Deadline: 31 October 2023

Applications are now open for the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies Individual Scholarship 2025 . STIAS provides and maintains an "independent creative space for the mind" to further the cause of science and scholarship in all disciplines. It is global in its reach and local in its African roots, and values original thinking and innovation in this context.

It encourages the cross-pollination of ideas and therefore gives preference to projects that explore and benefit from a multidisciplinary discourse, while at the same time being relevant with unique perspectives to that discourse. This interaction is promoted by inviting individual fellows or project teams, where each team member is evaluated individually.

The STIAS programme includes projects that are self-generated and proposed by applicants, as well as projects and programmes initiated and led by STIAS, usually with selected partner organisations. STIAS fellows are expected to be resident at STIAS for the duration of a fellowship, with no academic obligations other than obligations to the proposed research project. The only other obligations are to participate in the lunchtime discussion, which is served daily at the STIAS Wallenberg Research Centre, and to attend the Tuesday and Thursday STIAS fellows seminar, where fellows in turn present their work to other fellows and invited academics from the local community.

Eligibility

• No restrictions are placed on country of origin, discipline or academic affiliation when STIAS considers a scholarship invitation.
• STIAS scholarship holders who have lived there before can submit new applications, bearing in mind that during a five-year cycle preference is given to first-time applicants.
• Apart from candidates applying under an agreement with the Volkswagen Foundation, STIAS does not consider post-doctoral applications.

Selection criteria

STIAS fellows are selected on the basis of academic excellence and the originality of the proposed research project. The following criteria serve as important guidelines:

• Level: Does the proposal involve research at the highest level?
• Innovation: Does the project break new ground? Does it hold the promise of new insights and the potential to produce new knowledge?
• Interdisciplinarity: To what extent does the project draw on different disciplines and what methodology is envisaged for doing so? Will the project facilitate an interdisciplinary discourse?
• Relevance: Is the project relevant to South Africa and Africa? Is the project suitable for the programme of an institute of advanced studies?
• Feasibility: How convincing is the proposed methodology and research design and how realistic is the research plan? Is the candidate prepared to deliver the proposed project?

Application

Along with a cover letter, applications must include:

• A comprehensive CV.
• A list of publications (can be included in the CV).
• One or two recent articles typical of the candidate's research work or related to the proposed project.
• A project title is a description (2 to 4 pages) of the planned work and the expected results.
• A brief summary/introductory text (maximum 200 words) of the proposed project accessible to readers outside the applicant's specific discipline. This will be published on the STIAS website (see project summaries  for examples).
• A clear indication of the duration of the scholarship being applied for, together with preferential details and alternatives for residence in STIAS.
• A brief indication of how the applicant should find out about the STIAS programme.

Submit your application via:

• E-mail paragudrun@sun.ac.za. The documentation must be sent in PDF format.
• Mail to Gudrun Schirge, Senior Programme Administrator, STIAS Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.

For more information, visitSTIAS Individual Fellowship.