FIAS Fellowship Programme 2027-2028 — Fully Funded 10-Month Research Fellowship in France (€2,200/Month)
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If you are a researcher in the social sciences, humanities, or related fields and you have been looking for a funded opportunity to dedicate serious, uninterrupted time to your research in one of the world’s most intellectually rich environments, this is one of the best opportunities open right now.
The French Institutes for Advanced Study (FIAS) Fellowship Programme is offering 29 fully funded 10-month fellowships across seven prestigious institutes in France for the 2027-2028 academic year. Fellows receive a €2,200 monthly living allowance, accommodation, social security coverage, travel expenses, research funding, and full access to university libraries and research infrastructure.
The application deadline is 25 June 2026. That is just under two months away. If this is relevant to your work, now is the time to move.
What Is the FIAS Fellowship Programme?
FIAS — the French Institutes for Advanced Study Fellowship Programme — is coordinated by the RFIEA network (Network of French Institutes for Advanced Study) and supported by the French government. It is one of France’s flagship programmes for attracting top international researchers across all career levels, from postdoctoral researchers to senior scientists.
The programme is built around a simple but powerful idea: give outstanding researchers the time, space, and resources to develop innovative research projects, free from the administrative and teaching pressures of their home institutions. Fellows are based at one of seven Institutes for Advanced Study (IAS) across France, each embedded within a major French university city and connected to local research centres and laboratories.
This is not a teaching position. It is not a consultancy. It is protected research time — funded, supported, and located in one of the most intellectually stimulating countries in the world.
What the Fellowship Covers
This is a genuinely comprehensive funding package. Here is exactly what every FIAS fellow receives:
| Benefit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Living allowance | €2,200 per month |
| Duration | 10 months |
| Total stipend value | €22,000 |
| Contract options | Work contract or monthly allowance — your choice |
| Social security | Full coverage provided |
| Accommodation | Provided by the host IAS |
| Travel expenses | Covered |
| Research and training budget | Provided |
| Office space | Dedicated office at the host IAS |
| Library access | Special access and lending privileges at university-based research libraries |
| IT services | Provided |
| Collective spaces | Access to seminars, workshops, and common research spaces |
€2,200 per month in France is workable, particularly outside Paris. Combined with provided accommodation and covered travel, the fellowship removes virtually every major financial barrier to a productive 10-month research stay.
The Seven Host Institutes — Where You Could Be Based
FIAS is offering 29 fellowships distributed across seven institutes for the 2027-2028 cycle. The location matters — each IAS has its own scientific priorities, local research community, and university connections. Choose carefully based on where your research fits best.
| Institute Location | Number of Fellowships |
|---|---|
| Paris | 8 |
| Aix-Marseille | 7 |
| Nantes | 4 |
| Cergy | 3 |
| Lyon | 3 |
| Montpellier | 2 |
| Loire Valley (Orléans-Tours) | 2 |
Paris has the most fellowships and the highest concentration of international research networks. Aix-Marseille is France’s second-largest city with a strong Mediterranean research culture. Lyon is a major intellectual hub in eastern France. Each institute has specific scientific priorities published on their individual pages — review these before you apply, as alignment with the host IAS’s priorities strengthens your application.
What Fields Are Eligible
The FIAS Fellowship Programme is broadly open to the social sciences and humanities (SSH). This includes but is not limited to:
- Sociology and Anthropology
- History and Philosophy
- Political Science and International Relations
- Economics and Development Studies
- Linguistics and Literature
- Cultural Studies and Area Studies
- Law and Governance
- Geography and Urban Studies
- Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
- Education and Communication
Importantly, researchers from other sciences and from the arts are also eligible — provided their project proposes a strong interaction and meaningful dialogue with the social sciences and humanities. If you work at an interdisciplinary intersection that touches SSH, you are not automatically excluded.
Who Can Apply: Eligibility Criteria
Career level: The fellowship is open to all career levels — from postdoctoral researchers to senior scientists. There is no upper career limit.
Minimum qualification: A PhD plus at least 2 years of research experience at the time of application. The PhD training period itself does not count toward the 2 years — it must be post-PhD research experience.
Nationality: Researchers from all countries worldwide are eligible. There is no nationality restriction.
France residency restriction: You must not have spent more than 12 months in France during the three years immediately prior to the application deadline. This is designed to ensure the programme genuinely attracts international researchers rather than those already based in France.
Artists note: The eligibility requirements for artists have recently changed. A PhD is now required for artist applicants — this is a new condition that was not previously in place. If you are applying as a practitioner in the arts, confirm you hold a PhD before investing time in an application.
How Competitive Is This Fellowship?
Very. The FIAS selection process is described as “highly competitive” and is conducted through international independent peer review — meaning your application is assessed by experts in your field from outside France, not just by the institutes themselves.
With 29 fellowships available across all disciplines and all countries worldwide, the competition pool is genuinely global. What this means for your application:
Your research project proposal must be original, clearly articulated, and well-positioned within current debates in your field. Vague or under-developed proposals will not survive peer review. The selection committee is looking for projects that are genuinely innovative — not incremental additions to existing literature, but research that opens new questions or develops new frameworks.
Your track record matters. Publications, previous fellowships, conference presentations, and research grants all contribute to the assessment of your scientific merit.
The Application and Selection Timeline
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Application deadline | 25 June 2026, 6pm (French time) |
| Eligibility check | July 2026 |
| Peer review process | August – November 2026 |
| Preselection by FIAS Selection Committee | December 2026 |
| Selection by IAS Scientific Advisory Boards | January – February 2027 |
| Results communicated | March 2027 |
The timeline is long — you apply in June 2026 and hear back in March 2027, nine months later. This is standard for competitive academic fellowship programmes. Plan accordingly and do not count on this as your only application for the period.
How to Apply
All applications are submitted online through the official FIAS portal at www.fias-fp.eu. The portal contains detailed guidance on the content of your application, the specific eligibility criteria, and the full selection procedure.
Before starting your application, download the official guide for applicants from the FIAS website. It contains institute-specific priorities and detailed instructions on what each section of the application requires.
Key steps:
- Review the scientific priorities of the institute(s) you are considering — these are published on each IAS’s individual page
- Develop your research project proposal in dialogue with those priorities
- Prepare your academic CV, publication list, and reference contacts
- Submit your full application through www.fias-fp.eu before 25 June 2026 at 6 pm French time
Tips for a Strong Application
Choose your host IAS strategically. Each institute has published scientific priorities. An application that clearly connects your research to those priorities will be more competitive than a generic project submission. Do not just pick Paris because it is the most famous — choose the IAS where your research fits best.
Write your project proposal for a multidisciplinary audience. FIAS fellowships are assessed by peers across disciplines, not just specialists in your exact subfield. Your proposal needs to be accessible and compelling to a broader academic readership, not just insiders in your specific area.
Be specific about what you will produce. What will you write, publish, develop, or complete during the 10 months? Fellowship committees want to see a clear, realistic plan — not a vague ambition. Name the chapters, papers, or outputs you intend to deliver.
Explain why France, why now. What specific resources, archives, colleagues, or research environments in France are essential to your project? The more specifically you can answer this, the stronger your application. A proposal that could happen anywhere weakens your case for a France-based fellowship.
Apply early. The portal can experience technical issues near the deadline. Submit at least 48 hours before 25 June 2026 to give yourself time to resolve any problems.
Honest Assessment: Is This Fellowship Worth Pursuing?
For researchers in the social sciences and humanities, yes, this is one of the best-structured research fellowship programmes available globally.
The combination of a €2,200 monthly allowance, provided accommodation, covered travel, research budget, and 10 months of protected research time is difficult to match. Most competitive fellowships offer one or two of these — FIAS offers all of them together.
France also matters as a research location. Its universities, archives, libraries, and research institutes represent centuries of accumulated scholarly infrastructure. For historians, political scientists, sociologists, legal scholars, literary researchers, and many others, France is not just a pleasant location — it is an essential one.
The main realistic challenge is competitiveness. Twenty-nine fellowships across all disciplines and all nationalities worldwide means the bar is high. If your research record is strong and your project is genuinely innovative, this is absolutely worth the application effort. If you are early in your postdoctoral career with limited publications, invest time now in strengthening your project proposal — and consider applying in a future cycle if this one feels premature.
FAQ
Is this fellowship open to Nigerian and African researchers? Yes. Researchers from all countries are eligible. There is no nationality restriction of any kind.
Do I need to speak French to apply? The fellowship does not specify a French language requirement. Many FIAS institutes operate in English and host international researchers who do not speak French. Check the specific language requirements of your preferred host IAS before applying.
Can I apply if I finished my PhD less than two years ago? No. You need at least 2 years of post-PhD research experience at the time of application. The PhD training period does not count toward this requirement.
Can I choose which city I want to be based in? Yes — you apply to a specific host IAS. Review the scientific priorities and number of fellowships available at each institute before deciding where to apply.
Is the €2,200 monthly allowance before or after tax? The fellowship offers two contractual options — a work contract or a monthly allowance — with social security coverage provided. The exact net amount depends on which contract type applies to your situation. Check the applicant guide at www.fias-fp.eu for current details.
Can I bring my family to France during the fellowship? The fellowship documentation does not address this directly. Contact the host IAS directly regarding accommodation arrangements for fellows with families.
What is the application deadline? 25 June 2026 at 6 pm French time. This is a firm deadline — late applications will not be considered.
When will I find out if I have been selected? Results are communicated in March 2027 — approximately nine months after the application deadline.
Where do I apply? Online at www.fias-fp.eu. Download the applicant guide from the same site before starting your application.
For more information and application:
