Applications are currently being accepted for the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Academic Freedom Fellowships 2026–27. Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
About SAR Academic Freedom Fellowships
Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network dedicated to protecting scholars, promoting academic freedom, and defending the fundamental right to think, question, and share ideas without fear. The organisation supports researchers who face constraints or risks in their academic environments while advancing global dialogue on higher education values.
Benefits of SAR Academic Freedom Fellowships
Key components include:
- Monthly online workshops involving fellows, SAR staff, and invited experts
- Peer learning sessions and progress-sharing discussions
- Structured support for research development and publication
- Networking opportunities within the SAR global academic freedom community
Fellows are expected to produce a significant final output, which may include:
- Academic journal publications
- New university course designs
- Policy papers or research reports
- Workshops, webinars, or training programmes
In addition to individual outputs, fellows may collaborate on a collective publication such as:
- A special journal issue
- An edited academic volume
- A SAR-curated research collection
Each fellow receives a stipend of approximately USD 8,000, intended to support research-related costs, publication activities, and other academic expenses as determined by the fellow.
SAR Academic Freedom Fellowships Requirements
1. Academic & professional standing
- Education: PhD degree received within the last 8 years. In limited cases, doctoral candidates in the final stages of dissertation completion may be considered; please clearly state your current status .
- Affiliation: Current research or teaching affiliation with a higher education institution, association, or research organization.
- Focus: A demonstrated interest in teaching, researching, or publishing about issues of academic freedom or related higher education values.
2. Track-specific priorities
- For track 1 (Global): Preference will be given to projects involving comparative, international, or collaborative research. All relevant topics are welcome for application.
- For track 2 (US): Applicants’ work should be focused on issues of academic freedom in the United States. Researchers studying all relevant topics are welcome to apply, but applications focused on themes relating to university autonomy, institutional neutrality, students and academic freedom, or academic freedom and the natural sciences will be given priority.
3. Participation & logistics
- Commitment to participate in monthly remote workshops/webinars with co-recipients, SAR staff, network members, and guests (with proper security accommodations) from September 2026 to June 2027, with final scheduling to be fixed after selection of participants.
- Financial: Ability to lawfully receive stipend funds and complete program requirements in the country of current location, assuming responsibility for any local tax or reporting requirements.
- While personal experience with risk is not a selection requirement, current or formerly at-risk researchers are highly encouraged to apply.
- Candidates in/from the Global South and/or from marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Application Date and Process
The deadline for submission is May 29, 2026 (midnight, New York time). They aim to announce decisions early July 2026.
How to apply? Please submit your application here.
- Application package
Please combine the following into a single PDF file, saved as “LAST NAME, First Name – Project Title”:
- An abstract* (max 250-500 words), summarizing your research (see guidelines below).
- A research plan & timeline (max 2 pages), detailing your methodology and 10-month timeline (September 2026 – June 2027).
- A CV (max 2 pages), including the contact information of two professional references who can speak to your candidacy for this fellowship program. Note: If your PhD is pending, please include your expected completion date.
Applications that do not include all of the above will be ineligible for consideration.
Abstract Guidelines. Your abstract should specifically address:
- Research Question: What specific research question(s) do you wish to address and why is it significant?
- Relevance: How is your research question related to academic freedom and its values?
- Methodology: What methodology will you employ to address your research question(s), and what types of evidence do you propose to gather?
- Contribution: How will your findings improve our understanding or protection of academic freedom?
*The abstract refers to the formal publishable research proposed by the applicant, whereas the end product refers to both the research and the form(s) of its dissemination.
2. Online Short-Answer Questions
As we expect the research plan and timeline to really focus on the research project remits, methodology and contributions, we also ask applicants to answer short-answer questions in the online form regarding their proposed end product (maximum 300 words each):
- Objectives: What objectives do you intend to achieve through completion of this end product?
- Format: In what form(s) will your end product be delivered (webinar, podcast, journal article, conference presentation, published curricular materials, etc.)?
- Dissemination: What is your plan for sharing your work?
- Audience: Describe your target audience.
- Security: Describe any possible security risks that your research poses to yourself or participants and your mitigation plan.
- Assessment: How will you measure the success of this project?
Questions or queries concerning this application may be submitted to [email protected].
Application Deadline
29 May, 2026
Opportunity Application
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