The Research Priority Area (RPA) Decolonial Futures invites applications for its Scholars in Residence, 2026 programme. This fellowship provides funding for scholars to come to the University of Amsterdam (UvA), present their work, and further develop their ideas and projects in collaboration with staff located in one of the RPA’s three contributing faculties.  

Scholars are expected to spend between one and three months in residence at the UvA for the academic year 2026. 

About the Programme

The RPA Decolonial Futures establishes collaborations on decolonial research across the Humanities, Law, and Behavioural and Social Science Faculties. The RPA understands ‘coloniality’ as a form of power that emerged in the modern period to determine how people are categorized, how power and wealth are distributed, and how social exclusion takes place. 

What sort of applications fit this call?

The call is open in terms of decolonial research themes but we particularly encourage submissions which substantively speak to two of the three themes of the RPA: 

• Museums, archives & cultural practices (e.g., how to deal with demands to restitute art objects acquired through colonial exploits and with contentious monuments?) 

• Migrations, mobility & borders (e.g., how to account for the role of colonial histories and neocolonial exploits in motivating and directing migratory movements and border control policies?) 

• Ecology, sustainability & climate change (e.g., how to establish a just system of climate reparations)

Requirements

We welcome applications from early stage and senior scholars; however applicants must hold a PhD at the time of application. We particularly welcome and encourage applications from scholars working in or hailing from colonised and formerly colonised regions of the world.  

Applicants must have an established connection with a committed UvA partner- an employee at the level of Assistant/Associate/Professor level- affiliated with an institute, centre or department within one of our three participating Faculties at the UvA.  In addition to collaborating with the applicant throughout the duration of their fellowship and integrating them in their network, the UvA partner will commit to:  

• Co-hosting the applicant in their respective faculty/department/centre.

• Ensure access to an adequate workspace and relevant institutional facilities. 

•  Co-organise at least two academic or public events in collaboration with the fellow (including one Masterclass for the RPA community).

• Communicate events and research outputs to the RPA Program Manager and the broader UvA community; and 

• Ensure that a brief final report is sent to the RPA within eight weeks of the fellowship’s conclusion. 

How do I apply? 

Please submit a 750-word proposal which addresses the following items: 

1. Rationale for the proposed visit, specifically identifying the proposed contribution to Decolonial research at the UvA, the Amsterdam public and beyond and stipulating the extent of their connection with their proposed UvA host.  
2. Research objectives  
3. Workplan, including proposed events, workplace collaborations, teaching contributions etc. 
4. (if relevant) any co-financing available for the visit 

In addition to these items, please include a CV of the guest researcher, and a letter of commitment from their UvA partner.  

What do we expect from you at the end of your residency? 

Fellows will be expected to submit a 750 word report reflecting on their residency and submit a summary of events and output of their collaboration with their respective UvA host.  

What do we offer?

For subsistence, the RPA will provide and cover your accommodation in Amsterdam, as well as a lumpsum to support living expenses during the fellowship period. In addition to this lumpsum allowance, fellows may claim travel reimbursement up to €500 Euros for those travelling from Europe and up to €1500 Euros for fellows travelling from outside Europe.  

The RPA will also offer to assist fellows in obtaining and paying for the necessary visa(s) to facilitate their stay. Applicants are strongly advised to check visa processing times before applying and to plan their visit accordingly (see this website for indicative time and processing times). Please inform the RPA well in advance of any circumstances that may cause additional delays or complications. 

Fellows are responsible for ensuring that they have adequate health and travel insurance coverage for the duration of their stay in Amsterdam.

Please note: the RPA cannot organize accommodation or childcare for fellows accompanied by children. Fellows are therefore responsible for organizing and securing suitable housing themselves. The RPA will provide an accommodation subsidy equivalent to that offered to all other fellows; any additional costs beyond this subsidy must be covered by the fellow. The RPA can only subsidize housing options that can issue official invoices (e.g., serviced apartments, AirBnB). Given the high demand and limited availability of housing in Amsterdam, we strongly encourage fellows to arrange accommodation well in advance. 

Application deadline: 

Please send your applications to decolonialfutures@uva.nl with the subject line ‘Decolonial Future Fellows Application’ by the 6th of December 2025.