Institute of Advanced Study

How to Apply

Recruitment for IAS Fellowships for 2014-15 is now open. Applications will be accepted from this date until 09 June 2013.

The related theme for this Fellowship is 'Emergence'.

Please note the Fulbright Fellowship (applicable to US citizens) remains open until 1st August 2013. Please see details at the bottom of this page.

IAS Fellowship

Eligibility Criteria

  • Applicants of any nationality are eligible to apply
  • Applicants from any discipline are eligible to apply
  • Applicants may come from an academic or non-academic background (e.g. public intellectuals, artists, writers, film makers, journalists, policy makers, politicians)
  • Applicants should either be mid/late career scholars and non-academics who have an established international reputation for research leadership or public impact or early/mid-career individuals with an emerging international reputation who are beginning to shape the agenda in their field
  • Applicants must submit a complete application as described in the Application Procedures

  • Applicants must agree to the conditions of the IAS Fellowships as described in the Further Particulars

Application Procedures

To apply for an IAS fellowship you will need to submit the following application materials to the IAS:

  1. A letter of application
  2. A Curriculum Vitae/Résumé
  3. Two references (at least one to be external to Durham)
  4. Fellowship proposal (one copy submitted with your application)

In addition, we require your Fellowship proposal (4) to be copied into the attached proforma (see bottom of page) and submitted for peer review to the Durham academic department with which your research most closely aligns. Please indicate in your letter of application that you have submitted this proforma and to whom. If you are unable to determine an appropriate departmental contact, please also indicate this in your letter of application.

Application Materials

Letter of Application

In your letter of application you must make it clear the period that you would like to spend at Durham (October-December 2014 OR January-March 2015 OR either period).

If a teaching buy-out or a contribution towards a loss of earnings is requested a costing must be included with your application. Note that this cannot be done retrospectively (i.e. once an offer of a Fellowship has been made) so please consult with your home institution prior to applying.

We normally offer teaching buy-out costs at a pro-rata rate at junior replacement level, up to £8,000 (for the full three month period or pro rata for shorter stays). In due course, should the IAS offer you a fellowship, a letter from your home institution will be required supporting this claim. The costs of salaried fellows will be paid directly to their home institutions, while fellows who are self-employed will be reimbursed directly.

Finally, please indicate in your letter of application if you will be accompanied by a spouse or partner and/or if you have a family that will be travelling with you. However, please note that accommodation suitable for families is limited and that the IAS cannot, therefore, guarantee that such accommodation will be provided. The IAS cannot cover the costs of family travel and subsistence.

Curriculum Vitae/Résumé

Your Curriculum Vitae/Résumé should include evidence of your research interests and career to date, and of your international standing and impact in your field.

References

References should be emailed by your referees directly to the IAS Administrator (see below) by the appropriate deadline (09 June 2013). References should include comments about the applicant's standing in their particular field, the quality of the applicant's research, the level of recognition that has been received for this research, the quality of the proposed research to be undertaken at Durham, and the degree to which the applicant would contribute to and benefit from being in a multi-disciplinary community of fellows.

Fellowship Proposal

The Fellowship proposal (c.500-1000 words) should include details of your planned activity whilst holding an IAS fellowship, the contacts and contribution you envisage making at Durham, and how your planned research will fit with the 2014-15 theme. Please take into consideration the evaluation criteria when completing your proposal. This must be submitted with your application letter and CV.

The Fellowship proposal should also be uploaded to the proforma at the bottom of this page and be sent to an appropriate Durham academic and asked to comment on your proposal. The full list of academic departments and research Institutes is noted below :

Applications are also welcome from Durham University staff but, in addition to the above materials, a letter from their Head of Department confirming that they have their permission to apply must be submitted with the application. See Internal Applications webpage for further details

Application Evaluation

All applications will be considered carefully by the IAS Fellowship Selection Committee and against the following evaluation criteria:

  • Criterion 1. International standing and contribution of the candidate to his/her field, as appropriate to the career stage of the candidate (40%)
  • Criterion 2. Quality of proposal for activities while at the IAS and relevance to the Annual Theme (30%)
  • Criterion 3. Contribution to the wider scholarly community at Durham (20%)
  • Criterion 4. Collegiality and ability to contribute to the community of IAS Fellows (10%)

The sources of information for assessing applications include the application materials provided by the applicant, publicly accessible information (including published articles or books, works of art, personal and professional websites) and advice sought from experts within or outwith Durham University.

In selecting the final list of successful Fellows, the Selection Committee will also take into account

  1. the limit of 10 Fellowships in each of the Oct-Dec and Jan-March period;
  2. the geographical and disciplinary balance of the Fellows in each period;
  3. the balance between established scholars/practitioners and emerging talent.

It is intended that decisions for the 2014-15 recruitment phase will be announced in writing by the end of September 2013. Applicants are normally informed of the outcome of their application by letter, unless they request this information to be relayed by email. The Directors reserve the right to invite Fellows to join the IAS; however, they will award a minimum number of Fellowships through the application process.

Closing Date

The closing date for applications to the IAS Fellowship scheme for 2014-15 will be <span >09 June 2013.

Please email your application to the IAS Administrator, Linda Crowe, by no later than Sunday 09 June 2013. Please ensure you quote the reference number from the Fellowship advertisement or state how you found out about the Fellowship programme.

Email: linda.crowe@durham.ac.uk

Tel: +44(0)191 3344686
Fax: +44(0)191 3344699

Should you wish to discuss informally matters relating to the IAS Fellowships in general please contact Linda Crowe or the Executive Director, Professor Veronica Strang. The other Directors Professor Martin Ward (Physics), Professor Barbara Graziosi (Classics and Ancient History) and Professor Stuart Elden (Geography) are also available for informal consultation.

 

Fulbright Scholars

In addition to the IAS Fellowship scheme, the IAS also hosts one Fulbright Scholar per year (January-March period only) in connection with its annual theme. US citizens who are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award at the Durham IAS should apply directly to the Fulbright Commission: http://www.fulbright.org.uk/fulbright-awards/exchanges-to-the-uk/scholars-and-professionals/durham-university-institute-of-advanced-studies. Please note that the Fulbright operates a different set of deadlines for its scheme and terms and conditions.