GATES INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN THE HUMANITIES PROGRAMME┋Junior and Senior Research Fellowships

The Maison de la Création et de l’Innovation (MaCI), UGA’s International Center for the Humanities, is launching its annual Research Fellowship Programme funded by the France 2030 ANR project GATES (Grenoble ATtractiveness and ExcellenceS).

The MaCI is an on-campus research center for the arts, humanities and social sciences. It stands out as a 5,000 square metre cutting-edge laboratory for experiential and experimental research with state of the art facilities for the arts, performance studies, architecture, urban studies, multimedia (sound, video), cinema, design thinking, health and humanities, environmental humanities, mountain studies, digital humanities and creative writing. The MaCI along with its other cultural partners can support a wide range of research practices.

The International Excellence in the Humanities Fellowship Programme promotes academic diversity and interdisciplinarity and welcomes researchers with an international background to apply for research fellowships at the MaCI.

This programme is built in association with the following international partners:

• The University of Oxford
• The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• The University of British Columbia (UBC)
• Stanford University
• Swansea University

Period

We offer 6 research fellowships (early career, advanced, distinguished) in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

The research fellowships must take place within the following hosting periods:

• 15 January-15 July 2027
• 1 September 2027-31 January 2028

Application criteria

The Excellence in the Humanities Programme is part of UGA’s ambition to develop cutting-edge international research in the arts, the humanities and social sciences.

As part of this program, the MaCI will support every year three levels of research fellowships:

1. Exceptional scholarship: international specialists in the field
2. Senior research fellows: advanced researchers
3. Junior research fellows: exploratory, early career researchers (doctorate awarded less than 10 years ago)

Fellows that will make use of the MaCI’s facilities and interact with ongoing research programmes are particularly welcome.

Candidates from all disciplines in the arts, humanities and social sciences and from all countries can apply. To be eligible, candidates must be under permanent contract or hold a tenured academic position in their home institution. They must be affiliated to an institution outside of France both at the time of application and during the fellowship period.

Application procedure

Completed applications in English with the required documents must be submitted by using the following form: https://uga.moveonfr.com/form/67580b45af252ce4840ccccd/eng#

• A copy of the PhD degree certificate (diploma or proof of completion)
• CV (10 pages maximum) • A list of publications, articles, awards or prizes
• A description of the fellow’s research project and description of the use of the MaCI ressources (10 pages maximum)
• A timeline of the planned research activities
• Two letters of recommendation (must be sent directly by email by the referees themselves to humanitiesfellowships@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr)

Evaluation and selection

Applications will be evaluated by an international scientific committee composed of 12 members including the director of the MaCI, the head of the Humanities Fellowship Program, the vicepresident for research in the humanities and social sciences, two members in charge of the programme’s international relations, the directors of UGA’s research divisions in the humanities and social sciences and five representatives of the programme’s international partners.

Each project will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Academic excellence
• Quality and impact of the project
• International dimension
• Feasibility

Funding

• Distinguished Fellows / Number of fellows every year: 2 / Stipend (per month): 6 000 € / Duration of fellowship: 1 month minimum (6 months maximum)
• Senior or advanced Fellows / Number of fellows every year: 2 / Stipend (per month): 6 000 € / Duration of fellowship: 1 month minimum (6 months maximum)
• Exploratory or early career Fellows (Doctorate awarded less than 10 years ago) / Number of fellows every year: 2 / Stipend (per month): 4 000 € / Duration of fellowship: 6 months minimum (1 year maximum, renewable for another year)

Please note that, if selected, the fellows are responsible for applying for the appropriate visa. The stipend covers accommodation costs, travel expenses to and from the country of residence, as well as research-related expenses during their fellowship

The MaCI will support the fellows by providing:

• access to all of the MaCI’s facilities (workspaces, studios, labs, conference rooms, computer rooms, resources and archive centre, Live Arts Lab UX Lab, SonImage and Domus platforms, etc…). For more details see: https://maci.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/en/our-platforms-spaces
• an office space with a computer at the MaCI’s Humanities Fellowship Center, internet access, access to the Fellows’ Lounge (for tea or coffee), to the meeting room, to shared working spaces, access to printing facilities and to all of the university libraries;
• assistance to establish contacts with UGA researchers before their arrival;
• assistance to organize meetings, seminars, conferences and other research activities which will allow the fellows to fully participate in the life of the scientific community;
• the necessary advice and guidelines to help the fellows and their family organize their stay in Grenoble (housing, transportation, cultural and sporting activities…);
• the opportunity to become a Visiting Fellow at St Cross College, Oxford University, one of the MaCI’s international partners in the project, for a period of one week to a month, depending on the duration of the MaCI fellowship;

Please note that, if selected, the fellows are responsible for applying for the proper visa and will have to cover travel expenses to and from their country of residence, as well as research-related expenses during their fellowship.

Conditions of the fellowship

The research fellows will be recruited for a full-time residence at the MaCI, with the exception of weekends, public holidays and periods when the university is closed. The fellowship can also include one or two short research trips abroad by prior arrangement with the project team.

A key part of the fellowship is engaging actively with the academic community, both within the project and more broadly with the local and international scientific community. During the fellowship, a variety of mandatory research activities and cultural events will be organized within the project. The fellows will be expected to participate.

Contact and submission details

With the exception of both letters of recommendation which should be sent separetely and directly by email by the referees themselves, the candidates should send their completed application by using the relevant form for this call. Otherwise, they will not be considered.

Submission deadline: 10 June 2026 at 12:00 PM (noon) CET (French time)

For any inquiries or assistance regarding the application process, please contact us at:
humanitiesfellowships@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr