Call for Applications: Junior Fellows Program

This 12-month program helps emerging researchers in the Arab region, who have not received their doctorate for more than three years, pursue their research and plans to publish it, participate in research networks in the Arab region, and plan a research career in the Arab region. In this type of fellowship, the Arab Council for the Social Sciences strongly encourages applicants to move around. During the fellowship period, they particularly encourage applicants to plan to reside in another country in the region, and to associate with an institution or mentor in a different country than their current country or country of residence; Applicants must submit a well-thought-out and robust plan for institutional engagement and mentorship; In all cases, they should look for new institutional connections and mentors other than those they have already worked with.

This initiative complements the Council’s efforts to support and encourage social sciences in the Arab region, especially in terms of investing in a new generation of researchers in the field of social sciences.

This program is funded through a grant provided to the Arab Council for the Social Sciences from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Fellowship Conditions

• The fellowship provides full support for 12 months (including living expenses as well as research expenses) ranging between $ 20,000 and $36,000. The total amount is linked to price levels in the country in which the candidate proposes to reside during the fellowship period, as well as whether the candidate has other sources of income during the fellowship period. If the applicant qualifies for shortlisting, he will be asked to submit a budget estimating 1) the cost of living, 2) the cost of research, and specifying whether he has other sources of funding and/or income during the fellowship period.
• Fellows are not permitted to hold a job during the fellowship period. However, they are allowed to do short-term consulting and are encouraged to teach part-time. Earnings from these activities must not exceed US$3,000 (three thousand US dollars) during the entire fellowship period (i.e., maximum remuneration of US$3,000 over a twelve-month period). Furthermore, fellows may not teach more than one course during the 12-month period of the fellowship. Exceptions to these guidelines may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Fellowship is offered on a competitive basis to emerging scholars who meet the criteria listed below. The Council shows particular interest in attracting Arab scientists who obtained their doctorates abroad to return to the region.
• To meet the eligibility criteria, applicants must:
  • They must have the nationality of an Arab country: Applicants must have the nationality of an Arab country (by Arab state they mean the country affiliated with the League of Arab States) or refugees and/or stateless persons from Arab countries currently residing in the Arab region. Arab researchers residing outside the region are eligible to participate in the program, but only
    • if they hold Arab nationality or are refugees and/or stateless, and
    • do not hold a permanent professorship and/or do not have access to the research resources of the institution where they work. and/or the countries in which they reside when submitting the application.
  • All researchers, including those residing outside the Arab region upon application, are expected to spend the 12-month fellowship period in the Arab region.
  • To be emerging researchers: This program targets researchers who have not received a doctorate degree in the social sciences for more than three years (the degree may be obtained from Arab countries or abroad). Candidates must have a doctoral degree at the time of application. Candidates who obtained their doctorate before 2021 are not eligible for this program.
  • Demonstrate high-quality academic qualifications and potential: Candidates must submit a project proposal (between 10 and 15 pages) that builds on their doctoral thesis. Proposals that are not based on or related to the doctoral thesis are not accepted. The proposal should demonstrate the candidates’ academic qualifications and identify an important research question. Candidates must also submit a publication plan that is realistically aligned with the fellowship schedule. Fellows must also write a three-year professional plan that defines their ambitions and expectations in pursuing their professional future. This should include details of the type of career (teaching or research), the types of institutions they plan to consider and the countries.
  • To provide evidence showing that they have received the support of the proposed advisor and the proposed liaison institution:  When submitting the application, candidates must submit a letter from an academic advisor working at an institution in the Arab region expressing his willingness to provide administrative and academic support and supervision to the fellowship holder throughout the duration of the fellowship itself. In addition, candidates must submit a letter from the proposed host institution addressed to the Arab Council for the Social Sciences confirming the ability of this institution to host the candidate during the fellowship period.

For more information, visit Arab Council for the Social Sciences.