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.
The annual NIAS Open Call traditionally opens on 15 January, and closes on the first Monday after 15 March. In 2025, these dates will remain the same, but 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 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.
Why the quota?
In recent years, NIAS has seen a sharp increase in the number of applications for NIAS Fellowships. While we are grateful for the appeal of our fellowships, we are also concerned about what appears to be a growing demand for the academic freedoms we offer and seek to actively defend. In order to maintain sound selection procedures for each and every candidate, we will carry out the pilot project described above. In this way we limit the total number of applications to be considered, rather than opting for more staff, which would inevitably lead to less remaining funds for scholarships, given the current funding policy in the Netherlands.