USF’s International Fellowships Programme – Global South

The award is designed to enable early-to-mid career urban scholars from the Global South to pursue an extended sabbatical (3-9 months) at a university or other academically-accredited organisation of their choosing worldwide (either Global South or North).

Applications are invited to the USF’s International Fellowships for urban scholars from the Global South. Each award will cover the cost of a visiting sabbatical period at a host university of the candidate’s choice, for the purpose of writing-up the candidate’s existing research findings in the form of publishable articles and/or a book. The proposed work should be completed under the guidance of a chosen mentor in the candidate’s field of study. Funding is available for a period ranging between 3-9 months, and eligible research may cover any theme pertinent to a better understanding of urban realities in the Global South.

Purpose

• The USF International Fellowship is intended for the purpose of writing-up the candidate’s existing research findings in the form of publishable articles and/or a book under the guidance of a chosen Mentor in their field of study.
• Proposed research outputs should present a clear connection and novel contribution to any topic within urban studies, not limited to: climate, development, ecology, finance, governance, housing, migration, mobility, planning, policy, political economy, public health, social equity, sustainability, transport, and technology. Applicants must be familiar with the wider urban studies discipline (including through relevant publications such as the Urban Studies Journal), and be confident that their scholarship can make a significant contribution to the field.
• Additionally, it is intended that such outputs should expand theoretical and empirical understanding of the major social, economic, political, and other issues associated with the specific development trajectories of cities in the Global South. The programme is therefore designed to give scope to the exchange of ideas between urban scholars working in various parts of the globe. To this end, particular importance is attached to the identification and willingness of an established urban scholar working within the host organisation to act as a Mentor to the Fellow.
• As part of this, the International Fellowship also intends to:
  • Foster collaboration between an emerging researcher from the Global South and a suitable and experienced researcher (located anywhere, worldwide, whether in the Global South or North).
  • Build and strengthen institutional-academic networks of urban studies at a truly global scale.
  • Strengthen the international profile and career path of the Fellow.
  • Develop and publish high-quality research on a topic that makes a significant contribution to the study of urbanization in the Global South and more widely. It is anticipated that the work undertaken might be of a largely theoretical nature or focused on the analysis and conceptual development of empirically-based research for which the data has already been collected. Therefore, the Fellowship is not designed to support primary data collection and will not fund such activities.
  • Provide a time and space where the above aims can be achieved, and therefore requiring that the Fellow should be able to take a ‘break’ from their home institution environment during which they can dedicate themselves to pursuing their research proposal objectives.

Eligibility Criteria

• Candidate 
  • The candidate’s PhD must have been awarded in a relevant social science or humanities discipline within the last ten years (by the exact application deadline date). Relevant disciplines might include: anthropology, architecture, data science, demography, development, economics, geography, planning, political science, public policy, sociology, spatial science/modelling, sustainability, urbanism (though this list is not exhaustive). Candidates who have not received their PhD are not eligible.
  • Career breaks with supporting statement and evidence may be considered as reasons extend this ten-year period in some cases (e.g. documented maternity/paternity leave, unemployment, military service, illness, etc.). However, in this case prospective applicants must contact the USF prior to applying to discuss and confirm their situation (and the USF reserves the right not to consider applicants whose PhDs were awarded more than ten years ago).
  • Candidates must be a national of a Global South country, defined here as countries present on the OECD’s current ODA recipient list (2024-2025). Preference may be given to candidates from least or low-income countries, but middle-income developing countries are not excluded if the need for support is justified.
  • Candidates must also reside within a country in the Global South, and have a formal affiliation with a university or other higher education and/or research institution in the Global South.
• Proposed Fellowship 
  • The Fellowship is intended to support writing-up existing research for publication outputs (i.e. where the primary data collection and analysis has already been completed). It is not designed to fund new research projects, and such proposals will not be considered for funding.
  • The Fellowship must begin within fourteen months of the closing deadline, i.e. by September 2025 (though applicants should be aware that the review process can take up to twelve weeks).
  • The Fellow must be based at the proposed host organisation for the duration of the Fellowship (to benefit from and engage with the relevant scholarly community and resources). Remote Fellowships will not be considered.
  • Proposed research outputs should present a clear connection and novel contribution within the field of urban studies, and be aimed towards publication for relevant audiences.

For more information, visit USF.