Who can apply? 

UvA researchers or researchers from another university at any career stage can apply for a research fellowship.  

We explicitly welcome joint applications from small teams of researchers and are mindful of the importance of (gender) diversity within IAS. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. 

Requirements:

• PhD degree;
• applicants currently employed by other institutions than UvA need a committed co-applicant within the UvA who wants to structurally collaborate with the fellow.  Co-applicants are UvA employees at (Assitant/Associate) Professor level;
• an employment contract at an university or research institute for the entire duration of the research fellowship;
• curiosity and a collaborative mindset.  

What we offer 

Research fellowships typically have a duration of 2-5 months, depending on availability as well as possible visa limitations, with the possibility of extension.  

For research fellows employed by UvA, time at IAS is organised as an in-kind arrangement with their department. This can take the form of spending sabbatical time at IAS or other arrangements (e.g. using a research grant). 

Research fellows employed by other institutions (non-UvA fellows) enjoy guest status; they are not employed by the IAS.  

For non-UvA fellows who relocate to Amsterdam for the duration of the research fellowship, IAS provides a needs-based compensation for your expenses (travel, accommodation, etc). They are responsible for paying tax to the Tax and Customs Administration of the Netherlands (Belastingdienst) or to the tax authorities of the country in which they are liable to pay taxes. 

All research fellows will get access to: 

• a regular working space at IAS;  
• a vibrant community with many opportunities to develop novel research projects and methodologies, and to establish partnerships and networks;
• participation in community lunches and events 
• organisational support to (co)organize and publicize activities at IAS (such as workshops, think tanks, seminars);
• small amount of seed funding to support their project (e.g. for student assistance, inviting international guests, publication support).

What we expect 

The IAS consists of a curiosity-driven research community.  

All research fellows are expected to:

• be present at IAS at least 3 days a week;
• collaborate with their co-applicant;
• actively engage with the wider IAS community; 
• participate in IAS social and scientific activities; 
• contribute to IAS’ programming (e.g. through a kick-off);
• acknowledge IAS in any publications resulting from the research fellowship; 
• write a short blogpost within four weeks after the end of the research fellowship.

Selection criteria 

• fit within IAS’ mission and research themes; 
• academic trackrecord, taking into account the career stage of the applicant;
• perspective on/experience with interdisciplinary research collaboration.

The number of available research fellowships is limited. In the selection process we will therefore also consider how an applicant’s profile and proposal fits with the other research activities and the overall composition of the research fellowship cohort. 

Process and Timelines 

Research fellowship applications are assessed by the IAS Board of Associates, who advises the IAS Director. While we welcome applications at any moment throughout the year, ideal starting dates for research fellowships at IAS are February and September. Please note, that IAS is not able to host international fellows during the summer break. Kindly consider this in your planning and timeline. Our Board of Associates meets three times a year to assess applications: January, May and October.  

To apply, please send an email to ias@uva.nl and include: 

1. the application form; 
2. CV; 
3. a letter of support from your employer/supervisor.

In the context of the IAS theme governance of complexity, we are launching a special fellowship modality: the Policy Fellowship.

Climate change, inequality, health, polarization, changing international orders: the challenges we face are numerous. Policymakers are not only confronted with complex issues, in a multi-actor, multi-level and multi-issue world but the governance of these problems has itself become a complex issue. To understand and to promote the interaction between science, research, and policymaking, governments, industries, non-governmental organisations and academia need to collaborate and design new modes of governance, regulation and decision-making that stimulate imagination and cooperation.

Who can apply?

Policy Fellows are:

• professionals and practitioners who work in the public sector, industry or non-profit environment and are involved in (applied) research;
• engaged/interested in research activities within IAS’ mission and actively connecting with, contributing to and benefiting from IAS’ research community;
• seconded to IAS by their employer for the duration of the policy fellowship, typically for at least 6 months (for the sending organization employing the Policy Fellow, no additional costs are incurred).

What we offer?

• a vibrant community with many opportunities to develop novel research projects and methodologies, and to establish partnerships and networks;
• a regular (open) workspace at IAS;
• participation in community lunches and events;
• organisational support to (co)organize and publicize activities at IAS (such as workshops, think tanks, seminars);
• small amount of seed funding to support their project (e.g. for student assistance, inviting international guests, publication support).

What we expect

The IAS consists of a curiosity-driven research community.

In this atmosphere, Policy Fellows will:

• work on research methodologies, explore new research topics and/or establish new networks and partnerships;
• be curious to learn more from current cutting-edge research projects, to share their own expertise with our community, and to be willing to explore new forms of collaboration between academia, governments, businesses, and societal organisations;
• be present at IAS on a regular basis and participate in IAS social and scientific activities;
• contribute to IAS’ programming (e.g. through a kick-off);
• acknowledge IAS in any publications resulting from the policy fellowship;
• write a short blogpost within four weeks after the end of the policy fellowship.

Selection criteria

• Co-application with external stakeholder that employs the fellow (e.g. Ministry, Municipality, Industry, Non-profit, Museum)
• Affinity/experience with research (PhD is not a requirement)
• Availability to spend time at IAS (at a minimum 1 day a week)
• Ability to bridge research and practice with likely impact beyond the policy fellowship
• Clear embedding in ongoing/to be developed IAS research activities, matching with IAS community members possible

Process and Timelines 

Policy fellowship applications are assessed by the IAS Board of Associates, who advises the IAS Director. While we welcome applications at any moment throughout the year, ideal starting dates for policy fellowships at IAS are February and September. Please note, that IAS is not able to host international fellows during the summer break. Kindly consider this in your planning and timeline. Our Board of Associates meets three times a year to assess applications: January, May and October. 

To apply, please send an email to ias@uva.nl and include: 

1. the application form; 
2. CV; 
3. a letter of support from your employer/supervisor.

The University of Amsterdam’s Data Science Centre (DSC) and Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) welcome applications for their fourth DSC/IAS Joint Fellowship Call.

The fourth call for research projects invites proposals that focus on Empirical Ethics and Data Science Methods and aim to address ethical questions through empirically grounded approaches and that explore and contribute to data science methods.

Empirical Ethics continues the so-called empirical turn in epistemology, ethics, and the humanities by connecting insights gained through qualitative and quantitative methods with value considerations. The analytical focus thereby shifts from principles to understanding what different actors and stakeholders consider as desirable and undesirable practices, whether at the individual, societal, or institutional level. Empirical Ethics blends normative, philosophical reflections on pressing contemporary issues with qualitative, ethnographic, and data-driven research (see also Cambridge Forum on AI: Culture and Society).

This emerging field highlights the perspectives of affected stakeholders as essential component of the ethical equilibrium, thereby providing novel insights that may challenge dominant norms, tools, infrastructures, procedures, and institutions.

This approach represents a critical step in addressing some of the limitations within ethics, particularly its tendency to rely excessively on abstract principles and Western-centric viewpoints that often overlook the lived experiences of those directly or indirectly affected by diverse issues of concern. By integrating close-up ethnographic research with data science methods and ethical reflection, Empirical Ethics cultivates more nuanced and pluralistic understandings of complex normative questions that arise vis-à-vis evolving developments and dynamics.

Who can apply? 

UvA researchers or researchers from another university at any career stage can apply for a joint DSC/IAS fellowship.  

We explicitly welcome joint applications from small teams of researchers that blend expertise in ethics, philosophy, anthropology, or science and technology studies, with data science approaches. Another option is a combination of a researcher and an individual/organisation with a specific use case/question.

We are mindful of the importance of (gender) diversity within DSC and IAS and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. 

Requirements:

• PhD degree, for at least one of the applicants;
• applicant(s) will have demonstrable (combined) expertise in both Data Science/Machine Learning and another discipline;
• applicants currently employed by other institutions than UvA need a committed co-applicant within the UvA who wants to structurally collaborate with the fellow.  Co-applicants are UvA employees at (Assitant/Associate) Professor level;
• an employment contract at a university or research institute for the entire duration of the research fellowship;
• curiosity and a collaborative mindset.  

What we offer 

Joint DSC/IAS fellowships typically have a duration of 2-6 months. For non-EU nationals, the maximum duration of fellowships is 3 months.

For joint DSC/IAS fellows employed by UvA, time at DSC and IAS is organised as an in-kind arrangement with their department. This can take the form of spending sabbatical time at DSC and IAS or other arrangements (e.g. using a research grant). 

Joint DSC/IAS fellows employed by other institutions (non-UvA fellows) enjoy guest status; they are not employed by the DSC or IAS.  

For non-UvA fellows who relocate to Amsterdam for the duration of the research fellowship, IAS provides a needs-based compensation for expenses (travel, accommodation). They are responsible for paying tax to the Tax and Customs Administration of the Netherlands (Belastingdienst) or to the tax authorities of the country in which they are liable to pay taxes. 

All joint DSC/IAS fellows will: 

• be hosted at IAS, including a regular workspace and community lunches in our building in the center of Amsterdam;
• get access to a vibrant community with many opportunities to develop novel research projects and methodologies, and to establish partnerships and networks;
• get access to small amount of seed funding to support their project (e.g. for student assistance, inviting international guests, publication support);
• receive organisational support to (co)organize and publicize activities at IAS or DSC (such as workshops, think tanks, seminars);
• be included in regular DSC networking activities;
• be featured in both DSC and IAS communications.

What we expect 

The DSC and IAS consists of a curiosity-driven research community.

All joint DSC/IAS fellows are expected to:

• be present at IAS at least 3 days a week;
• collaborate with their co-applicant, if applicable;
• actively engage with the wider DSC and IAS community; 
• participate in DSC and IAS social and scientific activities; 
• contribute to IAS’ programming (e.g. through a kick-off);
• acknowledge DSC and IAS in any publications resulting from the research fellowship; 
• we encourage applicants to consider using the fellowship to create opportunities for documentation, dissemination of and engagement with their work that go beyond academic publications, such as book sprints, collaborative workshops, White Papers, developing online resources, etc.
• write a short blogpost within four weeks after the end of the research fellowship.

Selection criteria 

• Alignment with the theme Emperical Ethics and expertise in both Data Science/Machine Learning and another discipline; 
• proven experience with mixed methods;
• creative, original out-of-the-box thinking;
• academic track record, taking into account the career stage of the applicant;
• perspective on/experience with interdisciplinary research collaboration.

Process and Timelines 

Joint DSC/IAS fellowship applications are assessed by a committee of DSC and IAS staff, advised by the IAS Board of Associates. Fellowships can start any time in the year 2025. Please note, that IAS is not able to host international fellows during the summer break. Kindly consider this in your planning and timeline. 

The deadline for submission is 20 January 2025. We strive to notify applicants about their application in February.

To apply, please send an email before 20 January 2025 to ias@uva.nl and include: 

1. the application form; 
2. CV; 
3. a letter of support from your employer/supervisor.