Can the Admissions Office give advice as to what may increase a candidate’s chances of being awarded a fellowship?
No, it is up to the candidate to decide on research topic, which programme to submit an application to, and whether or not to include letters of recommendation. Please see the questions below for further information on research project and letters of recommendation.

Can I apply to more than one fellowship programme?
No. Only one application per candidate will be accepted. Applications to all our fellowship programmes are reviewed by the same selection committee. To aid the committee in its work, it is important that candidates only apply to one fellowship programme.

Submitting more than one application will not increase your chances of being awarded a fellowship at SCAS.

Should a candidate despite this submit more than one application, and not immediately choose a programme when asked to do so, the administrative staff will assign the candidate to a programme. In this case, the selection of the programme will thus be strictly administrative, and it will not be based on the candidate’s research topic.

The Human Past Fellowship Programme has a different selection committee, but the same guidelines apply. If a candidate applies to the Human Past Fellowship Programme, the candidate is asked to not submit an application to any of our other fellowship programmes.

Can the Collegium give advice about which programme would be the best fit for me?
No, it is up to the applicants to decide which programme would be the best fit for them. The General Fellowship Programme is very general while the Barbro Klein Fellowship Programme, the Human Past Fellowship Programme and the SCAS-Nordic Fellowship Programme are more specific. Detailed descriptions can be found on the respective programme page (see links above).

Your choice of programme will have no bearing on your application but will aid us in the administrative process.

Does the Collegium offer fellowships to Artists in Residence?
SCAS does not currently have a fellowship programme dedicated specifically to the creative arts. However, in some cases we may be able to consider applications from scholars whose work includes the creative arts as long as they fulfill the PhD requirement, and other requirements, of the programme they are applying to. All candidates are expected to have published works in international peer-reviewed journals and/or major research monographs or edited volumes.

The Collegium provides regular offices, and fellows in the creative arts must be able do their work without disturbing other fellows, and take precautions if using equipment etc. that may cause damage to the offices or premises.

The selection process is handled in the online application system Varbi, and only materials that can be uploaded and handled in Varbi are accepted.

I am interested in the Global Horizons and SCAS-VUIAS Fellowship Programmes but cannot find any calls for applications. Can I apply to these programmes?
No, 2025-26 is the last year of the Global Horizons Fellowship Programme and the SCAS-VUIAS Fellowship Programme in their current form. At this time, it is not possible to apply for a fellowship. If you are interested in the foci of these programmes, please visit the individual programme pages for potential updates.

Do you still offer fellowships in the Natural Sciences?
No, 2023-24 was the last year of our five-year Natural Sciences Programme. At this time, it is not possible to apply for a fellowship. However, it is our plan to include the Natural Sciences in some form in the future.

Does the Collegium offer fellowships to undergraduate or graduate (postgraduate) students?
No, SCAS does not offer any fellowships to undergraduate or graduate (postgraduate) students. If you do not yet have a PhD, but are interested in coming to Uppsala, you may be interested in Uppsala University External link, opens in new window..

May I apply even if I do not hold a university position?
Yes, applicants are not required to hold a university position at the time of application, or during the period of the fellowship.

The only exception is the SCAS-Nordic Fellowship Programme (see link above).

Can the Collegium help me determine if I meet the PhD requirement?
No, candidates are responsible for making sure that they meet the PhD requirement of the programme they are applying to.

Can I apply for a fellowship even if I do not have a PhD, or have not held a PhD long enough?
No, applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be considered. If a candidate does not have a PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree), or has not held a PhD long enough to meet the eligibility criteria, the application will not be considered.

May I apply for a fellowship or a short-term research stay if I have already been a fellow at SCAS?
If you have already been a fellow (no matter the length of your stay), and wish to apply to our residential fellowship programmes again, at least three years must have passed between the end of the academic year you were in residence and the beginning of the academic year you wish to be in residence.

For example, if you were part of the 2024-2025 cohort of fellows, the earliest academic year you can apply for is 2028-2029.

If you have already been a fellow, but not a short-term researcher, you are welcome to apply for a short-term research stay without any restrictions.

May I apply for a fellowship or a short-term research stay if I have already been a short-term researcher at SCAS?
If you have already been a short-term researcher (no matter the length of your stay), and wish to apply for a new short-term research stay, at least three years must have passed between the end of the academic year you were at SCAS and the beginning of the academic year you wish to be at SCAS.

For example, if you were at SCAS sometime during 2024-2025, the earliest academic year you can apply for is 2028-2029.

If you have already been a short-term researcher, but not a fellow, you are welcome to apply to our residential fellowship programmes without any restrictions.

Are there any guidelines as to what to include in the description of the research project?
There is no set format for the description of the research project, apart from the length (see the Call for Applications), and there are no guidelines as to what to include in it. Since the applicants come from many different disciplines, it is up to the applicants to decide what their project proposals should look like and what they would like to work on while they are at SCAS.

Can the Collegium give advice about research topics?
No, it is up to the applicants to decide what topic they would like to work on.

Is it possible to apply as a group or submit a joint project proposal?
Candidates can submit joint project proposals. However, it is not possible to apply as a group. Applications are assessed individually, and candidates who are accepted are invited on an individual basis. Candidates who are interested in applying as a group may want to consider applying for a short-term research stay.

Is it possible to submit an article that is not in English?
No, the article must be in English.

Are letters of recommendation important?
Letters of recommendation are optional and not necessary for the selection process. It is up to the applicants to decide whether to include letters, and, if so, how many (up to three). Please note that reference letters must be uploaded by the candidate by the application deadline. It is not possible for referees to upload references into Varbi or send them to SCAS.

Is it possible for referees to submit confidential letters of recommendation?
No, it is not possible for referees to submit confidential letters (for more information, see the question above).

Should a cover letter be included in the application?
It is possible to add a cover letter in the Varbi online application system. However, a cover letter is optional and not a requirement. Since it is up to the candidates to decide whether or not to include a cover letter, there are no guidelines for such a letter.

Is it possible to add information to the application (for example, new positions or publications) after the deadline has passed?
Once the deadline has passed, the application cannot be changed and no information can be added to the application materials (only information in a candidate’s Varbi account, for example, the email address, can be updated).

When will applicants be notified of the results?
Applicants who are applying for a fellowship in the academic year 2026-2027 will be notified of the results via Varbi no later than 28 February 2026.

If you get a new email address after you have submitted your application, please make sure to update it in your Varbi account.

What if I receive another fellowship or job offer before I have been notified of the results?
If you decide to accept another offer before our selection process has been completed, please let us know so that we may withdraw your application from consideration.

Is it possible to defer a fellowship?
No, fellowships may not be deferred from one academic year to the next. Should you be unable to accept a fellowship, you are welcome to reapply.

Can candidates receive feedback on their applications?
We are unable to provide feedback on applications.

What is the length of the fellowships?
Candidates may apply for a single semester or for the full academic year.

Autumn semester: 1 September – 11 December, 2026
Spring semester: 11 January – 11 June, 2027
Full academic year: 1 September, 2026 – 11 June, 2027

If you are interested in a shorter period, please see our Short-term Research Stays.

When are fellows expected to be in residence?
Fellows are required not to be absent for more than 10 working days during each academic term (for precise dates, please see the question above). In addition to these 10 days there are a couple of breaks. During the autumn semester, there is a one-week break, usually at the end of October/beginning of November. During the spring semester, there are two breaks: a one-week winter break, usually at the end of February, and a two-week spring break coinciding with Easter.

What are the guidelines for going on trips, conferences and so on while in residence?
Please see the question above.

May I teach a course at my home institution while I am a fellow SCAS?
No, fellows should not have any teaching commitments, remote or in-person, during the fellowship period.

Does SCAS welcome the families/children of fellows?
Yes, partners and children are welcome to accompany fellows to SCAS. When it comes to accommodation, we will take partners and children under the age of 18 into consideration, provided that they reside with the fellow during the entire fellowship period. For further information, please see Living in Uppsala.