Giving your research and network a boost through short-term or visiting fellowships

Research fellowships come in different shapes and sizes both in terms of length as well as in terms of financial support. In this blog post, I want to highlight the benefits of short-term and visiting fellowships.

The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at Edinburgh has currently open calls for its fellowship schemes. These opportunities range from postdoctoral fellowships (3 to 10 months) for researchers currently based at the University of Edinburgh, recent graduates from around the world, established international academics seeking opportunities during sabbaticals or those who have their own funding and wish to spend a minimum of 2 months at IASH under the Visiting Research Fellowship scheme. Some of the schemes have a particular focus, such as the Environmental Humanities Visiting Research Fellowship that comes with a monthly bursary in support of travel and subsistence.

Whether you seek a bridging opportunity after your PhD or a teaching position, such short-term opportunities bring the benefit of enabling you to work in a supportive and interdisciplinary environment, give you access to library resources and archives, and allow you to build your international network. They can inspire new perspectives on your research projects, lead to potential collaborations and offer experiences of different research communities. Perhaps you are already based at Edinburgh and wish to develop a research project with an international scholar? Visiting fellowship schemes can enable such research collaboration and networking.

Here are testimonials of previous IASH fellows that give a flavour of the benefits of short-term fellowships:

“My research on animal history in India led me to discover University of Edinburgh’s archival collection. It houses extremely rich resources including Cunningham’s personal papers and OneKind archives. With an intention to explore these sources I applied for the visiting fellowship and was lucky enough to be selected! Visit to Edinburgh as an IASH Fellow was a very fruitful experience. IASH as a research institute has made every effort to ensure that research needs of the Fellows are taken care of. Research and writing can be very isolating at times, but interaction with colleagues makes all the difference. Weekly lunches, seminars, and writing retreat, in particular,  went a long way in establishing and strengthening collegial atmosphere. Having a base at IASH helped connect with South Asia Centre, environmental humanities group, and many other research groups. In just two months the university was able to provide resources, connection, networks but also friendships and a sense of belonging ! All these will go a long way in strengthening my research and my life and career as an academic.) Dr Heeral Chhabra (Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Liverpool)

“Reflecting on my short-term visiting fellowship at IASH, it was transformative for expanding my research. The fellowship allowed me to place my work within a different socio-cultural context, enriching its scope and relevance. This opportunity was invaluable for exploring the decolonial aspects of my project, particularly in relation to global shifts in feminist epistemology, decoloniality and cultural narratives. The inclusive and interdisciplinary research environment at IASH fostered stimulating dialogues that broadened my perspectives and helped refine my methodology. Engaging with academicians and scholars from diverse disciplines created a dynamic platform for collaboration and intellectual growth.” Dr Priyanka Tripathi (Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, India)

“I spent a very pleasant and productive six weeks at IASH Edinburgh during August and September 2024. My main reason was to spend part of my sabbatical semester in a quiet and well-resourced environment. In addition, I was lucky to find Professor Douglas Cairns willing to collaborate on my project (self-consolation in antiquity). Years ago I had been awarded a stay at IAS in Princeton and was much stimulated by the intellectual exchange among fellows and access to excellent libraries. IASH has created the same kind of environment—a little oasis in the maelstrom of modern academic life. I am very grateful for the precious time I spent there, reading, writing, and thinking—making good progress on my book and being encouraged to take in the diversity of projects present at IASH.” Dr Han Baltussen (FAHA) (W.W. Hughes Professor of Classics, The University of Adelaide, Australia)

 

Deadlines for IASH applications

Visiting Research Fellowships (unfunded) – 28th February 2025

Environmental Humanities Visiting Research Fellowships – 28th February 2025

Postdoctoral Fellowships  – 25th April 2025

Heritage Collections Research Fellowships – 25th April 2025

Digital Research Postdoctoral Fellowships and Bursaries – 25th April 2025

To find out more about IASH and the schemes, you can check out recordings of webinar for prospective applicants:

Webinar for Postdoctoral / ECR applicants

Webinar for Mid-career / senior applicants

 

How to find out about opportunities elsewhere

Short-term and visiting fellowships exist in a variety of contexts. A good starting point might be to look for Institutes for Advanced Studies in the UK or globally. (See, for instance, the Consortium of Institutes for Advanced Studies in Ireland and the UK, or Some Institutes for Advanced Study in Europe and North America).

Research centres/ institutes (such as the Warburg Institute / 2 May 2025 deadline), archives, libraries (such as Bodleian Libraries) and museums may also offer schemes for researchers across career stages as well as creative practitioners.

Funders offer visiting or international fellowships schemes to facilitate mobility, training, network building, or cross-sector collaboration. An example, for instance, are the British Academy’s Global Innovation Fellowships.

Perhaps one of these opportunities is for you?

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