The SCAS-VUIAS Fellowship Programme (2025-26)
SCAS and Virtual Ukraine Institute for Advanced Study (VUIAS)
The Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study participates in a recently launched initiative to support
Ukrainian scholars in their effort to found a Ukraine Institute for Advanced Study (UIAS) in Kyiv.
Behind the initiative is the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, in close cooperation with partner institutes
in Ukraine, other parts of Europe, and the United States.
The operations of a virtual institution, VUIAS, commenced in September 2023, whereas full-scale
institutional activities on-site in Ukraine will only be possible at a later stage. The goals of the newly
founded institution are manifold: VUIAS will mobilize support for scholarships under conditions of
war and contribute to rebuilding Ukrainian academia once the war is over. By connecting Ukrainian
scholars in and outside Ukraine, VUIAS will more strongly integrate Ukrainian scholars into the inter-
national academic landscape and broaden and deepen knowledge on Ukraine within global academia.
In the initial phase, two kinds of fellowships are offered: VUIAS Fellowships abroad and VUIAS
Fellowships in Ukraine. The SCAS-VUIAS Fellowship Programme offers 1 or 2 VUIAS Fellowships
abroad to Ukrainian scholars.
Programme and Eligibility Criteria
The SCAS-VUIAS Fellowship Programme offers 1 or 2 residential fellowships, mainly in the humanities
and social sciences, to Ukrainian scholars who are affiliated with a Ukrainian academic institution and
are usually based in Ukraine.
The residential programmes at SCAS give fellows the opportunity to concentrate on their own research
interests, free from the teaching and administrative obligations of ordinary university life. Fellows are,
however, expected to be active members of the scholarly community of the Collegium and to participate
in seminars and other academic events beyond their own fields of specialization.
At the time of application, the candidate must have held a PhD (or equivalent degree) for at least three
years.
Early career scholars must have a promising track record of independent achievements beyond
the postdoctoral level, including significant publications, and be active in international fora.
Senior candidates (those who have held a PhD for at least ten years) must have demonstrated a track
record of significant and original research achievements over a sequence of years and be active at the
international forefront of their research fields.
As an applicant, you are not required to hold a university position at the time of application.
Scholars may apply for a full academic year (September – June) or one semester.
Remuneration
Fellows receive a monthly salary. The Collegium, however, does not match fellows’ salaries. The
Collegium hopes that fellows will explore possibilities to apply for other outside support (such as
sabbatical salaries and/or grants).
The Collegium will provide and pay for accommodation for fellows who do not live in the Stockholm–
Uppsala region. When possible, the Collegium also tries to offer accommodation to fellows from Stock-
holm who are not able to commute.
Application Instructions and Deadline
Final decisions are taken by the Principal of the Collegium in consultation with a selection committee
composed of Long-term Fellows. This means that all applications (including personal data) will be
downloaded by members of the selection committee, and may also be sent to external referees, outside
of the EU/EEA.
The application deadline for the academic year 2025 - 2026 is on 1 June 2024 (23:59 CET).
Applications to all our fellowship programmes are reviewed by the same committee. For this reason, we
kindly ask candidates to only apply to one fellowship programme in a given year. Applying to more than
one fellowship programme will not increase your chances of being awarded a fellowship at SCAS.
Apply through the Varbi application system by filling in the online form and submitting as PDF-files the
following required application documents:
- A curriculum vitae (not exceeding 4 pages)
- A description of your intended research project (not exceeding 1500 words, excluding
bibliography if any) - A list of your major articles (up to ten) in international peer-reviewed journals and/or
major research monographs or edited volumes - One article of your choice (or chapter in an edited book, or chapter from a monograph
by you), representing your scholarship. The article does not have to be related to your
proposed research project, but it has to be in English. - An account of why you wish to be at SCAS (rather than at another institute for advanced
study) (not exceeding 100 words) - An account of how you would benefit from a stay at SCAS (not exceeding 100 words)
- An account of how you would contribute to the academic and social environment at
SCAS (not exceeding 100 words) - (Optional) up to 3 letters of reference (Please note that letters of reference must be
uploaded by the candidate by the application deadline. It is not possible for referees to
upload references into the online application system or send them to SCAS.)
APPLY HERE >> (Link to Varbi)
Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation email from the Varbi online
application system.
Candidates are advised to submit their applications well ahead of the deadline. It may take a few weekdays
to receive assistance should you have questions or need technical support.
Applicants will be notified of the results through Varbi no later than 28 February 2025. If you get a new
email address, please make sure to update it in your Varbi account.
If you have any questions related to the Varbi online application system, please contact Varbi’s support:
varbi@uadm.uu.se
If you have any questions about the SCAS-VUIAS Fellowship Programme, please contact the secretariat: fellowselection@swedishcollegium.se
