IAS Visiting Sabbatical Fellowships
Program Overview
The UWA Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) Visiting Sabbatical Fellowship provides a collegial, interdisciplinary environment for distinguished scholars on sabbatical to pursue independent research, explore new intellectual directions, and engage with the UWA research community.
Objectives
The Visiting Sabbatical Fellowship aims to:
- Provide scholars with protected time and institutional affiliation to advance their research.
- Foster interdisciplinary exchange across UWA faculties.
- Strengthen international research links and scholarly visibility.
- Enrich the intellectual life of UWA through seminars, masterclasses, and informal engagement.
Fellowship Structure
Number of Fellowships: Up to two (2) per year.
Duration: Normally 3–12 months, aligned with the visitor’s sabbatical arrangements.
Round Frequency: One annual round.
Application Deadline: June, for fellowships commencing in the following academic year.
What IAS Provides:
Successful Visiting Sabbatical Fellows will receive:
- Office space at the Institute of Advanced Studies.
- Formal affiliation with UWA as an IAS Visiting Sabbatical Fellow.
- Full access to UWA library services, digital resources, and research infrastructure (by prior agreement).
- Inclusion in the IAS intellectual community, seminars, and events.
- Administrative support for academic activities (e.g. seminars, workshops, masterclasses)
Remuneration
- The Fellowship does not provide remuneration for travel, accommodation, living allowance or salary.
- The Fellow is expected to be supported by their home institution, sabbatical funding, or external sources.
- IAS will cover the costs associated with the Australian Subclass 408 (Temporary Activity) visa, where required.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Hold a PhD or equivalent qualification.
- Be on approved sabbatical or research leave from their home institution.
- Secure the support of a UWA academic host.
- Demonstrate scholarly excellence and an active research profile.
Host Requirement:
- Each applicant must be supported by a UWA Host Researcher (A letter of conformation/support form UWA host is required).
- Preference will be given to applications where the host is from a different disciplinary background to the applicant.
Selection Priorities
- While applications are welcomed from all disciplines, the IAS will give preference to:
- Interdisciplinary and cross faculty research.
- Scholars whose work resonates beyond a single disciplinary domain.
- Applicants who propose engagement with the wider UWA community (e.g. public lectures, seminars, masterclasses). Expectations of Fellows
Visiting Sabbatical Fellows are expected to:
- Be in residence at UWA for the duration of their fellowship.
- Engage actively with the IAS community.
- Contribute at least one IAS related activity (e.g. public lecture, seminar, workshop).
- Acknowledge IAS affiliation in publications arising from the fellowship.
- Unlike grant based fellowships, there are no prescribed research outputs.
Governance and Selection
Applications will be assessed by the IAS Director and Advisory Board against:
- Scholarly merit.
- Interdisciplinary potential.
- Fit with IAS intellectual priorities.
- Capacity to contribute to UWA’s research culture.