Application Deadline: June 29, 2020.

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. At the heart of IIE-SRF is the idea that each scholar we support is a beacon of hope in our world.

Building upon IIE’s century-long legacy of assisting students and scholars under threat, IIE-SRF has since 2002 supported 857 scholars from 60 countries in partnership with 417 host institutions in 46 countries.

Eligibility Criteria

Back to top

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.

Unfortunately, IIE-SRF typically cannot consider applications from individuals who:

• are seeking to continue their studies, including Ph.D. study, or to complete an academic training program;
• have been displaced or have resided outside their home countries for more than two years;
• hold citizenship or permanent residency in a safe second country;
• will have completed two years on a comparable fellowship or other program for threatened scholars.

Application Procedure

Back to top

Scholars can apply by sending the required application materials to us directly at srf@iie.org. In cases where a scholar is unable to submit the application, a third party may send the materials on their behalf.

The required application materials include:

1. Application coversheet
    
2. Current CV or resume. Please be sure your CV includes the following information:
   • Academic degrees (degree-granting institution, field, and date of degree award);
   • Current position (location, dates of employment, professional title, and responsibilities);
   • Previous academic positions (in chronological order, including location, dates of employment, professional title, and responsibilities);
   • A detailed list of your academic publications (journal articles, books, chapters, exhibitions, etc.) including full citations with the name of publication, authors, title of work, date of publication, and page numbers, if possible;
   • Other relevant academic work (including supervision of master’s and Ph.D. theses, conference presentations, grants/honors/awards, professional affiliations, etc.).
      
3. Academic statement. Please provide a thorough statement detailing your academic and professional background and experience, including a thorough description of your academic research interests. Please be sure to include a description of the activities that you have undertaken in your academic positions as well as an explanation of the activities (research, teaching, publishing, etc.) you would undertake during a fellowship. Your academic statement should be a minimum of one page.
    
4. Personal statement. Please provide a thorough statement explaining why you are applying to IIE-SRF for support. Include a clear and detailed account of the threats or risks that you have been facing and the reasons that you cannot continue your work in your home country at this time. Your personal statement should be a minimum of one page.
    
5. Reference letters. IIE-SRF requires a minimum of three (3) reference letters that contain the elements listed below. In some cases, additional letters may be requested. Letters from colleagues both inside and outside of your home country are preferred. Please note that IIE-SRF requires original reference letters. Letters should not use identical text, and each referee should speak to his/her specific knowledge of your academic background and/or circumstances. When possible, please have your referees compose their letters on official letterhead and send them to IIE-SRF directly at srf@iie.org.
   1. Two (2) academic/professional letters of reference from academic or professional colleagues who can speak in detail to your research, publications, teaching, or other academic experience. When appropriate, letters should describe your unique expertise and contributions to specific intellectual issues or questions.
       
   2. Two (2) personal letters of reference from colleagues or other persons who are aware of your circumstances and can describe the threats that you have been facing.
       
6. A copy of your Ph.D. or highest degree.
    
7. Samples of your most current research publications.
    
8. If you have already secured a commitment from a university or other institution to host your fellowship, please provide a letter from the host indicating their intent to host, if you are awarded. Please note that this is not a requirement.

To begin assessing an application, IIE-SRF must receive the application coversheet, a current CV, academic statement, and personal statement. The remaining materials may be sent at a later time.

Please note that all application materials submitted to IIE-SRF must be original and unique to an applicant’s particular academic background and circumstances. IIE-SRF will not accept academic or personal statements that share identical language with the statements of other applicants to IIE-SRF. Any language or background information borrowed from the internet or other outside source should be cited to credit the original source.

Please submit all application materials via email to srf@iie.org. If you do not have access to email, you may send your materials via fax or post.

Address:

Scholar Rescue Fund
Institute of International Education
809 United Nations Plaza
New York, New York 10017-3580
USA

Fax: +1-212-205-6425

Deadlines

The IIE-SRF Selection Committee meets to consider applications and award fellowships on a quarterly basis. Applications are accepted at any time throughout the year, though IIE-SRF will establish quarterly deadlines by which a scholar must apply to be considered for a specific selection meeting.

Application deadline for September 2020 selection meeting: June 29, 2020.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the IIE-SRF 2021 for Threatened Scholars worldwide