About this opportunity
If you have been carrying a research idea you cannot finish between meetings and admin, this fellowship hands you three to eight months of quiet to actually do it. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation established the Gulbenkian Institute for Advanced Study in 2025 as an independent institute in Lisbon. It is now taking applications for its 2027/28 cohort of fellowships. What the fellowship offers:
- Up to 15 fellowships awarded each year, and in exceptional cases more within the same total budget.
- Each fellowship supports a minimum of three and a maximum of eight months for a research project of your own choosing.
- The award includes a monthly stipend, travel expenses, travel and health insurance and a partial housing allowance.
- The amount is set after the application is selected, according to the length of residence and the individual fellow's financial and institutional circumstances, so no single fixed figure is published on the call.
- Family health insurance is covered, and fellows acquire and retain the status of Fellow of the Institute after the award.
- Applications are assessed through a competitive international process, with the final cohort selected by the GIAS Advisory Board.
Eligibility
- Individuals of any nationality, with no Portuguese language requirement.
- There is no formal requirement to hold a PhD. Academics, independent scholars, emeritus professors, professionals not linked to academia and artists are all listed.
- Any scientific field is accepted, provided the planned work does not require laboratory or experimental procedures and is not primarily practice or application oriented.
- The quality and originality of the proposed work is central in the evaluation. Good to know before you start: you will need a MyGulbenkian account to apply, and the open call conditions document is downloadable from the application page. The call page notes that transcripts and translations can take weeks to arrive, so early preparation is advised. The programme runs from a start date of 1 July 2026.
What you receive
- Three to eight months of supported research time in Lisbon for a project of your own choosing
- Monthly stipend, travel expenses, travel and health insurance and a partial housing allowance
- Family health insurance covered
- Fellow status with the Institute, acquired and retained after the award
- An interdisciplinary intellectual environment with minimal routine obligations
Who can apply
- Applications submitted by individuals of any nationality
- No Portuguese language requirement and no formal requirement to hold a PhD
- Open to academics, independent scholars, emeritus professors, professionals not linked to academia and artists
- Any scientific field, provided the planned work does not require laboratory or experimental procedures and is not primarily practice or application oriented
Who should not apply
- Work that requires laboratory or experimental procedures is not accepted
- Work that is primarily practice or application oriented is not accepted
Documents to prepare
- A research project proposal of your own choosing
- The documents listed in the open call conditions PDF on the application page, with transcripts and translations noted as slow to arrive
- A MyGulbenkian account for submission
How to apply
- Read the open call conditions PDF on the GIAS fellowships page
- Create a MyGulbenkian account
- Prepare your proposal and any documents that take weeks to arrive
- Submit through the foundation's portal before 15 October 2026 at 15:00 Lisbon time
Selection process
- Applications are assessed through a competitive international process
- The final cohort is selected by the GIAS Advisory Board
- The amount of each fellowship is set after the application is selected
Sources and verification
Questions applicants ask
Is there a published stipend amount?
No single figure is published. The amount of each fellowship is set after selection, according to the length of residence and the fellow's financial and institutional circumstances.
Do I need a PhD to apply?
There is no formal requirement to hold a PhD. Academics, independent scholars, emeritus professors, professionals not linked to academia and artists are listed as accepted applicants.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
