University of Amsterdam | Global South Fellowship

Who can apply?

• the Global South Plan of the FNWI refers to the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs for the distinction of ‘developing’ and ‘developed’ countries. Applicants will be eligible for the fellowship if they are citizens of, and employed by an institution based in one of the countries listed as ‘developing’ in this list. Eligibility is subject to visa availability and alignment with the fellowship’s scope, which aims to promote diversity and improve accessibility for scholars from geographically disadvantaged regions.
• applicants need a committed co-applicant within the FNWI who wants to structurally collaborate with the fellow. Co-applicants are FNWI employees at (Assistant/Associate/Full) Professor level;
• applicants are required to have an employment contract or a scholarship agreement at a university or research institute for the entire duration of the research fellowship;
• applicants at any career stage (PhD students, postdocs, staff) are welcome;
• applicants with a curiosity and collaborative mindset.

What we offer?

Fellows enjoy guest status; they are not employed by the UvA. A fellowship has a minimum duration of two months, possibility of extension and necessary funding should be discussed with the UvA co-applicant and the host institute and detailed in the application form and in the commitment letter of the host institute.

All fellows will get access to:

• a lump sum of 10k Euro to cover travel, visa expenses and accommodation in Amsterdam;
• a regular working space in the host institute in the FNWI;
• a vibrant community with many opportunities to develop novel research projects and methodologies, and to establish partnerships and networks;
• possibility of interactions with interdisciplinary networks within the Amsterdam scientific community such as the UvA Institute for Avanced Study and the Dutch Institute for Emergent Phenomena.

What we expect?

All research fellows are expected to:

• be present at the FNWI at least 3 days a week;
• collaborate with their co-applicant;
• actively engage with the wider FNWI community;
• give an opening presentation;
• take parts in events and initiatives of the Global South Plan of the faculty;
• write a brief report together with the UvA co-applicant at the end of the visit to describe how the fellowship was used and outline plans for possible future collaborations with the Global South.

Selection Criteria

Due to limited funding, in this pilot scheme we can only offer four fellowships. To acknowledge our co-sponsors (DIEP and CIMPA) one fellowship will have to be connected to the DIEP research priority area, Emergent Phenomena in Society: Polarization, Segregation, Inequality, and one will have to be connected to mathematics, in the broad sense. The remaining two fellowships are open to any topics within the sciences.

We will consider academic track record, taking into account the career stage of the applicant, and perspective on/experience with international research collaborations.

We will prioritize applications from candidates who have secured an extended fellowship agreement with the host institute. We will take into account a fair distribution of topics within the different institutes of the faculty, gender balance and diversity of career stages across the fellows.

Process and Timeline

Deadline for applications: Midnight of November 15th 2025.

A decision will be made by December 15th and successful applicants will be immediately notified. Invitation letters will be issued immediately, so that visa and administrative processes can start.

Fellowships can take place within 1 February 2026 and 20 December 2026.

How to Apply: Please fill the following application form, you will be required to upload a copy of your CV, a letter of support from your employer/supervisor confirming your availability during the fellowship period and a Commitment letter from the host institute of the FNWI based on this template. All documents should be uploaded in PDF format.

Source and more details: https://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/organisation/faculties/faculty-of-science/research/science-projects/global-south-project/global-south-fellowship-scheme.html?cb