GONDA FUND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP AT IIAS FOR INDOLOGISTS

The Gonda Foundation of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences supports the scholarly study of Sanskrit, other classical Indian languages and literatures, and Indian cultural history. The Foundation’s assets consist of the estate of Indologist Jan Gonda, who was a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) is a research and exchange platform based in Leiden, the Netherlands. It encourages the multidisciplinary and comparative study of Asia, and actively promotes national and international cooperation

The Gonda Fellowship at IIAS

A Gonda Fellowship at IIAS is awarded by the Gonda Foundation to promising young Indologists at post-doctorate level, enabling them to spend between three and six months at the IIAS.

The grant for a Gonda Fellow amounts to € 2,000 per month. The IIAS will assist in finding suitable accommodation and will arrange health insurance, office facilities, visa and access to the university library. The costs for accommodation (if applicable), health insurance and visa will be deducted by IIAS from the grant (approx. € 800 to € 900 when accommodation is included). The remainder (approx. € 1,100 to € 1,200) will be paid out by IIAS as a stipend from the Gonda Foundation to the Gonda Fellow. The Gonda Fellow can also claim the travelling expenses for a roundtrip to the Netherlands at the start and end of the fellowship (economy class ticket) from the Gonda Foundation.

How and when to apply

Due to logistical restructuring of the fellowship programme, the dates of the next Gonda Fellowship selection process will be released in December 2023.

• Applicants will be notified of the decisions about two months later.
• Applications must be submitted by e-mail to the Board of the Gonda Foundation. An application form is available at https://www.knaw.nl/gondafonds. The applicant must attach two reference letters  concerning the research capability and experience of the applicant.

Assessment criteria

• The quality of the proposed research project will be reviewed in terms of:
  - clear objectives for the research project relevant for the scholarly study of Sanskrit, other Indian languages and literature, or Indian cultural history;
  - expected scientific deliverables. A residence at IIAS must lead to a book or an article or a contribution to such;
  - feasibility of the working programme (including activities visits to persons and institutes in the Netherlands and time schedule); and 2 - added value of a stay in the Netherlands for the research project, e.g. resulting from visits to persons and institutes in the Netherlands.
• The scientific achievements of the applicant (curriculum vitae)

Assessment process

The Board of the Gonda Foundation assesses the applications according to the assessment criteria. The Board of the Gonda Foundation also refers to the Advisory Committee of the Gonda Foundation on which the IIAS Institute Director has a seat.

Obligations of a Gonda Fellow

• Gonda Fellows are expected to give a public lecture near the end of the fellowship at, for instance, Leiden University, where the Gonda Fellow will present his or her research.
• Within one month of the completion of the fellowship, the Gonda Fellow will be obliged to e-mail a scientific report about the fellowship to the Gonda Foundation. The format for this report is available at https://www.knaw.nl/gondafonds. If the Gonda Foundation does not receive the report on time, the Gonda Fellow may be required to repay the fellowship grant and travel expenses to the Gonda Foundation.
• The final arrival and departure dates must be agreed upon with the IIAS Fellow Programme Coordinator before the Gonda Fellow purchases travel tickets.
• If the Gonda Fellow accepts the accommodation offered by the IIAS, any changes in the research project or research period may have financial consequences for the Gonda Fellow personally.
• Any changes in the research project or research period must be approved in advance by the Board of the Gonda Foundation.
• All print or Internet publications arising from the Gonda Fellowship at IIAS must state that the research or publication was made possible in part by the J. Gonda Foundation of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the International Institute for Asian Studies.

Contact

Linda Groen

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
P.O. Box 19121
1000 GC Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Email linda.groen@knaw.n