About this opportunity
STIAS, the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, provides and maintains an independent creative space for the mind to advance scientific inquiry and engaged scholarship across all disciplines. The Institute describes itself as global in its reach and local in its African roots, and it now hosts 911 fellows across 32 cohorts in a facility at Stellenbosch in the Western Cape built for creative intellectual exchange.
The Individual Fellowship is aimed at established researchers and the Institute is explicit that it is not a postdoctoral programme. Projects are entirely self generated and proposed by applicants, and academic excellence together with the originality of the proposal, building on the researcher's earlier work, are the key selection criteria. Fellows choose a residency inside the 2028 first semester window, between 15 January 2028 and 15 July 2028, and STIAS notes that shorter or longer stays, or deferments, are only considered in exceptional circumstances.
The application is made on the Institute's own online form and every field marked with an asterisk is required. Applicants supply a cover letter, a project proposal of two to four pages or up to 2000 words setting out the objectives and significance of the project, a comprehensive curriculum vitae with a list of publications, and a sample publication typical of their work or related to the proposed project. The form also records personal details, including nationality from a full list of countries, which is why researchers applying from Nigeria and other African universities can submit on the same terms as everyone else. The announcement does not publish a funding amount, so fellows are advised to confirm support arrangements directly with applicant-support@stias.ac.za before they commit to a residency.
What you receive
- A research residency at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study in the Western Cape, South Africa
- Membership of a STIAS cohort, part of a community of 911 fellows across 32 cohorts
- Time and space for a self generated project, with the Institute built for creative intellectual exchange across disciplinary boundaries
- A residency inside the 2028 first semester window, between 15 January 2028 and 15 July 2028
- Engagement with an Institute that advances scientific inquiry and engaged scholarship across all disciplines
- Direct support from the Institute application team at applicant-support@stias.ac.za during the call
Who can apply
- Established researchers, since the fellowship is aimed at senior scholars and is not a postdoctoral programme
- Applicants whose project is self generated and builds on their own earlier research
- Academic excellence and originality of the proposal are the key selection criteria
- Applicants must be available for a residency inside the 2028 first semester window, between 15 January 2028 and 15 July 2028
- Applicants must have read the information and FAQs about the fellowship before submitting
- Open to researchers of any nationality, the application form lists countries from across the world
- The Institute is global in its reach and local in its African roots, and values original thinking and innovation
Who should not apply
- This is not a postdoctoral programme, so early career researchers looking for a postdoctoral award should look elsewhere in the STIAS portfolio
- Stays shorter or longer than the semester, and deferments, are only considered in exceptional circumstances
- Projects that are not self generated, for example work proposed by another supervisor or institution, do not fit the Individual Fellowship
- The call pages do not publish a stipend, travel or accommodation amount, so applicants should not assume those costs are automatically covered
- STIAS Team Fellowships and Artist-in-Residence Fellowships are separate categories with their own forms, although the 2028 first semester call for all three closes on 31 October 2026
Documents to prepare
- A cover letter in PDF format
- A project proposal in PDF format, two to four pages or up to 2000 words, covering the objectives and significance of the project
- A comprehensive curriculum vitae with your list of publications, in PDF format
- A sample publication, a recent article or work typical of your work or related to the proposed project
- Personal details, designation, date of birth and nationality, completed in the online form
How to apply
- Read the fellowship overview and FAQs on the STIAS site and confirm that you are an established researcher rather than a postdoctoral candidate.
- Decide the residency dates you want inside the 2028 first semester window, between 15 January 2028 and 15 July 2028.
- Draft a project proposal of two to four pages, or up to 2000 words, that states the objectives and significance of work building on your earlier research.
- Prepare your cover letter, your curriculum vitae with a full list of publications and a sample publication, each as a PDF.
- Open the Individual Fellowship form at https://www.stias.ac.za/fellowships/apply/individual, tick the eligibility confirmations and complete every field marked with an asterisk.
- Submit before 23:59 UTC on 31 October 2026, and write to applicant-support@stias.ac.za if you need help with the form.
Selection process
- Applications are assessed against the stated criteria of academic excellence and the originality of the fellowship proposal, judged on how it builds on the applicant's earlier research.
- The eligibility confirmations on the form record that the applicant has read the fellowship information and understands that the award is not a postdoctoral programme.
- The review is run by the Institute for the stated semester, and STIAS considers shorter or longer stays and deferments only in exceptional circumstances.
- Applicants who need guidance during the call can contact the Institute at applicant-support@stias.ac.za.
Sources and verification
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Questions applicants ask
When do STIAS fellowship applications close for the 2028 first semester?
The STIAS application pages state that applications close on 31 October 2026 at 23:59 UTC for the 2028 first semester call.
Who is the Individual Fellowship for?
It is aimed at established researchers. STIAS states clearly on its own eligibility checklist that the fellowship is not a postdoctoral programme.
Can researchers from Nigeria and other African countries apply?
Yes. The application form accepts applicants by nationality from a full list of countries, and the Institute describes itself as global in its reach and local in its African roots.
How long is the residency?
You apply for the 2028 first semester and choose preferred dates that fall between 15 January 2028 and 15 July 2028. STIAS says shorter or longer stays, or deferments, are only considered in exceptional circumstances.
What does the application require?
A cover letter in PDF, a project proposal of two to four pages or up to 2000 words in PDF, a comprehensive curriculum vitae with your list of publications in PDF, and a sample publication typical of your work or related to the project.
Does STIAS publish the value of the fellowship?
The 2028 first semester call pages do not state a stipend, travel or accommodation amount. Applicants should confirm what is covered with the Institute at applicant-support@stias.ac.za.
Is there an application fee?
No. The application is made on the STIAS website and the Institute asks only that every required field in the form is completed.
Important disclaimer
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