The French Institutes for Advanced Study Fellowship Programme offers 10-month fellowships in the seven Institutes of Aix-Marseille, Loire Valley, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris and Rennes. It welcomes applications from high level international scholars and scientists primarily in the fields of the social sciences and the humanities (SSH).

Available positions for the 2024-2025 academic year :

• Aix-Marseille: 4
• Loire Valley (Orléans-Tours): 3
• Lyon: 10
• Montpellier: 3
• Nantes: 4
• Paris: 13
• Rennes: 3

The call is open to all disciplines in the SSH and all research fields. Research projects from other sciences that features a transversal dialogue with SSH are also eligible. It is highly recommended to check the Institutes webpages to learn more about their focus, scientific priorities and partners.

The Fellows will benefit from the support and conducive scientific environment offered by the IAS characterized by an interdisciplinary cohort of fellows and a close relation to the local research potential. The fellows will be free to organize their work and conduct research as they wish.

Eligibility

FIAS awards fellowships to outstanding researchers of all career levels, from postdoctoral researchers to senior scientists. The minimum requirement is a PhD + 2 years of research experience at the time of the application. Exception will be made for scholars with a Master + 6 years of full-time research experience after the degree (PhD training will not be considered in the calculation of experience).

Researchers from all countries are eligible to the FIAS Fellowship Programme but they must have spent no more than 12 months in France during the three years prior to the application deadline.

Scientific selection

The scientific selection is competitive, merit-based and conducted through an international independent peer review.

The 2024-2025 Calendar of implementation

• April 17th, 2023: opening of the application platform
• June 6th, 2023, 6:00 pm (Paris, France time): deadline for applications
• June 2023: eligibility check
• July-October 2023: double peer review
• November 2023: preselection by the FIAS Selection Committee (communication of preselection results, December 2023)
• January – February 2024: selection of fellows by IAS Scientific Advisory Boards and communication of results

More details can be found in the guide for applicants.

FIAS fellowships offer the following conditions:

• A net living allowance (equivalent to take-home pay) of €2,700 per month *
• Two flexible contractual options, considering individual situations: work contracts or paid leave*
• Adequate social security coverage
• Accommodation or support for relocation
• An individual research and training budget equivalent to €2,500 per year
• Travel expenses (one round trip from the fellow home country)
• Same working conditions as the IAS’ other fellows, including individual offices, special access and lending privileges in university-based research libraries, IT services, multiple collective spaces
• Skills training opportunities

*For further information, you may refer to the guide for applicants section and the FAQ.

For information specific to each IAS, please check the Institute dedicated pages.

The FIAS candidates must fulfill all the eligibility requirements to be considered:

• Degree & experience

At the time of the application deadline, researchers will have to be in possession of a doctoral degree plus 2 years of full-time research experience after the degree. Exception will be made for scholars with a Master + 6 years of full-time research experience after the degree (PhD training will not be considered in the calculation of experience).

• Mobility

Researchers from all countries and nationalities are eligible to the Programme. Applicants must fulfil the transnational MSCA mobility rule: incoming researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call deadline.

• Disciplines

The Programme is open to all Social Sciences and the Humanities. Applicants are strongly encouraged to check the IAS’ websites to learn more about the scientific orientation of the Institutes and their potential opening to disciplines outside the humanities and social sciences. Applications from artists matching the eligibility requirements are welcome.

• Administrative requirements

Applicants must provide full application forms and all requested documents through the online application platform. Incomplete and late applications are not considered eligible. Applications not complying with the maximum length criteria will not be considered. Applications in languages other than English (also partially) will not be considered.

• Other

The FIAS Fellowship Programme is committed to ensuring equal opportunities and working towards greater diversity within its academic community. It will not discriminate against researchers in any way (gender, age, ethnic, national or social origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, language, disability, political opinion, social or economic condition).

About the application

– Is it possible to contact the IAS before applying?
It is highly recommended to gather information from the institutes’ websites and to contact them in case you may need additional information (i.e. specific terms and conditions, research priorities).

– Can I send a paper application to the programme officer?
No. FIAS application and evaluation processes are online procedures only.

– Can recommendation letters be sent by email?
No. Recommendation letters are to be submitted via the application form. Candidates are offered two solutions:
(i) applicants upload the letters themselves in a pdf format via the dedicated field of the application form,
(ii) applicants enter the referees’ email addresses via the online application form. The referees will instantly receive an email containing a link that will allow them to directly upload the letter to the FIAS interface in full confidentiality. Applicants will not be able to access these documents.

– What is the difference between the recommendation letters and the letters of support/interest?
The recommendation letters are optional and should come from someone well acquainted with your research. The letters of support or interest are mandatory for candidates applying to the Loire Valley, Lyon, Montpellier and Paris IAS.

– I am applying to Nantes IAS, to Marseille IAS or to CUT Rennes do I need a letter of support/interest?
No.

– I am applying to Loire Valley (Orléans-Tours), to Lyon, to Montpellier, or to Paris, do I need a letter of support/interest?
Yes, a letter of support or interest by an IAS’s local scientific partner is mandatory for the Studium Loire Valley (Orléans-Tours), for the Collegium de Lyon, for MAK’IT (Montpellier IAS) and for the Paris IAS. Any application to Loire Valley, Lyon, Montpellier or Paris without a valid letter of support will not be considered. For more information on the support letters please check the guide for applicants.

– Can I send additional application material after the deadline?
No. All material sent to the programme officer after the deadline will not be considered.

– Can I send additional background information in a language other than English?
The application and evaluation procedures are conducted by international experts in English exclusively. Publications can be provided in any language, when coupled with an English-written abstract.

– Diploma equivalence
Candidates of Science and doctorates are considered equivalent to PhD.

– Submission of the Diploma
Applicants must submit a copy of the PhD diploma with a clear mention of date. Exception will be made for scholars with a Master + 6 years of full-time research experience after the degree (PhD training will not be considered in the calculation of experience). If the writing
system/script used in the diploma is not Latin (but, for example, Cyrillic, Chinese, Arabic, etc.) a Latin script university certificate or official translation must be attached as well.

– What is expected from the 5-page research proposal?
The presentation must detail the scientific goals of the project, the articulation to the current state of the art, the envisaged methodology and the expected scientific outputs. One additional page may be included with a bibliography.

– How long should the detailed Research Proposal be?
Maximum 5 pages or 10.000 signs + a bibliography (up to one additional page).

– Can I submit several research projects?
No. There is only one project per applicant, per year.

– Can I submit my research project to several institutes?
No.

– Are collective projects eligible?
No, FIAS fellowship Programme grants individual projects exclusively.

– Can I apply to more than one Institute for Advanced Study?
No, you need to choose one of the 7 IAS: Loire Valley (Orléans-Tours), Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris or Rennes.

Technical problems

– I can’t upload a file in the application form.
Please check that no special character appears in the name of the file (èéàùñç…)

– I can’t save my application.
Please log-out of your application and close the fias page. Clear the browser you are using (or even better change to a different browser). Then, log-in again in the fias platform.

– I can’t submit my application.
Check that your application file is complete and all the boxes are checked. If this doesn’t work and your application is complete, please log-out of your application and close the fias page. Clear the browser you are using (or even better change to a different browser). Then, log-in again in the fias platform.

About the eligibility conditions

– How is “full-time research experience” defined?
PhD training is not considered in the calculation of full-time research experience years. You must have been affiliated with/working for a higher education/research institution.

– How is “mobility” defined?
At the time of the application deadline, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in France for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date (short stays such as holidays and/or compulsory national service are not taken into account).

– Is there an age limit?
No.

About the Fellowship

– What is the stipend?
A net living allowance (equivalent to take-home pay) of min. €2,700 per month: It will be delivered to all fellows in the context of a work contract (via their home institutions or via the IAS hosting the fellowship). Arrangements will be based on the fellow’s individual situation and interest, depending on the contractual option chosen.

– What support do I get for accommodation and relocation?
Accommodation or support for relocation is also provided for successful applicants. FIAS will provide fellows with accommodation suitable for their family situation (from studios to 5-room apartments). All the successful applicants will benefit from the support of the FIAS Programme officer and IAS administrative staff for arrangements relating to work contracts and other administrative, professional, social and logistical issues (e.g. negotiating academic leave, finding accommodation, etc.).

– Is it possible to anticipate or to postpone the start of the fellowship?
Fellowships begin in September or October of each academic year (according to the host institute). However, the dates of your stay can be exceptionally negotiated with the host institute.