Fellowships for Visiting Scholars from the Global South in Cambridge
CRASSH’s Visiting Fellowships for Scholars from the Global South
The Centre for Research in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CRASSH) at the University of Cambridge has announced its call for applications for the Global South Visiting Fellowships for 2025.
This opportunity, aimed at scholars from the Global South, offers a space for collaboration and exchanging ideas, allowing Fellows to benefit from the University of Cambridge's resources. This Fellowship program is more than just a residency—it's also a bridge to future collaborations and exchanges.
2024 Visiting Fellow Dr Victoria Oluwamayowa Gbadegesin from the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria, presenting her research at the Research Symposium
An Opportunity to Contribute to Global Knowledge
The theme for the 2026 fellowship cycle, Science, Politics, and Justice, invites applicants to research how science intersects with social justice movements. From researching anticolonialism, climate justice, to the ethics of medical knowledge, this fellowship offers scholars the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research while contributing to global conversations.
Fellows will collaborate with one another to plan an event during their stay, sharing their research with peers and the broader community at Cambridge. This event will help foster a deeper understanding of the Global South’s role in shaping future academic and policy dialogue.
What is Significant about this Fellowship?
This Fellowship program offers an enriching opportunity for scholars from the Global South to access the academic resources, collections, and networks of the University of Cambridge, which can oftentimes be challenging to reach from different regions across the globe.
Fellows will not only have room to advance their own research in a supportive, academic environment, but will also have the chance to build cross-cultural partnerships, gain international exposure, and engage in CRASSH’s intellectual community. We hope that this will not only open the doors to interdisciplinary research, but also generate insights that have the potential to influence policy, social justice movements, and global academic discourses.
What Does the Fellowship Include?
This fully funded fellowship offers:
- Single ensuite accommodation at Wolfson College, Cambridge (with costs covered by CRASSH).
- Return economy travel from the scholar’s home country to Cambridge, including a visa, in accordance with the University’s travel policy.
- A subsistence allowance of £140 per week to support the cost of food and local travel.
- Desk space and access to CRASSH’s resources, libraries, and computer facilities.
- Opportunities for collaboration with scholars from diverse disciplines, in the heart of one of the world’s leading academic institutions.
Eligibility Criteria and Application Process
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be currently employed at a higher education institution or research institute in the Global South, on at least a 50% contract, and primarily engaged in research within the arts, humanities, or social sciences.For the purposes of this Fellowship scheme, ‘Global South’ is defined as those countries that are included in the OECD’s list of countries receiving Official Development Assistance.
- Have been awarded a PhD at least five years before the application date.
- Must be able to provide a letter of support from their Head of Department confirming leave of absence for the fellowship period.
The application requires a CV, an outline of the research to be conducted during the fellowship, and a proposal for a collaborative event that will take place during the term in Cambridge. Applicants will also be required to answer the following questions:
- Why do you wish to apply for this Visiting Fellowship? What benefits would be spending a term at CRASSH, and the University of Cambridge bring you? (max. 500 words)
- What research will you be conducting while in Cambridge? Please give an outline of your current project and explain which part(s) of it you intend to carry out during the term of your Visiting Fellowship. (max. 1000 words)
- The Visiting Fellows appointed under this scheme will be asked to work together to design an event, to take place during the term you are in Cambridge, which will provide an opportunity for you to present your own research, alongside others. What ideas would you suggest for the theme and format or such an event? (max. 400 words)
Upcoming and Previous Fellows:
- 2025 Fellow - Felicity Apaah (University of Ghana)
- 2024 Fellow - Victoria Oluwamayowa Gbadegesin (Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria)
2024 Global South Fellows Dr Victoria Oluwamayowa Gbadegesin, Dr Swati Moitra and Dr Mariela Penai with colleagues from the University of Cambridge
CRASSH encourages those who may be interested, to submit their applications before the deadline on 24 February 2025 at 12:00 (UCT). The results of the selection process will be announced by the end of March 2025.
For further guidance or any queries, please head to the CRASSH website, or alternatively, email the CRASSH fellowships team at fellowships@crassh.cam.ac.uk.
by Zainab Akhtar, Fellowships and Alumni Coordinator at CRASSH