according to the selection criteria below. Preference will be given to proposals offering new issues to, and unexpected dimensions of challenges already on the KB research agenda.

The individual applications are ranked on the basis of:

• The scholarly or scientific quality and originality of the project proposal;
• The candidate’s academic (whether scholarly or artistic) performance so far;
• The candidate’s expectations of and envisaged contributions to the NIAS community;
• The significance of the project for policies and practices of KB as national library or libraries in general, and/or the position and role of the library in liberal democracy.

The KB ranking will be returned to NIAS, upon which the NIAS Academic Advisory Board (AAB) will assess the list. The NIAS AAB advises the NIAS Director on all fellowships made at NIAS, with a particular eye for a balanced composition of each of the NIAS cohorts in terms of academic disciplines, locations of affiliations, research ages, and genders. The final decision on this composition rests with the NIAS Director.