Main Image for Threatened Scholars Integration Initiative
Photo of Akida Pulat holding an image of her mother, threatened Uyghur scholar Rahile Dawut courtesy of Akida Pulat.

Threatened Scholars Integration Initiative

TSI offers Fellowships in OSUN institutions for scholars who have lost their academic positions or cannot remain in their home countries due to threats or actions from authoritarian regimes, persecution for their views or identities, or other risks.  Fellowship activities can include teaching, research, writing and other creative activities, and participating in the scholarly and cultural life of host institutions and the broader OSUN community.

TSI-OSUN is not currently accepting any new applications or nominations.  

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY
 
The category of Threatened Scholar includes: career academics, graduate students, and independent scholars, as well as writers, intellectuals, and artists whose work relates to teaching, learning, research, and the public mission of higher education, and whose lives or livelihoods are currently at risk.

TYPES OF FELLOWSHIPS
 
TSI offers two types of Fellowships: 
 
Residential Fellows reside at a host OSUN institution and work with colleagues there, participating in regular activities of the university, by mutual agreement: teaching, research, advising, administration, programming, and other academic engagements. Fellowships typically include salary, benefits, and support for research and travel, following local standards. Generally, Residential Fellowships cover a two-year period, based on available funding and an evaluation by the scholar and the host institution after year one, with the possibility of renewal for a third academic year, again, based on shared costs with the hosting institution, available funding, and continued mutual agreement.
 
Non-Residential Fellows are scholars who cannot, or choose not to, leave their home countries or who are unable to travel from a third country.  Non-Residential Fellows are affiliated with a hosting OSUN institution, pursuing distance academic work online and in coordination with host colleagues.  Non-Residential Fellowships cover one academic year with the possibility of renewal for an additional year, based on available funding and an evaluation by the scholar and the host institution. The stipend amount for Non-Residential Fellows is substantially lower than that for Residential Fellows

HOW TO APPLY
 
Fellows are selected in a variety of ways. TSI prioritizes placements for Fellows at OSUN institutions where there are strong pre-existing ties or significant overlaps in research interests and/or teaching needs. 
 
Nominations
Given the complexity of matching scholars with institutions that are not already familiar with the scholar or their work, TSI has a strong preference for applicants who are nominated by potential hosts. Applicants should explore their connections, direct and indirect, with colleagues across the full range of OSUN institutions, and seek out one or more to discuss the possibility of a placement there. These placements come at no or very little cost to the host institutions, and the support of threatened scholars is a core value of the network. What is most important is the building of a real connection between the potential Fellow and the potential host, and a clear vision of the role the Fellow would play at the institution. Once a host institution has agreed to nominate a scholar, they complete and submit the nomination form for Residential Fellows or the form for Non-Residential Fellows.
 
Applications
For Threatened Scholars who are interested in a Fellowship but do not not have or cannot develop connections with OSUN institutions that can serve as nominators, TSI also permits self-applications. That process begins with the completion of the registration document.

TSI staff decide, on the basis of that information, on the eligibility or suitability of the scholar for a Fellowship. If it is clear that the scholar does not meet our criteria for a Fellowship, the scholar will be informed that TSI is not the appropriate path for them. If the scholar does meet TSI’s general eligibility criteria, they will be sent an application form. Again, given the difficulty and time required to match applicants with potential host institutions, TSI strongly prioritizes nominated applicants over all others
 
AFTER THE NOMINATION OR APPLICATION
 
Nominations
Once a nomination is made, TSI determines whether the Fellowship as proposed meets the goals of the program and will be of benefit to the scholar, the host, and the network. This determination depends on a number of factors, including principally whether the nominating institution and TSI agree on an integration plan for the Fellow and a budget for the Fellowship. This process takes, on average, three months from the date the nomination is submitted, although every decision can not be completed within this time frame. 
 
Applications
Calls for applications are held twice a year, with application deadlines in March and September. (TSI may also consider applications independent of these two rounds in cases of emergency or other special circumstances.)  Because applications require finding an appropriate institutional host for each scholar, and then building an integration plan from scratch, this process requires significantly more time than does the nomination process.  TSI’s goal is to find a placement for a scholar within six months of the application deadline however this is contingent on many factors outside the control of TSI.  Applications that have not been matched with a host institution after nine months will either be rejected or placed in a “hold” category should there be significant likelihood of a host becoming available in the near future.

Fellowship Nominations and Applications

TSI-OSUN is not currently accepting any new applications or nominations.  

[email protected]
 

Leadership
 

Thomas Keenan, Bard College
[email protected]

Oleksandr Shtokvych, Central European University
[email protected]

Aysuda Kölemen, Bard College Berlin
[email protected]

Jacqueline Baillargeon, Bard College
[email protected]

News

Threatened Scholars: Political Exile Felix Kaputu Connects with Communities Locally and Globally
Post Date: November 28, 2023
Threatened Scholars: Kyaw Moe Tun on Outrunning a Coup While Building a Liberal Arts University for Burmese Students
Post Date: November 14, 2023
Threatened Scholars: Shaharzad Akbar Seeks Accountability for Human Rights Violations in Afghanistan
Post Date: October 31, 2023
Threatened Scholars: Writer and Public Intellectual Dmitry Bykov on Russian Ressentiment and Resilience
Post Date: October 17, 2023
OSUN Statement on Sentencing of Uyghur Academic Rahile Dawut to Life in Prison
Post Date: September 22, 2023
University World News Examines OSUN's Role in Resisting Threats to Academic Freedom Worldwide
Post Date: September 19, 2023
OSUN Launches Fellowship Program for Afghan Scholars and Professionals in US, UK, and Canada
Post Date: November 15, 2022
OSUN Partners with Kyiv School of Economics, Reinforcing Its Response to Ukraine Crisis
Post Date: August 23, 2022
Growing Capacity and Fostering Resilience: Network Responses to Forced Displacement
Post Date: May 24, 2022
Statement, February 28, 2022: OSUN Condemns Russian Attack on Ukraine and Pledges Support for Ukrainian Students and Scholars
Post Date: February 27, 2022