ESF Postdoctoral Fellowships in Asian Studies

1 The ESF Post-doc Fellowships are intended for outstanding young scholars who hold a PhD, another doctorate or a comparable qualification in any field of Asian Studies as defined below (under 12) and who wish to continue, broaden or deepen their research in a country other than the applicant's own. Interdisciplinary research will be particulary encouraged. The ESF Post-doc Fellowship scheme will promote top-quality research in Asian Studies, with a view to upgrading European research ability and creating a more truly European research community in these fields.

2 The fellowships are restricted to young researchers who are at the beginning of their academic career. They are open to applicants from all European countries and to those who have a well-established relationship with a European research institution.

3 The candidate should apply for a stay in one or several universities or institutions , where his own field of research will profit from a special intellectual environment, the presence of particular research resources or collections, from complementary expertise or an interdisciplinary approach. The candidate is expected to have relevant working knowledge of the language(s) necessary to carry out the study.

4 Applications must be supported by a letter of recommendation from a senior researcher familiar with the candidate and his work (to be forwarded separately) and a letter of acceptance from the receiving institution (i.e. where the candidate will work during the time he or she is supported by an ESF grant). In the letter of acceptance, the receiving institute or university must confirm its willingness to provide the infrastructural facilities - like the use of a library, desk space, computer, means of communication - required by the candidate. It is the responsibility of the receiving institution to obtain full particulars on the candidate before so doing.

5 Applications for Post-doc Fellowships will be considered once a year by the ESF Asia Committee. Deadline for 1996 is 1 May. Applicants will be notified on the result of their application within three months.

6 Every holder of an ESF fellowship is required to prepare a concise report of activities carried out under the fellowship and submit it to the ESF secretariat, within one month of completing the fellowship if the fellowship is of one year duration. If the fellowship is longer than one year, the fellow should prepare such a report at the end each year of his or her appointment. Each year the fellow is expected to give a number of presentations on his/her subject.

7 Every publication of work executed while in receipt of an ESF post-doc fellow must acknowledge the support given by the ESF Asia Committee, and two reprints of copies must be deposited with the Committee's secretariat.
8 ESF Post-doc fellows are not insured by ESF against medical expenses nor are the insured for accidents during their travel to and from the institution/university or during their stay abroad. The ESF does not recognize recipients of its fellowships as agents or employees of the Foundation and accepts no liability in respect of any of their actions or activities or in respect of the health or safety of their persons. In their own interest, recipients are, therefore, urged to make sure that both they and the institutions which receive them are fully covered by the necessary insurance.

9 The ESF is a non-governmental international organization whose awards are not automatically endowed with any particular tax privileges. It is the sole responsibility of the recipient of an ESF fellowship to pay any tax which may be levied upon it by the appropriate national authority.

10 In order to avoid duplication of expenditure, particularly with national sources, it is a condition of any award by the ESF that a full declaration be made to the Foundation of all grants, awards or contributions, towards the same travel and subsistence expenditure; ESF will usually reduce its normal financial contribution by a corresponding sum or, where appropriate, annul it entirely. Continuation in whole or parts of existing salaries, superannuation arrangements, etc., must also be declared. ESF will consider the arrangements case by case.

11 Salary according to age and experience. The remuneration will follow the system of the hosting institution. An extra contribution towards the costs of travel will be provided.

12 The disciplinary and geographical scope of the Asia Committee of the European Science Foundation covers the study (ancient and modern, humanities and social sciences) of the languages, cultures, societies and economies of South Asia, Central Asia, South-East Asia and East Asia.

13 Depending on the final situation, there will be fellowships of two kinds:
1) Open fellowships that can in principle be held at any European research institution, and 2) Fellowships tied to specific institutes and funded on a national or international basis. Of the present positions, three are tied to the Ecole Française d'Extrême Orient, Paris and the quest professorship to the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, Copenhagen. The other three are of the first category.
14 A call for applications will be announced through the different professional Newsletters, and will be also circulated via ESF mailings to the European Research Organizations.

European Science Foundation
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Tel: (33) 88 76 71 27
Fax: (33) 88 37 05 32
E-mail:CDurant@esf.c-strasbourg.fr