Background information about AFSR’s 2024/2025 fellowships
AFSR has decided to announce four scholarships for the academic year 2024/25, two of which for senior researchers and two for postdocs. The fellowships are currently being designed, and their announcement is planned to take place before the end of January 2024.
Purpose
The purpose of AFSR’s fellowships is to support research contributing to increased knowledge and interaction within a specific academic field, and to stimulate Swedish-French research cooperation at a more general level. This purpose can be further articulated as follows:
Advancing Academic Excellence: The primary purpose of AFSR’s fellowships is to foster and promote academic excellence in a targeted academic field. By providing senior researchers and postdocs with the resources and support they need, the program aims to facilitate high-quality, innovative research that expands the boundaries of knowledge in the chosen field.
Stimulating Cross-Border Collaboration: Another crucial purpose is to enhance research collaboration between Sweden and France. The fellowships are intended to serve as a bridge to encourage joint research initiatives, partnerships, and the exchange of ideas and expertise between researchers from both countries.
Knowledge Dissemination: The program aims to disseminate research findings, discoveries, and insights generated by fellowship recipients. This dissemination of knowledge benefits not only the academic community but also society at large, as it can have practical applications and implications for various sectors.
Promoting Cultural Exchange: Beyond research, the fellowships are intended to promote cultural exchange between Swedish and French researchers, fostering a deeper understanding of each other's academic and cultural contexts. This contributes to building long-lasting relationships and networks that extend beyond the duration of the fellowships.
Enhancing Research Capabilities: By providing financial support and resources, the program enhances the capabilities of senior researchers. This can include access to state-of-the-art equipment, research facilities, and opportunities to attend conferences and seminars.
Capacity Building: The fellowships may also serve as a mechanism for capacity building within the academic field by nurturing emerging talent and mentoring early-career researchers. This helps ensure the sustainability and growth of research in the specific field.
Contributing to Global Knowledge: In addition to the bilateral aspect, these fellowships contribute to the global body of knowledge by addressing challenges and questions that have broader relevance. The research conducted can have a meaningful impact on international scholarship and global issues.
Diplomatic and Economic Ties: The program supports broader diplomatic and economic objectives by strengthening ties between Sweden and France. Strong research collaboration can lead to economic opportunities and strategic partnerships between the two nations.
In summary, the purpose of AFSR’s fellowships for senior researchers and postdocs is to promote excellence in research, facilitate collaboration, and have a positive impact on both the academic field and the broader relationship between Sweden and France. The fellowships are intended to play a vital role in advancing knowledge, fostering cultural understanding, and building bridges between academic communities across borders.
Conditions and application period
Detailed information about the conditions for AFSR’s fellowships and during what period applications will be accepted will be presented at this website on January 31, 2024 at the latest.
Both the two senior fellowships (one French, one Swedish) and the two postdoctoral fellowships (one French and one Swedish) are intended to cover travel cost to and from and accommodation costs in the country of activity.
The senior fellowships are intended to extend over a coherent time period of 4-6 months. The corresponding coherent time period for the postdoctoral fellowships will be 3-4 months. The maximum financial contribution for the senior fellowships will be 15,000 euros (2,500 euros per month) and for the postdoctoral fellowships 10,000 euros (2,500 euros per month).