Fellowships at ICAS:MP: Research Opportunities for Postdocs and Senior Scholars

The M.S. Merian – R. Tagore International Centre of Advanced Studies “Metamorphoses of the Political: Comparative Perspectives on the Long Twentieth Century” (ICAS:MP) is a Centre of Advanced Studies funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as one of their Maria Sibylla Merian Centres. The Centre offers short-term fellowships in New Delhi to distinguished scholars in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The interdisciplinary researchers work on the theme of ‘Metamorphoses of the Political in the Long Twentieth Century’. The research, conducted by the fellows and associated scholars, is published in a two-book series.

ICAS: MP invites applications for multiple fellowships for the academic year July 2025–June 2026. These fellowships are open to Postdoctoral and Senior researchers who work on one or more of the ICAS research themes.

Application Details and Fellowship Terms & Conditions

• The fellowships are open to applicants of all nationalities. Applicants based at German and Indian academic institutions are particularly welcome. The research project must be related to the broader ICAS:MP research agenda.
• Applicants must hold a PhD degree and have at least three years of research or teaching experience post-PhD.
• Fellowships are for a period of up to 5 months. ICAS will provide a stipend up to the fellow’s current salary or a teaching replacement, capped at 3500 € per month.
• This is a residential writing fellowship based at ICAS:MP in New Delhi. Fellows should have completed the majority of their research before the fellowship begins, as extended absences for fieldwork or archival research outside Delhi are not permitted during the fellowship period.
• Applicants must be fluent in English and other languages relevant to their research proposal.

Application Process

• Fill out the Application Form.
• Attach the following documents in a single PDF:
  • List of publications
  • Project description (3000 words) including relevance to ICAS research themes and the framework of the thematic foci
  • A research schedule for the fellowship period
  • Cover letter (1 page) outlining research experience and academic qualifications
• Postdoctoral fellows must also provide:
  • An academic reference letter (the referee should submit this directly to Ms. Sukriti Manocha (icasmpevents@mwsindia.org)
  • A copy of their PhD degree, ideally completed at least three years before the start of the fellowship.

• Deadline: All application materials must be uploaded by 30th September, 2024. Late applications will not be considered.
• Enquiries:
  • General enquiries e.g. terms and conditions, financial compensation: Ms. Sukriti Manocha, ICAS New Delhi (manocha@mwsindia.org).
  • Academic enquiries:
    • Constructing Alternative Pasts: Dr. Indra Sengupta, German Historical Institute London (sengupta@ghil.ac.uk).
    • The Challenge of Gender: Prof. Karin Steiner, Würzburg University (steiner@uni-wuerzburg.de).
    • Theory from the South: Prof. Prathama Banerjee, CSDS Delhi (prathama@csds.in).
    • Normative Conflicts and Transformations: Prof. Martin Fuchs, MWK Erfurt (fuchs@uni-erfurt.de).

ICAS Research Themes

1. Working Group: Theory from the South
2. Thematic Consolidation Group: Constructing Alternative Pasts: (New) Sources and Methods
3. Thematic Consolidation Group: The Challenge of Gender
4. Thematic Consolidation Group: Normative Conflicts and Transformations – Collective Action and the Self: South Asian Perspectives

For more information, visit the website.