The Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) 2020 for Threatened Scholars worldwide

The Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) is the only global program that arranges and funds fellowships for threatened and displaced scholars at partnering higher education institutions worldwide. These year-long fellowships of $25,000USD support temporary academic positions at institutions of higher learning anywhere in the world where IIE-SRF fellows can continue their work in safety. In most cases, IIE-SRF fellows are eligible to apply for a second and final year of fellowship support.

Eligibility Criteria

IIE-SRF accepts applications from professors, researchers, and public intellectuals who face threats and cannot continue their work in their home countries. Scholars from any country and in any academic field or discipline may qualify. Applicants are assessed based on academic qualifications and experience, the quality and/or potential of their work, and the urgency of the threats that they face.

Preference is given to scholars who:

• hold a Ph.D. or highest degree in their field and have significant teaching and/or research experience at a university, college, or other institution of higher learning;
• have an established record of published research;
• demonstrate superior academic accomplishment or promise;
• are facing or have recently fled from immediate, targeted threats to their lives and/or careers in their home countries or countries of residence;
• will benefit their home and/or host academic communities.

Benefit:

The IIE-SRF fellowship award includes a grant of up to US$25,000, along with individual health insurance, to support a visiting academic appointment of up to one year (renewable for a second year). The final fellowship amount is dependent upon several factors, including the location of the host institution, the cost of living, and the value of any additional contributions from the host institution of other source(s).

IIE-SRF typically requires that the hosting institution provide financial support that is equal to or greater than the IIE-SRF fellowship award. This support generally takes the form of a stipend or other direct funding for the visiting fellow such as housing, airfare, and meal programs. In-kind contributions – office space, computers, language, or other training fees, etc. – are encouraged for a complete fellow support package but do not qualify as part of the matching contribution.

In host countries where the cost of living is lower and the funding requirement is prohibitive, IIE-SRF may consider on a case-by-case basis a waiver of the full host funding requirement.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY