Ghent University CAIMES PhD Fellowship 2027: Call for Research Proposals in Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies

The Ghent University Centre for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies (CAIMES) is inviting expressions of interest from outstanding candidates planning to pursue a PhD in Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies, Middle East Studies, and related research fields. The call offers prospective doctoral researchers an opportunity to receive mentorship and support in developing a competitive application for the 2027 Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) PhD Fellowship.

The initiative is particularly relevant to candidates whose research interests include Middle Eastern history, the anthropology of the Middle East, Islamic art and visual culture, languages, manuscripts, archives, epigraphy, and historiography. Research proposals examining Islam in South Asia, Central Asia, and the Indian Ocean world are also welcome.

Through this call, CAIMES seeks to identify promising researchers and help them prepare strong doctoral fellowship applications. Interested candidates must submit an expression of interest with the required supporting documents by 2 November 2026 at 09:00 Central European Time (CET).

Applicants should prepare a project description of no more than three pages, an MA coursework transcript, a CV limited to two pages, and a writing sample of no more than 15 pages. Candidates should consult the official call for complete information about eligibility, application requirements, and the submission procedure.

Official call and application details: https://lnkd.in/emmBjkeQ

Overview of the Ghent University CAIMES PhD Fellowship Call 2027

The CAIMES call is designed for prospective doctoral researchers who want to develop a research project in Arabic, Islamic, or Middle East Studies and seek support in preparing an application for the FWO PhD Fellowship 2027.

Rather than being a general call for doctoral admissions across all disciplines, this opportunity focuses on research areas that align with the Centre for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies. These include historical, anthropological, linguistic, cultural, literary, archival, and art-historical approaches to studying the Middle East and wider Islamic worlds.

Candidates are invited to submit expressions of interest outlining their proposed research and academic background. Selected candidates will receive mentorship and support as they work to develop a competitive FWO application.

The call is especially relevant to applicants who already have a research direction and want to refine it into a well-defined doctoral project. A strong proposal should demonstrate a clear research question, an appropriate academic approach, and a convincing connection to the fields and research interests welcomed by CAIMES.

Key Details at a Glance

• Opportunity: CAIMES call for PhD fellowship expressions of interest
• Host institution: Ghent University, Belgium
• Research centre: Centre for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies (CAIMES)
• Funding programme: Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) PhD Fellowship 2027
• Research level: Doctoral research
• Main subject areas: Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies, Middle East Studies, and related fields
• Additional regional interests: Islam in South Asia, Central Asia, and the Indian Ocean world
• Support offered: Mentorship and assistance in developing a competitive FWO fellowship application
• Expression-of-interest deadline: 2 November 2026 at 09:00 CET
• Project description limit: Three pages maximum
• CV limit: Two pages maximum
• Writing sample limit: 15 pages maximum
• Academic record required: MA coursework transcript
• Application route: Follow the submission instructions in the official call
• Official information: https://lnkd.in/emmBjkeQ

The expression-of-interest deadline is the immediate deadline for this CAIMES call. Candidates should distinguish it from any subsequent deadline for the full FWO fellowship application and confirm the relevant dates in the official documentation.

About the Ghent University Centre for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies

The Centre for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies (CAIMES) is a research centre at Ghent University in Belgium. Its academic focus relates to the study of Arabic, Islam, and the Middle East, including the historical, linguistic, social, cultural, and intellectual contexts through which these subjects can be examined.

The centre’s research interests make it relevant to doctoral candidates who want to investigate societies, languages, cultural traditions, historical developments, texts, archives, and artistic practices connected to the Middle East and the wider Islamic world.

The call invites research proposals across several disciplines rather than limiting applications to one method or a single historical period. Depending on the proposed topic, a candidate might approach a research question through historical documents, ethnographic research, literary or linguistic analysis, art history, material culture, or the study of manuscripts and other primary sources.

This range of interests creates room for projects that examine both established research questions and new ways of understanding the region’s histories, communities, cultural expressions, and intellectual traditions.

For prospective PhD researchers, identifying the relationship between a proposed project and CAIMES’s stated research interests will be an important part of preparing an expression of interest.

What Is the FWO PhD Fellowship?

The Research Foundation – Flanders, commonly known as FWO, supports scientific research in Flanders, Belgium. Its PhD fellowship programme provides a route for researchers to seek support for doctoral research through a competitive application process.

The CAIMES call is connected to the 2027 FWO PhD Fellowship application cycle. Its purpose is to identify candidates whose proposed doctoral research aligns with the centre’s interests and who could benefit from academic guidance while preparing their applications.

The mentorship offered through CAIMES is intended to help selected candidates develop a competitive application. This is particularly useful for researchers who need to refine their research question, explain the significance of their project, demonstrate the suitability of their methods, and present their academic preparation clearly.

However, being selected through the CAIMES expression-of-interest process should not be treated as confirmation that an FWO fellowship has been awarded. The expression of interest is part of the preparation process for a subsequent competitive fellowship application. Candidates should consult the official FWO and CAIMES information for the full selection procedure, funding conditions, and requirements for the 2027 call.

The announcement does not specify a fellowship stipend, tuition arrangement, or guaranteed funding amount for candidates selected through the expression-of-interest process. Applicants should therefore rely on the official FWO fellowship documentation for confirmed financial and administrative terms.

Research Areas Welcomed by CAIMES

CAIMES is inviting expressions of interest from candidates proposing doctoral research in Arabic, Islamic, and Middle East Studies. The call identifies several specific areas of interest, while also welcoming projects that examine Islam in other interconnected regions.

Applicants should use these research themes as a starting point when deciding whether their proposed doctoral project fits the call.

1. Middle Eastern History

The call welcomes proposals on Middle Eastern history, with particular interest in Egypt, Palestine, historical Syria, and the Ottoman Empire.

Historical research may investigate political developments, social structures, intellectual traditions, cultural exchange, religious institutions, trade, governance, or other processes that shaped communities and societies across the region.

Potential research directions could include:

• The political and social history of Egypt across a particular historical period.
• Historical experiences and transformations in Palestine.
• The history of communities and institutions in historical Syria.
• The Ottoman Empire’s political, social, cultural, and intellectual developments.
• The use of archival documents and historical records to investigate regional change.
• Connections between local histories and wider regional or international developments.

These are illustrative directions rather than a list of mandatory topics. Applicants should develop a specific research question supported by appropriate sources and a clear explanation of its scholarly relevance.

A competitive historical project should explain what it seeks to discover, which historical materials will support the investigation, and how the research will contribute to existing scholarship.

2. Anthropology of the Middle East

CAIMES also welcomes proposals in the anthropology of the Middle East. The announcement specifically identifies interests such as love, identity, gender, sexuality, materiality, and modernity.

These themes provide opportunities for research examining how people experience social life, negotiate identities, understand relationships, and engage with cultural practices in particular contexts.

Possible directions include:

• The meanings and social practices associated with love, intimacy, and relationships.
• The construction and negotiation of personal, cultural, or collective identity.
• Gender and sexuality in their social and cultural contexts.
• The role of objects, possessions, spaces, and material practices in everyday life.
• Understandings of modernity and social change.
• Relationships between social institutions, cultural expectations, and individual experiences.

Anthropological research may use approaches such as ethnography, interviews, participant observation, and analysis of relevant cultural materials, depending on the research question and applicable ethical requirements.

Candidates should avoid presenting broad themes as research questions in themselves. Instead, they should identify a specific issue, explain the context in which it will be investigated, and describe how the chosen method can produce meaningful findings.

3. Art History, Visual Studies and Material Culture in Islamic Contexts

The call welcomes projects in art history, visual studies, and material culture in Islamic contexts.

This research area can encompass the study of artistic production, visual representation, objects, architecture, decorative traditions, collections, and the cultural settings in which material forms acquire meaning.

Potential areas of investigation include:

• Historical and contemporary Islamic artistic practices.
• The interpretation of visual representations in particular cultural contexts.
• The historical movement and use of objects and artworks.
• Material culture and the meanings associated with everyday or ceremonial objects.
• The relationship between artistic practices, religious traditions, and social life.
• The study of collections, monuments, or visual archives.

These examples are not additional eligibility requirements. They illustrate how the stated research area might be developed into a focused doctoral project.

Applicants should identify the objects, images, collections, or artistic traditions they intend to study and explain how their analysis will contribute to scholarship. Where relevant, they should also consider the accessibility of sources, the historical context of the material, and the methods appropriate to the project.

4. Languages, Cultures, Archives and Manuscripts

CAIMES welcomes research involving languages, cultures, archives, manuscripts, epigraphy, historiography, and other source materials relevant to the region.

This area is particularly relevant to candidates interested in primary sources and the ways texts, inscriptions, and historical records can be used to investigate linguistic, literary, cultural, and historical questions.

Research may focus on:

• Arabic and other relevant languages and their cultural contexts.
• Manuscript traditions and the transmission of texts.
• Archival records and their historical significance.
• Epigraphic materials, including inscriptions and their interpretation.
• Historiography and the ways historical narratives have been constructed.
• Literary and cultural texts as sources for understanding particular societies.
• The relationship between language, identity, intellectual history, and cultural exchange.

Projects involving manuscripts, archives, and inscriptions should identify the sources they intend to examine and explain how those materials relate to the central research question.

Candidates should also consider whether the required materials are accessible, what linguistic or technical expertise the project requires, and how the evidence will be interpreted.

5. Islam in South Asia, Central Asia and the Indian Ocean World

In addition to its principal research areas, CAIMES welcomes projects focusing on Islam in South Asia, Central Asia, and the Indian Ocean world.

This broader regional scope creates opportunities for research into the historical connections, religious traditions, cultural exchanges, intellectual networks, and social developments linking Muslim communities across different geographical settings.

Potential research directions might include:

• The development and transmission of Islamic intellectual traditions in South Asia.
• Religious and cultural histories in Central Asia.
• Connections between ports, trading networks, and Muslim communities around the Indian Ocean.
• The movement of texts, scholars, ideas, and cultural practices across regions.
• Historical relationships between the Middle East and other parts of the Islamic world.
• The role of language, material culture, and religious institutions in regional exchange.

These examples are intended to help applicants understand the breadth of the call. The announcement does not require candidates to work across several regions; a clearly defined project focused on one relevant geographical or thematic area may be appropriate.

Applicants should explain how their topic relates to the stated research interests and demonstrate that the proposed study has a manageable scope for doctoral research.

Who Should Consider Applying?

This call is intended for outstanding candidates planning to pursue a PhD in Arabic, Islamic, or Middle East Studies and related fields represented in the CAIMES research interests.

It may be suitable for researchers who have completed or are undertaking relevant master’s-level academic work and who have a promising doctoral research idea that can be developed into an FWO fellowship application.

Candidates should be able to present a project description, an MA coursework transcript, a concise CV, and a writing sample. These materials allow the centre to assess the proposed research and the applicant’s academic preparation.

The call is particularly relevant to prospective researchers who:

• Have a defined research interest connected to one or more of CAIMES’s stated subject areas.
• Want to develop a doctoral project with a clear research question and academic purpose.
• Have relevant master’s-level coursework or an appropriate academic record to document.
• Can provide a writing sample demonstrating their research or analytical skills.
• Are interested in receiving mentorship while preparing a competitive FWO PhD Fellowship application.

The announcement describes the intended candidates and research interests but does not provide a complete list of formal eligibility rules. Applicants should therefore consult the official call for any requirements concerning academic qualifications, enrolment, nationality, residence, research experience, or other conditions.

Application Requirements: Documents to Prepare

Candidates must submit four specified components for their expression of interest. Each document serves a different purpose, so applicants should ensure that their materials are complete, clearly presented, and consistent with the proposed doctoral project.

1. Project Description: Maximum Three Pages

The project description is the central component of the expression of interest. It should introduce the proposed doctoral research and explain why the project is worth investigating.

Candidates should use the document to present a focused research idea rather than attempting to summarise an entire subject area.

A clear project description will generally benefit from addressing the following points, where appropriate:

• Research topic: Identify the subject, geographical context, historical period, community, texts, or materials the project will investigate.
• Research question: State the principal question the doctoral research seeks to answer.
• Academic relevance: Explain the problem or gap that makes the research worth pursuing.
• Research objectives: Outline what the project aims to establish, interpret, or explain.
• Approach and methods: Indicate how the research question will be investigated.
• Sources or evidence: Identify the archives, manuscripts, texts, objects, interviews, or other materials relevant to the project, as applicable.
• Fit with CAIMES: Explain the connection between the proposed research and the centre’s stated interests.

These are practical recommendations for structuring a proposal, not a claim that every item is a separately mandated section in the application.

Because the maximum length is three pages, candidates should prioritise clarity and relevance. A focused project with a well-defined question is generally easier to assess than a broad description of an entire field.

Applicants should also ensure that the proposed scope is realistic for doctoral research and that the methods and sources are appropriate to the subject.

2. MA Coursework Transcript

Applicants must submit their MA coursework transcript.

This document provides evidence of the candidate’s master’s-level academic coursework. It can help reviewers understand the applicant’s academic preparation in relation to the proposed research.

Before submitting the transcript, candidates should check that the document is readable and complete. If their academic record is issued in a language or format that may not be accepted by the application process, they should consult the official instructions for guidance on acceptable documentation.

The announcement does not specify a minimum grade, a required degree classification, or a particular transcript format. Candidates should not assume additional requirements without checking the official call.

3. Curriculum Vitae: Maximum Two Pages

The CV must be no longer than two pages.

Candidates should use this space to present their academic background and experience relevant to the proposed doctoral research. The CV should be concise enough for reviewers to identify the applicant’s preparation without having to work through unrelated information.

Relevant information may include:

• Academic qualifications.
• Research interests.
• Dissertation or thesis work.
• Relevant research experience.
• Publications, where applicable.
• Academic presentations or conferences, where relevant.
• Language skills relevant to the proposed research.
• Experience working with archives, manuscripts, primary sources, or other research materials, where applicable.

Applicants should include only information that accurately represents their background. Candidates at an early stage of their research careers do not need to exaggerate their experience; they should make the most relevant parts of their academic preparation clear.

The CV should also be consistent with the project description and transcript, particularly in the presentation of academic qualifications and research experience.

4. Writing Sample: Maximum 15 Pages

Candidates must provide a writing sample of no more than 15 pages.

The sample gives reviewers an opportunity to assess the applicant’s ability to develop an argument, analyse evidence, engage with relevant material, and communicate ideas in academic writing.

Where possible, applicants should choose a sample that demonstrates skills relevant to their proposed doctoral project. Depending on their background, this might be an excerpt from a master’s thesis, an academic paper, or another substantial piece of analytical writing.

A suitable sample should allow reviewers to see the candidate’s own contribution and reasoning. Applicants should ensure that the submitted extract is coherent and that any references, citations, or supporting material needed to understand it are included within the permitted length.

The announcement does not specify that the writing sample must be published or written in a particular language. Candidates should verify any such conditions in the official application instructions.

How to Prepare a Strong Expression of Interest

Submitting the required documents is only part of preparing an effective application. Candidates should also ensure that the project description, CV, transcript, and writing sample work together to present a coherent academic profile.

Step 1: Identify the closest research area

Review the five broad areas identified in the call and determine which best matches the proposed project.

A proposal may connect with more than one area, but the main research question should remain clear. For example, a project involving historical manuscripts might also address intellectual history, while research on material culture could intersect with anthropology or art history.

The purpose is not to force a project into a single category. It is to show reviewers how the proposed research relates to CAIMES’s interests.

Step 2: Define a specific research question

Develop a question that can be investigated through appropriate evidence and methods.

Avoid proposals that attempt to cover an entire region, religion, historical period, or cultural tradition without identifying a manageable problem.

A focused research question helps clarify the project’s objectives, sources, methods, and expected scholarly contribution.

Step 3: Check the availability of sources

Consider whether the project can be completed with the sources and research methods available to the candidate.

For projects involving archives, manuscripts, or inscriptions, identify the relevant collections or materials where possible. For anthropological research, consider the research setting, access, and applicable ethical requirements.

A credible proposal should demonstrate an understanding of what the research will require.

Step 4: Explain the project’s academic contribution

Describe what the research could add to existing scholarship.

This does not require claiming that the project will completely change a field. Instead, candidates should explain the particular question, source, interpretation, or connection that their research will investigate.

A clear explanation of the project’s contribution makes it easier for reviewers to understand its purpose.

Step 5: Align the documents

Ensure that the CV, transcript, writing sample, and project description support a consistent application.

For example, if a project depends on specialist language skills or experience with particular historical sources, the application should accurately describe the candidate’s relevant preparation, where applicable.

The writing sample need not address exactly the same subject as the proposed PhD, but it should demonstrate relevant academic skills.

Step 6: Check all page limits

The call specifies the following maximum lengths:

• Project description: three pages.
• CV: two pages.
• Writing sample: 15 pages.
• MA coursework transcript: submit the required academic record.

Candidates should check the official instructions for any requirements concerning file formats, naming conventions, references, supporting documents, or submission methods.

Step 7: Submit before the deadline

The expression of interest must be submitted by 2 November 2026 at 09:00 CET.

Because the deadline is approaching, applicants should prioritise confirming the submission procedure and preparing the required documents as early as possible. They should also verify the corresponding time in their location rather than assuming that the deadline follows local time.

How to Apply for the CAIMES PhD Fellowship Call 2027

Interested candidates should follow the application instructions published by CAIMES.

Step 1: Read the official announcement.

Visit the official call shared by the Ghent University Centre for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies:

https://lnkd.in/emmBjkeQ

Review the full details, including eligibility conditions, the research areas, required documents, and submission procedure.

Step 2: Confirm the fit of your research project.

Determine whether your proposed doctoral research relates to Arabic, Islamic, or Middle East Studies or to another area explicitly welcomed in the call.

Pay particular attention to the stated interests in Middle Eastern history, anthropology, Islamic art and material culture, languages and historical sources, and Islam in South Asia, Central Asia, and the Indian Ocean world.

Step 3: Prepare the project description.

Develop a concise research proposal of no more than three pages. Explain the research question, the project’s relevance, and its relationship to CAIMES’s interests.

Step 4: Gather your academic documents.

Prepare your MA coursework transcript and a CV of no more than two pages. Check that both are complete and accurately represent your academic background.

Step 5: Select your writing sample.

Choose a sample of no more than 15 pages that demonstrates your ability to undertake academic research and communicate an argument clearly.

Step 6: Review the submission requirements.

Check the official instructions for how the documents should be submitted and whether any additional information is required. The social media announcement does not specify the complete submission procedure, so applicants should not rely on assumptions about the application method.

Step 7: Submit by 2 November 2026 at 09:00 CET.

Ensure that your expression of interest reaches the designated recipient or application platform before the deadline. Allow sufficient time to resolve any technical or document-related issues.

Important Deadline and Selection Information

The deadline for expressions of interest is 2 November 2026 at 09:00 CET.

This is the deadline stated in the CAIMES announcement. It should not be confused with a separate deadline that may apply to the full FWO PhD Fellowship application.

The announcement states that selected candidates will receive mentorship and support in developing a competitive application for the 2027 FWO fellowship call. It does not establish that every applicant will be selected for mentorship or that participation guarantees the award of an FWO fellowship.

Candidates should consult the official information for details about the selection process, notifications, subsequent application stages, and any additional eligibility conditions.

What Candidates Should Know About Funding

The opportunity is linked to the FWO PhD Fellowship 2027, but the CAIMES announcement specifically describes a call for expressions of interest and promises mentorship and support for selected candidates preparing an FWO application.

It does not provide a confirmed funding amount, stipend, accommodation allowance, tuition arrangement, or other financial package for the expression-of-interest stage.

Applicants interested in the financial conditions of the eventual doctoral fellowship should consult the official FWO programme documentation and the applicable fellowship terms.

This distinction matters because receiving support to prepare a competitive application is not the same as receiving a funded doctoral position. Candidates should make decisions about their doctoral plans based on the official award conditions rather than assuming that the expression-of-interest call itself guarantees funding.

Why This Opportunity Matters for Prospective Doctoral Researchers

Developing a strong PhD proposal requires more than identifying an interesting topic. Candidates must define a researchable question, demonstrate familiarity with relevant scholarship, identify appropriate sources, and explain how their research can contribute to an academic field.

The CAIMES call offers a route for prospective doctoral researchers to receive mentorship while preparing an application for a competitive FWO fellowship.

Its broad range of research interests is also significant. Candidates working on history, anthropology, languages, manuscripts, visual culture, and related subjects can consider how their projects connect with the centre’s academic focus.

The inclusion of South Asia, Central Asia, and the Indian Ocean world further indicates that the call is not limited to research confined to the contemporary geographical boundaries of the Middle East.

For applicants with relevant research interests, the opportunity to refine a proposal with academic guidance may help them present their ideas more clearly and prepare a stronger fellowship application.

However, candidates should carefully evaluate the fit of their project, ensure that they meet the formal requirements, and understand that the eventual FWO award remains subject to the applicable competitive selection process.

Conclusion

The Ghent University Centre for Arabic, Islamic and Middle East Studies is inviting expressions of interest from outstanding candidates who plan to pursue a PhD in Arabic, Islamic, or Middle East Studies and related research areas. The call supports the development of applications for the 2027 FWO PhD Fellowship, with selected candidates receiving mentorship and guidance as they prepare their proposals.

Research interests include Middle Eastern history, the anthropology of the Middle East, Islamic art history and visual culture, languages, manuscripts, archives, epigraphy, and historiography. Projects examining Islam in South Asia, Central Asia, and the Indian Ocean world are also welcome.

Applicants must prepare a project description of no more than three pages, an MA coursework transcript, a CV of no more than two pages, and a writing sample of up to 15 pages. They should ensure that their proposed research aligns with the centre’s stated interests and follow the official instructions for submitting an expression of interest.

The deadline is 2 November 2026 at 09:00 CET. Interested candidates should review the official call promptly, confirm the full eligibility and submission requirements, and prepare their documents before the closing time.

Official call and application details: https://lnkd.in/emmBjkeQ

For more fellowship programmes, visit: https://opportunitiesforyouth.org/category/fellowship/