Call for Applications

Application deadline: 11 January 2026, 23:59 CET

Joint Scholarship Programme of the South Asia Institute (SAI), Heidelberg University and the Max Weber Forum for South Asian Studies Delhi (MWF Delhi) for Young Scholars from South Asia

Eligibility to apply

We particularly encourage young scholars in the early stages of their career (3-5 years after their doctorate) to apply. Doctoral students are not eligible to apply (doctoral certificate at hand mandatory).

Application

The South Asia Institute (SAI) of Heidelberg University in cooperation with the Max Weber Forum for South Asian Studies Delhi (MWF) calls for applications for a (up to) three-month fellowship to be spent at the South Asia Institute in summer 2026.

The fellowship is for young researchers from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh who wish to establish and develop a research collaboration with the SAI.

Of particular interest are applications from the fields of ethnology, history, political science, economics, geography, modern languages and literatures of South Asia as well as cultural and religious history of South Asia (Classical Indology).

The fellowship is scheduled to begin in April 2026 and runs for three months, the place of residence is Heidelberg.

During the stay, a project previously defined in the application is to be taken up and developed into a third-party funding application. The application can be aimed at acquiring research funding as well as exchange or event programs.

Scholarship holders are expected to actively participate in scientific events at the SAI during their stay.

Selection

The fellowship includes reimbursement of international travel expenses of up to EUR 1,500, payment of rental costs and a monthly scholarship instalment of EUR 1,200

The application documents include:

  • Online Application Form (to be filled under the link below)
  • Attachments: Please upload the following application documents to the application form as a single pdf comprising:

1. Short cover letter (max. 1 page)

2. Curriculum vitae (max. 2 pages) including top ten publications.

3. A copy of your last doctoral certificate.

4. Project description (as per template). Please download the template, fill in the necessary Information and upload with the other documents.

5. List of two referees who may be contacted later to provide further information about you.

6. Letter of Reference by SAI member (optional)


The application deadline is 11 January 2026, 23:59 CET and selection will take place by the end of January 2026.

You are requested to apply online via the application portal. We cannot consider applications sent by email.

The SAI will provide assistance with visa applications if necessary. If you have questions about the application or the scholarship program in general, please look here (FAQ).