Urban Studies Foundation International Fellowships 2025: (Deadline 16 July, 2025)

Applications are open for the Urban Studies Foundation International Fellowships 2025. Each award will cover the cost of a visiting sabbatical period at a host university of the candidate’s choice, for the purpose of writing-up the candidate’s existing research findings in the form of publishable articles, book chapters, and/or books. The proposed work should be completed under the guidance of a chosen Mentor in the candidate’s field of study. Funding is available for a period ranging between three and nine months, and eligible research may cover any urban studies theme pertinent to a better understanding of urban realities within and across the Global South.

The scheme is intended to serve the USF’s over-arching strategic mission to advance global urban studies. Supporting over seventy Fellows from over twenty countries, the scheme has also contributed enormously to the USF’s goals of supporting early-career researchers, strengthening scholarship of the Global South, fostering collaboration, and developing excellent urban research. Through promoting the global exchange and mobility of both individuals and ideas, the scheme also aims to intervene in the production of knowledge in a manner that both champions epistemic justice and elevates new understandings of diverse global realities. In the longer-term, the scheme works towards cultivating the research leadership and capacities of tomorrow.

Funding

• The financial support of the Fellowship is intended to meet accommodation and subsistence needs while staying at the host university, return travel, and assistance towards some research costs. There is also a small budget available for the Mentor to engage with the Fellow’s home institution(s), network(s), and/or research site(s).
• Shortlisted candidates may also apply for a small supplemental grant if they have extra-ordinary costs arising due to caring responsibilities or disability, provided they have contacted the USF in advance of applying to discuss their requirements. Fellowships should begin no earlier than four months after the deadline for applications, and no later than fourteen months after the application deadline.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be early-to-mid-career urban scholars holding a PhD awarded within the preceding ten calendar years (by the submission deadline).
• They must be nationals of any country present on the current OECD DAC list of ODA recipients and be formally affiliated to/working within a research organisation based in any of these countries.
• Candidates must have already completed primary data collection and analysis and be ready to write-up their findings as academic publications.
• The work must represent a clear and valuable contribution to the field of urban studies, and proposals outside of this field will not be considered.

Application

The application must include:

• Applicant information: contact details, recent education, recent academic roles, a short career statement, proof of nationality, and the names and contact details of two academic referees.
• Proposed fellowship information: dates, mentorship, and host organisation arrangements.
• Budget: all cost items and suitable evidence for any items above GBP 500.
• Research proposal: outline of the planned research, intended outputs, the reasons for the choice of the host organisation, and a statement of how the candidate’s chosen mentor will support and facilitate the proposed research.
• Applicant CV listing academic achievements and publications (3 pages maximum).
• Short CV from the mentor which includes any previous mentoring experience (3 pages maximum).
• Mentor’s supporting letter stating their willingness to act as a Mentor to the Fellow, and detailing the suitability of the host organisation for the proposed Fellowship in reference to the Host Organisation and Mentorship Guidelines (2 pages maximum).

For more information, visit Urban Studies Foundation International Fellowships.

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