Host a Fellow

Please join our efforts to assist scholars under threat. IIE-SRF seeks accredited higher education and research institutions to host IIE-SRF scholars on their campuses.

IIE-SRF works closely with each host institution to arrange a yearlong visiting position that meets the needs of both the IIE-SRF fellow and the institution. As a visiting scholar, the IIE-SRF fellow might contribute to ongoing research or begin original research; complete pending publications; teach or co-teach; guest lecture in one or across departments; and/or serve as an on-campus resource to both students and faculty within any range of fields or subject matters. Beyond their academic activities, fellows may also be interested to share their personal experiences and knowledge related to their home countries and regions.

If conditions in their home countries improve, fellows may return after their fellowships to make meaningful contributions to their national academies and communities. If safe return is not possible, they may use the fellowship period to identify longer-term opportunities.

Host institutions may be identified by:

  • The IIE-SRF team
  • IIE-SRF fellows, before or after a fellowship is awarded
  • Institutions themselves, when they refer a scholar or express interest in hosting

Hosting arrangements:

The IIE-SRF fellowship benefits both the fellow and the host institution. The fellowship package includes the following elements:

For the Scholar For the Host
  • A financial award of up to $25,000 to support a visiting academic appointment of up to one year (renewable for a second year)
  • Relocation funding and assistance
  • Individual health insurance coverage
  • Professional development support and access to academic networks; letters of reference; career mentorship and advising on post-fellowship opportunities; and (in some cases) financial support for conference attendance and language training
  • Resources and contacts for assistance with family and legal matters
  • Opportunities through IIE-SRF or partner events, media, or other venues to share or promote the fellow’s academic work and/or speak about his/her home country
  • Dedicated support from IIE-SRF and its partners – before, during, and after the fellowship.
  • Unique expertise and perspective from an international scholar
  • Internationalization and diversification of the host community
  • Opportunity to respond to critical issues facing scholars and higher education globally
  • Extensive academic and background vetting of each fellowship recipient
  • Financial and logistical support for the fellow’s travel to the host institution
  • Support of the fellow and the host partner throughout the fellowship appointment
  • Advice on concerns as they may arise
  • Access to the IIE global network of partnering institutions
  • Ability to participate in IIE efforts to raise awareness of issues impacting higher education globally

Dedicated host partners supplement support from IIE-SRF by providing critical academic, social, and matching financial assistance. To arrange a visiting appointment for an IIE-SRF fellow, host partners are asked to:

  • Arrange a yearlong visiting appointment by identifying a departmental host, contact persons/mentors, compensation and benefits, and other services or campus resources;
  • Provide financial support equal to or greater than the IIE-SRF fellowship award. This support generally takes the form of a stipend or other direct benefits that would offset the fellow’s cost of living such as housing, airfare, or health insurance. Other in-kind contributions such as office space, computer and library access, or laboratory/bench fees are encouraged for a complete fellow support package but do not qualify as part of the matching contribution.
  • Facilitate the appropriate visa or work permit for the fellow, if required;
  • Receive the IIE-SRF fellowship funds;
  • Distribute in full during the fellowship term the combined IIE-SRF and host matching support, waiving any administrative or overhead fees and assuming all taxation responsibilities;
  • Provide faculty mentoring and staff assistance to help the fellow adjust to the host institution and local community;
  • Report to IIE-SRF on the fellow’s scholarly achievements and other successes or challenges during the fellowship period by completing and submitting to IIE-SRF midterm and final report forms.

How to become a host:

Join the IIE-SRF Alliance as a Host Partner. Complete a simple expression of interest form. An IIE-SRF team member will be in contact with you to address questions and guide you through the process of partnering with us.

Learn more about fellows seeking academic positions. View a list of IIE-SRF fellows who are seeking placements here. Upon request, we can provide a more detailed document that includes anonymous fellow bios with additional information regarding their academic backgrounds and situations of threat. If an institution is interested in exploring a hosting arrangement for a specific fellow, we will forward a comprehensive placement dossier, which includes a detailed summary of the fellow’s background and situation, CV, letters of reference, and publication samples.

Refer a scholar. An institution wishing to become a host that is in touch with a scholar who may be eligible for IIE-SRF support can refer the scholar for fellowship consideration. Please see the pages regarding eligibility and the IIE-SRF application for more information about who might qualify and how to apply. If an institution refers a scholar it would like to host, the scholar should include a reference letter from the institution as part of their application. The letter from the host institution should indicate the intent and ability to host in the event that the scholar is awarded the IIE-SRF fellowship.

Respond to a request by IIE-SRF or an IIE-SRF fellow. IIE-SRF and our fellows conduct targeted outreach to potential host institutions and may contact specific academic departments or centralized administrative contacts.

Hosting timeline:

Each hosting arrangement is different and may follow a unique timeline based on the circumstances and needs of the host and IIE-SRF fellow, but most fellowship appointments include many or all of the following milestones:

  1. Review the list of fellows seeking academic appointments.
  2. Identify a fellow who would be a good fit for the institution. If helpful, IIE-SRF can arrange email communications or phone/video calls between the host and fellow in order to help ensure the best academic fit.
  3. Finalize the details of the fellowship appointment, including the position dates, funding package, and expectations for fellowship activities. Issue a letter of invitation to the fellow.
  4. Begin the visa sponsorship and application process, if necessary, and start to plan for the fellow’s arrival to campus. These plans may include identifying short- or long-term housing for the fellow (and their family, if relevant).
  5. Finalize the hosting agreement with IIE-SRF, outlining the details of the appointment and the responsibilities of each party. (This is provided by IIE-SRF.)
  6. Working with the host and the fellow, IIE-SRF arranges the fellow’s travel to the host institution.
  7. The host institution welcomes the IIE-SRF fellow to campus.