Visiting International Fellowships

This SFS scheme supports an annual visiting fellowship, tenable in any UK or Irish university, or institution of higher education in the UK or Ireland, to allow outstanding academics in the French Studies field based in overseas universities to spend time at UK or Irish higher education institutions. The Fellow is encouraged to use the occasion to further their own academic interests, and to visit more than one UK institution. The key objective is to promote the internationalization of French Studies in the UK and Ireland through collaborative work.

The Society strongly encourages applications to support visits from scholars in all parts of the world, including Africa, Australasia and the Caribbean. The key objective of the Fellowship grant is to promote the internationalization of French Studies in the UK and Ireland through collaborative work; the Fellow will be encouraged to use the occasion to further their own academic interests, and to visit more than one UK institution. Visits should be of no more than eight weeks’ duration. A longer period may be appropriate if additional funding is available from institutional sources.

The principal criteria for selection will be (i) the academic standing and achievements of the visitor in terms of their current career stage, (ii) their potential for making a substantial contribution to French Studies in the UK and Ireland, and (iii) the specific nature of the proposed programme during the fellowship. Additionally, and as collaboration is a central aim of the scheme, joint bids from two or more institutions are especially welcomed, and the selection panel will give special consideration to such applications.

Applications must be completed by an academic member of staff in the UK or Irish host institution. The UK or Irish host applicant is also expected to organise, direct and take academic and organisational responsibility of the fellowship. Host applicants must be members of or associated with Higher Education departments of French (or departments which teach French) in the UK and Ireland. Main applicants must also be members of the Society for French Studies. No more than one application may be submitted by any institution in one academic year (this applies to collegiate and non-collegiate universities alike, and includes joint applications from two or institutions).

The Society will offer a grant of up to £5,000 to support travel, accommodation, subsistence and other expenses; up to an additional £500 is also available to cover the costs of visiting other institutions in the UK or Ireland. Personal expenditure on items such as visa costs, car hire and health insurance are not eligible, and it is expected that host institutions will offer support for these. Application for this award will be competitive, and it cannot be made retrospectively.

In order to apply, please send a letter or email giving the following details:

1. name, position and institutional affiliation of the host applicant
2. name, institutional affiliation and outline of career and principal publications/ achievements of the proposed Visiting International Fellow
3. intended dates of the Fellowship
4. intended collaborators during the Fellowship
5. the subject area within French Studies to which the fellowship activity relates
6. planned activities, including visits to and lectures/seminars at other institutions
7. any other anticipated outputs or outcomes
8. a draft budget, clearly detailing the amount requested, and the purpose to which it will be put
9. details, where relevant, of other applications for, or commitments to, funding relating to the research in question
10. an undertaking to abide by the conditions of the award, if successful
11. confirmation that the principal applicant is a member of the Society for French Studies.

The names of recipients will be announced in the French Studies Bulletin and on the website. The visitor and UK or Irish host academic are required to submit a brief report within one month of the end of the award’s tenure. The Society’s support should be acknowledged in any publications arising directly from the award, and these publications should be listed in the reports. Successful applicants will be asked to submit a short report to the SFS Executive Committee. The organisers are to send a copy of the conference report to the editor of French Studies Bulletin (Dr Jennifer Rushworth: j.rushworth@ucl.ac.uk).

The Society reserves the right to request that any ‘Society for French Studies Lectures’ (or equivalent) delivered by the Visiting International Fellow should be recorded for archiving in the members’ area of the Society’s website. In addition, the host institution is required to submit a final statement of expenditure within four weeks of the end of the fellowship to the Treasurer of the Society (Professor Paul Hegarty: paul.hegarty@nottingham.ac.uk).

The host institution must undertake the following: (i) to meet all overhead and departmental costs; (ii) to provide facilities (including departmental membership, office consumables and other usual privileges) at a level commensurate with the conditions enjoyed by existing staff of the same level; (iii) to manage all necessary arrangements relating to the visitor’s health insurance, visa and tax requirements; (iv) to provide the main co-ordinator and point of contact for the Fellowship (principal applicant or nominated representative), including liaising with other host institutions and officers of the Society for French Studies as required.

2023/24: Professor Roxanne Panchasi (Simon Fraser University, Canada)

2022/23: Dr Alison Downham Moore (Western Sydney University, Australia)

2019-20: Professor Martin Munro (Florida State University)

2017/18: Dr Natalie Edwards (University of Adelaide)

2016/17: Professor Anne Vila (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

2015/16: Professor Barbara Havercroft (University of Toronto)

2014/15: Professor Tom Conley (Harvard University)