Fellowships & other direct support for researchers at risk

The following organisations provide fellowships, arrange placements or provide other direct support to researchers at risk:

The Philipp Schwartz Initiative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH)
The Philipp Schwartz Initiative provides universities and research institutions in Germany with the means to host threatened foreign researchers for a period of 24 months on a fully funded research fellowship. An extension is possible under a co-financing mode

Support provided:

  • Funding for host institutions
  • Information, advice & referrals
  • Training/ career development opportunities
  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk
  • Mentoring programmes
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at riskAuxiliary funds for host institutions to help establish long-term support structures and fund individual career development activities

Location of fellowships/placements:
Germany


The French national PAUSE programme, hosted by College de France
The PAUSE programme is a national project initiated by the French state with support from civil society and economic stakeholders. Its mission is to facilitate the hosting of scientists from crisis zones for sufficiently long periods to enable them to integrate and to ensure continuity in their research

Support provided:

  • Funding to institutions to host researchers
  • Matchmaking between institutions and researchers to set up placements
  • Information, advice & referrals
  • Training/career development opportunities
  • Mentoring programmes
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
France


Institute of International Education Scholar Rescue Fund
The Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) is the only global programme that arranges and funds fellowships for threatened and displaced scholars at partnering higher education institutions worldwide.

Support provided:

  • Fellowships directly to researchers at risk
  • Funding to institutions to host researchers
  • Matchmaking between institutions and researchers to set up placements
  • Emergency (relocation) funds
  • Other direct funding to researchers at risk
  • Training/career development opportunities
  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk
  • Mentoring programmes
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk
  • Health insurance,
  • Professional development (conference) funding,
  • Language training funding
  • Legal assistance for immigration

Location of fellowships/placements:
Global


Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network
Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of higher education institutions and individuals working to protect threatened scholars, prevent attacks on higher education, and promote academic freedom and related values. Although it does not offer scholarships, it can help researchers at risk find a scholarship in a host institution.
Scholars at Risk Europe, hosted at Maynooth University, is the European office of the global Scholars at Risk network

Support provided:

  • Matchmaking between institutions and researchers to set up placements
  • Information, Advice & referrals
  • Emergency (relocation) funds
  • Other direct funding to researchers at risk
  • Training/career development opportunities
  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk
  • Transition support
  • Follow-up placements
  • Advocacy on behalf of scholars in prison

Location of fellowships/placements:
Global


SAR Denmark
SAR Denmark is coordinated by the University of Copenhagen and includes 9 universities and associations working to promote academic freedom and to protect threatened scholars.

Support provided:

  • Hosting researchers at-risk
  • Advocacy on behalf of scholars in prison
  • Speaking engagements for at-risk scholars

Location of fellowships/placements:
Denmark


SAR Sweden
SAR Sweden is coordinated by the University of Gothenburg and includes 21 universities and associations working to promote academic freedom and to protect threatened scholars.

Support provided:

  • Funding to institutions to host researchers
  • Information, advice & referrals
  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Sweden


SAR Italy
SAR Italy is coordinated by the University of Trento and University of Padua and includes 23 universities and associations working to promote academic freedom and to protect threatened scholars.

Support provided:

  • Fellowships directly to researchers at risk
  • Information, advice & referrals
  • Training/career development opportunities
  • Speaking engagements for at-risk scholars
  • Mentoring programmes
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk
  • Community of care for researchers at risk
  • Advocacy on behalf of scholars in prison

Location of fellowships/placements:
Italy


SAR Slovakia (with Bratislava Policy Institute)
SAR Slovakia is coordinated by the Bratislava Policy Institute and includes 7 universities and associations working to promote academic freedom and to protect threatened scholars.

Support provided:

  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk
  • Mentoring programmes
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Slovakia


SAR Norway
SAR Norway is currently chaired by the University of Agder and includes 19 universities and associations working to promote academic freedom and to protect threatened scholars.

Supported provided:

  • Information, advice & referrals
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Norway


SAR Ireland
SAR Ireland is coordinated by Universities Ireland and includes 9 universities and associations working to promote academic freedom and to protect threatened scholars.

Supported provided​:

  • Fellowships directly to researchers at risk
  • Funding to institutions to host researchers
  • Matchmaking between institutions and researchers to set up placements
  • Information, advice & referrals
  • Other direct funding to researchers at risk
  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk
  • Mentoring programmes
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Ireland


SAR Netherlands
SAR Netherlands is coordinated by UAF and includes 19 universities and associations working to promote academic freedom and to protect threatened scholars.

Supported provided​:

  • Matchmaking between institutions and researchers to set up placements,
  • Information, advice & referrals,
  • Training/career development opportunities,
  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk,
  • Mentoring programmes
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk;

Location of fellowships/placements:
The Netherlands


SAR Finland (with UNIFI)
SAR Finland is coordinated by UNIFI and includes 11 universities and associations working to promote academic freedom and to protect threatened scholars.

Supported provided​:

  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Finland


IIE-SRF-EDUFI Fellowship, Finland
In Finland, the Scholar Rescue Fund grants are targeted to scholars from conflict regions in the early stages of their academic career (recent PhD graduates or scholars with limited academic experience after graduation).

Supported provided​:

  • Matchmaking between institutions and researchers to set up placements
  • Information, advice & referrals
  • Emergency (relocation) funds
  • Training/career development opportunities
  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Finland


SAR Germany (with AvH)
SAR Germany is coordinated by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and includes 45 universities and associations working to promote academic freedom and to protect threatened scholars.

Supported provided​:

  • Funding to institutions to host researchers,
  • Information, advice & referrals,
  • Training/career development opportunities,
  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk,
  • Mentoring programmes
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk
  • Auxiliary funds for host institutions to help establish long-term support structures and fund individual career development activities

Location of fellowships/placements:
Germany


SAR Switzerland
SAR Switzerland is coordinated by a steering committee, currently chaired by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences and includes 24 universities and associations working to promote academic freedom and to protect threatened scholars.

Supported provided​:

  • Information, advice & referrals
  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Switzerland


Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA)
The Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA) is a charitable British organisation dedicated to assisting academics in immediate danger

Supported provided​:

  • Fellowships directly to researchers at risk
  • Matchmaking between institutions and researchers to set up placements
  • Information, advice & referrals,
  • Emergency (relocation) funds,
  • Other direct funding to researchers at risk
  • Training/career development opportunities
  • Speaking engagements for researchers at risk
  • Mentoring programmesNetworking opportunities for researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
UK based, placements are worldwide


The Université libre de Bruxelles Solidarity Fund
The ULB Solidarity Fund offers 1-year postdoctoral fellowships to enable threatened academics to continue their work at ULB in a climate of academic freedom

Support provided:

  • Fellowships directly to researchers at risk
  • Relocation Funding

Location of fellowships/placements:
Belgium


Academy in Exile
Academy in Exile offers scholars who are threatened in their home countries because of their academic or civic engagement for human rights, peace and democracy, the opportunity to resume their research abroad

Support provided:

  • Fellowships directly to researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Germany


Einstein Junior Scholars and Einstein Guest researchers’ programmes
The Einstein Foundation offers two special programmes (Einstein Junior Scholars and Einstein Guest Researchers) to enable researchers and scientists who are experiencing constraints in their work around the world to come to Berlin for two years to pursue their research without undue restrictions or threats

Support provided:

  • Fellowships directly to researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Germany


Zukunftskolleg Bridge Fellowships
The Zukunftskolleg Bridge Fellowships offer researchers at risk the opportunity to carry out research and teach at the University of Konstanz for a period of up to nine months and to be integrated into the German academic system

Support provided:
Fellowships directly to researchers at risk
Training/ career development opportunities

Location of fellowships/placements:
Germany


State of Bremen Scholarship Programme
The Senator for Science, Health, and Consumer Protection of the State of Bremen supports PhD and postdoctoral candidates whose scientific work in their home country is endangered due to persecution and threats

Support provided:
Fellowships directly to researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Germany


Baden-Württemberg Fund for Persecuted Scholars
The Baden-Württemberg Fund for Persecuted Scientists supports research placements for guest scientists at universities, colleges and research institutes within Baden-Württemberg, so that scientists who are persecuted in their home countries can continue their work in safety

Support provided:

  • Fellowships directly to researchers at risk (for visiting research appointment at universities, colleges and research institutes within Baden-Württemberg, Germany)

Location of fellowships/placements:
Germany


Hamburg Programme for Scholars at Risk (HPSAR)
The Hamburg Programme for Scholars at Risk (HPSAR) aims to enable endangered scientists to bridge acute emergencies and at the same time to further qualify and orient themselves in the German science system

Support provided:

  • Fellowships directly to researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Germany


Hessen Fund for Refugees
The Hessian Ministry of Science and the Arts (HMWK) grants scholarships for particularly talented and high-performing refugee students, doctoral candidates and scientists at the state universities of Hesse as part of the ‘Hessen Fund’

Support provided:

  • Fellowships directly to researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Germany


VolkswagenStifung
The Volkswagen Foundation wishes to contribute to the integration of refugee scholars and academics in research and society and help them to carry on their academic career in Germany through the refugee scholar and scientist fund

Support provided:

  • Fellowships directly to researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Germany


Academics in Solidarity- Freie Universität Berlin
‘Academics in Solidarity’ is a peer-mentoring program that connects exiled researchers and established scholars in Germany, Lebanon and Jordan

Support provided:

  • Support service
  • Mentoring programmes
  • Networking opportunities for researchers at risk

Location of fellowships/placements:
Germany


OFF University
Off-University creates new strategies to uphold and sustain academic life and knowledge threatened by anti-democratic and authoritarian regimes

Support provided:

  • Online courses
  • Lecturing opportunities for researchers at risk and at-risk scholars who have been persecuted in their countries of origin

Location of support:
Worldwide