NIAS Theme Group Fellowships

NIAS Theme Groups are by application or may be initiated by the Director.

A NIAS Theme Group Fellowship consists of one semester to work on a project proposal of the coordinator’s own choice that fits within the scope of humanities and/or social sciences disciplines. Fellows can apply for a stipend or a replacement subsidy, commuting travel expenses for daily commute or subsidized accommodation in Amsterdam.

Who can apply

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 three years of post-Ph.D. degree academic experience
• The project proposal should be related to the field of Humanities and Social Sciences
• The pre-proposal should be no more than two pages, excluding a C.V. of the theme-group coordinator
• If invited by the NIAS Directorate to submit a full project proposal, the coordinator and all theme group members should individually apply with their individual project proposal. Proposals should be no more than a maximum of 1500 words including footnotes, excluding bibliography and abstract
• On the date the application is submitted, all applicants must have a valid employment contract (permanent, temporary or “zero-hours” contract) with a university or research institute, or must be registered for tax purposes as a self-employed, independent researcher (in Dutch ZZP). The same requirement holds for the duration of the planned fellowship period. Applicants with a zero-hours contract are not eligible for a stipend or teaching replacement;
• The NIAS Fellowship does not constitute an employment relationship: the fellow is and remains an employee of his or her own university or research institute, or self-employed. NIAS is thus not obligated to make social insurance contributions or to contribute to pension or unemployment insurances
• The applicant may not resubmit a project proposal that was previously rejected by NIAS
• Applicants can only apply for one type of fellowship per academic year (i.e. either a NIAS individual fellowship, a co-sponsored individual fellowship, a NIAS Theme Group Fellowship, or a co-sponsored Theme Group Fellowship)
• An applicant who previously held a fellowship at NIAS may only apply for a Theme Group Fellowship or an Individual Fellowship if there are at least 10 years between the application date of the previous fellowship and the current application date
• Applicants should provide the names of four international experts in their field who would be suitable to approach as referees (co-authors or scholars who are actively involved in the currently proposed research project are not permitted)
• The application must be completed correctly and contain all the requested information and required documentation

Selection procedure

The selection procedure for a NIAS theme group consists of three rounds.

First round: pre-proposal

For the initial phase of the selection procedure there is no specific form: the theme group coordinator can submit a C.V. and short pre-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
• Expected activities and, if applicable, the expected joint end product
• A list of the preferred theme group members (max. 5)
• Contact details of the main applicant

For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.