Short-term Research Stays 2024-2025

About the Programme and the Eligibility Criteria

The Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCAS) offers short-term research stays (approximately two weeks to two months) to scholars from all countries. Short-term research stays are offered during the autumn and spring semesters, depending on various circumstances, such as the availability of office space. The research stays give scholars the opportunity to concentrate on their own research interests, free from the teaching and administrative obligations of ordinary university life. Short-term researchers 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.

Short-term research stays are offered in three of the Collegium’s fellowship programmes. Applicants are welcome to apply to more than one short-term programme as long as the eligibility criteria are met:

• The General Fellowship Programme is open to scholars, mainly in the humanities and social sciences, from all countries.
• The Barbro Klein Fellowship Programme is open to scholars from across disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, with an emphasis on research on cultural and social diversity, cultural heritage and creativity, societal structures and public resistance, and varieties of cultural expressions in local and global perspective.
• The Global Horizons Fellowship Programme is open to scholars pursuing research on contemporary aspects of globalization and to promote a thematic collaboration across faculty lines. The programme revolves around three thematic areas: Global Knowledge Cultures and Regimes; Global Political Predicaments; and Global Futures. The programme is future-oriented in its ambition to contribute to the advancement of knowledge on contemporary forms of governance and their future implications.

Short-term research stays are offered to individual scholars. Candidates who are applying for a short-term stay within the General Fellowship Programme or the Barbro Klein Fellowship Programme must have held a PhD (or equivalent degree) for at least three years at the time of application.

Candidates who are applying for a short-term stay within the Global Horizons Fellowship Programme (Advanced Scholar) must have held a PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree) for at least seven years at the time of application. Candidates who are applying for a short-term stay within the Global Horizons Fellowship Programme (Young Scholar) can be no more than seven years from a PhD degree at the time of application.

The Collegium also invites small groups of two to five scholars for short-term research stays during which they can engage in topical, collaborative work. Each member of the group must submit an individual application. Members of a group may choose to submit individual project plans or a joint project plan. A group may include members without a PhD, but at least one of the members must fulfill the same PhD requirements as individual scholars (please see information above on individual scholars).

A short-term stay must take place either during the autumn semester or the spring semester. The autumn semester starts at the beginning of September and ends in mid-December. The spring semester begins in early January and ends in mid-June.

There is no set number of short-term research stays. Various circumstances, such as the availability of office space, may change suddenly and the Collegium cannot provide information in advance about whether short-term stays will be offered a specific semester.  

It is assumed that short-term researchers will cover the costs for their stays (such as salary, accommodation, travel). In some instances, the Collegium may be able to provide some funding. The availability of funding depends on various circumstances, and the Collegium cannot provide information in advance about whether funding can be offered.

Short-term researchers are responsible for making sure they have accommodation. Depending on availability, the Collegium may be able to assist with accommodation. The Collegium cannot provide information in advance about whether assistance with finding accommodation may be possible a specific semester.

Short-term researchers are responsible for all practical preparations, such as travel arrangements and visas. If you are not sure whether you may need a visa, please consult the Swedish Migration Agency, https://www.migrationsverket.se/English.html. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that there is enough time to secure visas etc. before a stay takes place (please take this into consideration when listing periods you may be able to come to SCAS).

Application Instructions and Deadline

The application deadline for the academic year 2024 - 2025 is on 28 February 2025 (23:59 CET).

Applications are assessed on a rolling basis. Please note, though, that candidates are not notified of a decision on a rolling basis. Since there is no set number of short-term research stays, the Collegium does not know in advance how quickly a reply can be given. However, candidates will have a reply no later than the dates below.

Applicants who have applied for a short-term stay in the autumn only will be given a reply via Varbi no later than 31 October 2024.

Applicants who have applied for a short-term stay in the autumn and/or the spring will be given a reply via Varbi no later than 31 March 2025.

Final decisions are taken by the Principal of the Collegium in consultation with Long-term Fellows. This means that all applications (including personal data) will be downloaded by Long-term Fellows, and may also be sent to external referees, outside of the EU/EEA.

Apply through the Varbi applications system by filling in the online form and submitting as PDF-files the following required application documents:

1. A brief curriculum vitae (1-2 pages)
2. A list of your major articles (up to ten) in international peer-reviewed journals and/or major research monographs or edited volumes
3. A description of your intended research project (not exceeding 1500 words, excluding bibliography if any)
4. An account of why you wish to be at SCAS (rather than at another institute for advanced study)(not exceeding 100 words
5.  An account of how you would benefit from a stay at SCAS (not exceeding 100 words) 
6.  An account of how you would contribute to the academic and social environment at SCAS (not exceeding 100 words) 

Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation email from the Varbi online application system. If you get a new email address, please make sure to update it in your Varbi account.

Candidates are advised to submit their applications well ahead of the deadline. It may take a few days to receive assistance should you have questions or need technical support.

If you have any questions related to the Varbi online application system, please contact Varbi’s support: varbi@uu.se

If you have any questions about short-term research stays, please contact the secretariat: fellowselection@swedishcollegium.se