SAR and Gerda Henkel Foundation Support for At-risk Scholars from Sudan

 

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is pleased to announce a new partnership to assist at-risk scholars from Sudan. A generous gift of € 100,000 from the Gerda Henkel Foundation, a leader in supporting the humanities, cultural heritages and patrimonies, will facilitate SAR fellowships and urgent assistance grants to support at-risk colleagues in getting to safety, resuming their work, and preparing to return their research and teaching capacity to Sudanese institutions as soon as conditions permit. 

The foundation’s support will facilitate SAR’s response to the crisis, including arranging temporary academic positions at network member institutions and beyond for at-risk researchers in or recently displaced from Sudan, and urgent assistance awards for travel or related expenses. National SAR sections, SAR member institutions, and scholars interested in hosting or otherwise supporting at-risk researchers from Sudan are encouraged to review the below eligibility criteria and application instructions. 

Eligibility:

The funds are available to higher education institutions and associations globally which are SAR network members in good standing at the time of the application (“applicants”) to assist in the hosting or other support of eligible scholars from Sudan (“candidates”) meeting the following criteria:

  • Candidates must be scholars at higher education institutions in Sudan
  • Experiencing violence, intimidation, risk of wrongful arrest or termination, or other interference that threatens their well-being and/or impedes their work; 
  • Either (1) have been displaced from Sudan due to the recent conflict on or after April 15, 2023, (2) were temporarily outside Sudan on April 15, 2023 and have been unable to return to their primary residence due to the conflict, or (3) are ready to relocate from Sudan;
  • Academics, researchers, or scientists with a PhD degree (or other terminal degree in their field);
  • Have the language skills required to successfully conduct their research activities at the envisaged host institution, as confirmed by the host institution in the application;
  • In line with the funding preferences of the Gerda Henkel Foundation, candidates representing the historical humanities are particularly encouraged, including:
    • Archaeology
    • History of Art
    • Historical Islamic Studies
    • History
    • History of Science
    • History of Law
    • Prehistory and Early History

​​Application requirements:

The application must be submitted by the prospective host institution (“the applicant”) on behalf of the scholar (“the candidate”). A complete application should include:

For fellowship funding applications: 

  • Proposed duration of fellowship, including start and end dates
  • Proposed location of the fellowship, and whether in-person or remote from the host institution
  • Scholar CV and brief statement of risk/displacement (est. 1 page)
  • Attestation by the candidate scholar and certification by the applicant host institution of the candidate’s eligibility under the criteria (est. 1/2 page), along with any supporting documentation
  • Statement of the candidate’s proposed work plan, including research, teaching or other activities and how it advances the host’s and candidate’s academic goals (est. 1 page)
  • Statement of how the candidate will engage with the host institution community (in-person or remote) (est. 1⁄2 page)
  • Statement of how the applicant host and candidate will retain connections to and otherwise support Sudanese higher education, research, or innovation sectors (est. 1⁄2 – 1 page)
  • A proposed budget, including amount and types of support provided by the host institution or other sources, if any, and the amount of support requested.

For applications for urgent assistance awards for travel or related expenses:

  • Scholar CV and brief statement of risk/displacement (est. 1 page)
  • Attestation by the candidate scholar and certification by the nominating institution the candidate’s eligibility under the criteria (est. 1/2 page), along with any supporting documentation
  • A proposed budget for support needed, including amount and types of support from other sources. Applications seeking support for travel from a situation of insecurity to a placement/position of safety will be prioritized. 
  • Applications may be made by institutions aware of and in contact with candidates seeking urgent assistance support, regardless of whether the nominating institution is able to host the candidate. 

Deadline: Given the high levels of need among qualifying candidate populations, institutions are encouraged to submit complete applications at their earliest opportunity. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning October 15, 2023, until all funds are awarded. Updates on the availability of funds will be posted to this page monthly.

Application Submission: A complete application in a single PDF document titled “SAR_SUDAN_[Host institution]_[Candidate last name]”, should be submitted via the application portal. 

Learn more and apply here

Further Information

Budget and duration: Fellowships are expected to be awarded for a minimum of 12 months. Fellowships awards are expected to range from  €10,000 to  €50,000 for a 12-month period, depending on location and whether in-person or remote, with priority given to applications including matching or greater funds from the host institution or other source. Urgent assistance awards are expected to range from  €500 to  €10,000. 

Current funds are estimated to allow matching/supplemental awards to a limited number of institutions/candidates. Additional awards will be made if additional funding can be secured.

Visas, work authorization: The applicant host institution shall be responsible for completing or issuing any invitations, forms, applications, or other requirements necessary to secure any necessary visa or work authorizations for the candidate for the term of the fellowship, whether remote or in-person.

Payment, taxes, and return of unused funds: The successful applicant host institution shall agree to receive fellowship and or urgent assistance funds from SAR for distribution to the candidate, whether remote or in-person, according to the agreed budget, to assume responsibility for any institutional tax or reporting requirements for such funds, and to return to SAR any unused funds due to the candidate’s failure or inability to start the fellowship, early departure, or other unforeseen event impeding completion of the proposed fellowship term.

Selection Process: Application review will begin October 15, 2023. After that date, applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until all available funding is awarded. 

Questions: 

Current SAR network members with questions about the fellowships should contact SAR-Sudan@nyu.edu (please do not send applications by email; emailed applications will NOT be reviewed; all applications MUST be submitted only through the online portal). 

Higher education institutions who are interested in applying for the fellowship and are not yet SAR members should contact scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu. 

For updates on this or other SAR programs, subscribe at: https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/email-sign-up/.