Focus: STIAS provides and maintains an independent ‘creative space for the mind’ to advance the cause of science and scholarship across all disciplines. It is global in its reach and local in its African roots, and values original thinking and innovation in this context. No restriction is placed on the country of origin, discipline, or academic affiliation when STIAS considers a fellowship invitation. It encourages the cross-pollination of ideas and hence gives preference to projects that will tap into, and benefit from, a multi-disciplinary discourse while also contributing unique perspectives to such a discourse. This interaction is fostered by inviting individual fellows or project teams where each team member is evaluated individually.

The fellowship requires participants to reside at STIAS for the entirety of their term, free from academic obligations outside their proposed research, and to engage daily in scholarly exchange through shared lunches at the Wallenberg Research Centre and regular seminars.

Selection is carried out on an individual basis. The STIAS Fellowship and Research Programme Committee meets regularly for a preliminary selection of candidates against the listed criteria, and final selection is made during a biannual meeting of the committee, where the overall composition of the semester programme is also considered. The Director receives further advice from the STIAS Academic Advisory Board.

The fellowship terms run from mid-January to mid-June for the first semester, and from mid-July to mid-December for the second semester. During recess periods, STIAS cannot offer standard fellowship support, although ad hoc accommodation arrangements may be possible. Applications for fellowships of one academic semester—approximately mid-January to mid-June or mid-July to mid-December—may be submitted in writing or via email at any time before announced deadlines, with selection typically concluded nine months in advance of the intended period of residence. In exceptional and well-justified cases, the Director may consider shorter residencies of at least six weeks or longer stays of up to two full semesters.

STIAS also accepts and welcomes proposals for team projects, evaluated under the same criteria. As part of its early-to-mid-career advancement programme, STIAS offers the Iso Lomso Fellowship for African Scholars. In addition, a limited number of fellowships may be considered annually for young scholars of any nationality, typically in their mid-thirties, who have completed a PhD or equivalent degree and at least one postdoctoral fellowship at recognised academic institutions. These applications are evaluated in the context of early-career development while maintaining the fellowship’s standards of academic excellence and originality.

The application window is currently open, with a deadline of 31 October 2025 for the first semester of 2027, and later in 2025 STIAS will transition to a digital application platform.

For more information, visit STIAS.