Visiting Scholars from a Developing Country

Applications are invited from scholars from developing countries (defined as those on the list of ODA recipients) to visit the Faculty of Divinity for one term (up to three months) during the academic year 2024 - 2025.

The Faculty will pay for all direct costs (see below). Application Deadline: 1 November 2023.

What We Can Offer

We are able to offer the Visiting Scholar an academic ‘home’ in Cambridge, with the use of Faculty and University facilities, including libraries, computing, and common rooms, and entry to such lectures and seminars throughout the University as may interest you. In order to reflect the Faculty’s commitment to fostering spaces of diversity, this will be an opportunity for the scholar to share research with us and to engage with members of the Faculty.

The scholar will be expected to offer a seminar paper to Faculty members on their research in the course of the visit.

For more information about the Faculty, see https://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/.

Costs

The Faculty will cover all reasonable travel expenses, visa costs, and accommodation costs (up £1500 per month) for the scholar alone, as well as pay for the visiting scholar fee.

Eligibility

• The visiting scholarship is open to any scholar from a country listed among the ODA recipients. See: http://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/daclist.htm
• The visiting scholar should hold a PhD in the relevant field, and their research should align with the research strengths of the Faculty. The scholar might wish to identify a possible mentor among the Faculty teaching staff in the Faculty.
• Selection of the eligible candidate will be based on the strength of their research and on its alignment with current Faculty interests.

How to Apply

• An application form is available from the Faculty Administrative office, Dr Peter Harland (administrator@divinity.cam.ac.uk).
• Along with your application form, please submit:
  • a full curriculum vitae,
  • a detailed covering letter stating why you wish to come to Cambridge, including how your research relates to the Faculty,
  • and an outline of the research work you intend to do while here. Please indicate in which University term you wish to come to Cambridge (Term dates are specified here: https://www.cam.ac.uk/about-the-university/term-dates-and-calendars)

Please ask two academic referees to write to us on your behalf outlining your research strengths and the reasons why it would be helpful for you to spend time in Cambridge. One of the referees should be from an institution other than your own.

The complete application should be sent to:

Dr Peter Harland
Administrative Officer
Faculty of Divinity
West Road
Cambridge CB3 9BS

Email: administrator@divinity.cam.ac.uk

Tel: 01223 763017

Academic Visitors

We are able to give the title 'Visiting Scholar' to those who are already engaged in an academic career, evidenced through academic publications, and who are employed in a University or Theological College (Seminary), either in the UK or in another country. Such a person will normally have a PhD and will probably wish to come to Cambridge for part or the whole of a sabbatical leave - anything up to a year is possible - to work on material available here in Cambridge or attached to one of our projects. During their stay academic visitors will participate in the research life of the Faculty, for example by attending a senior research seminar and sharing in discussion with colleagues and graduate researchers.

What We Can Offer

• For a nominal fee (plus Value Added Tax), we are able to offer Visiting Scholars an academic 'home' in Cambridge, with the use of Faculty and University facilities such as libraries, computing, and common rooms, and entry to such lectures and seminars throughout the University as may interest you.
• If you want a University ID card and/or Raven, Cambridge email, etc, please make your request online using this form.
• Visiting scholars will have a mentor during their visit. Guidance for visiting scholars can be found here.

Timetable for Applications

Applications need to be planned well in advance of any projected visit to Cambridge, especially if other applications (such as leave from your own institution) depend on a positive decision from the Faculty.

Please note that applications will only be considered once a term with the following deadlines:

• 15 September (for consideration at the October meeting of the Research Committee)
• 15 December (for the January meeting) and
• 15 April (for the May meeting)

Applications will be judged strictly on academic merit. Decisions will be communicated to the applicants shortly after the meeting of the committee. 

How to Apply

• Please send a full curriculum vitae with a detailed covering letter stating why and for how long you wish to come to Cambridge, and an outline of the work you intend to do while here.
• Please ask two academic referees to write to us on your behalf stating the reasons why it would be helpful for you to spend time in Cambridge.

The complete application needs to be sent to:

Dr Peter Harland
Administrative Officer
Faculty of Divinity
West Road
Cambridge CB3 9BS

Email: administrator@divinity.cam.ac.uk

Tel: 01223 763017