Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences Fellowship Program 2019-2020, Netherlands

A NIAS research theme group is an international group composed of maximum five scholars. This group of researchers can be made up of either a) three researchers for five consecutive months or b) five researchers for three consecutive months during either the first or second semester. Researchers work both individually and as a team on a clearly defined research topic with the aim of producing research outcomes such as a book, scientific paper or conference.

Only a researcher at a Dutch university (theme group coordinator) can apply for a NIAS theme group. In order to be considered eligible by NIAS for a theme group-fellowship, the following criteria and rules are applicable (for the coordinator as well as the other members):

• At least 3 years of post-Ph.D. degree academic experience
• Group members must have an affiliation with a university or research institute during the period of the fellowship. The NIAS-fellowship does not constitute an employment relationship: the fellow is and remains an employer of his or her own university or research institute. NIAS is thus not obligated to make social insurance contributions or to contribute to pension or unemployment insurances
• Group members can only apply for either an individual fellowship or a theme-group fellowship in a single year, not for both
• If group members were granted with an earlier fellowship at NIAS, they can apply for a new fellowship 10 years after finishing the first fellowship
• A completed online application form including all requested documents

The selection procedure for a NIAS theme group consists of two phases.

Pre-proposal

For the initial phase there is no specific form: the theme group initiator is requested to provide a short proposal of no more than two pages that includes

• topic and main idea of the theme group
• a description of the interdisciplinary character of the proposal
• evidence of the benefit of group collaboration
• the expected research product
• a list of the preferred theme group members (max. 5)
• details of the main applicant

This document should be sent by e-mail to: Application@nias.knaw.nl, citing theme-group application.

Full proposal

If the topic and main idea is, in the view of the NIAS Director, fitting to the institute the theme group initiator is invited to discuss his/her short proposal with the NIAS Directorate. This discussion may be followed by an invitation to send in a more elaborate (full) proposal. The following criteria are hereby of relevance:

• the academic status of the applicant and participants
• originality, quality, interdisciplinary character of the proposal and evidence of the benefit of group collaboration
• the expected impact of the theme group on the participants’ research fields
• whether the NIAS interdisciplinary environment will augment the research
• an account of how the planned activities will lead to a joint end product(s)
• the coordinator’s leadership qualities