Become a Visiting Fellow

A visiting fellow is a scholar in possession of a doctorate or equivalent qualification who applies to come to Princeton for no less than one month and no longer than two consecutive semesters to work with a specified Princeton faculty member on a research project that grows out of a specific collaboration or mutual research interest.

The Department of Near Eastern Studies hosts a limited number of visiting fellows each year. If you are interested in applying to become a VF in Near Eastern Studies please contact the Department Manager, Karen Chirik, at [email protected].

Application deadlines:

April 1 for an August – January start

October 1 for a February – July start

Please note if you are applying for funding which requires approval from us with your application, you need to contact the faculty member you wish to work with and Karen Chirik at least two weeks prior to your deadline.

Before the Department can review your request, you will need to initiate contact with a member of the Department faculty. That faculty member will need to submit a letter of support on your behalf with the Department. Please know that there is no guarantee that the Department will approve your request even if a faculty member supports it.

You should provide the faculty member with your:

  • Statement of academic interest, including dates of proposed stay and purpose of study/research. The statement should also include an explanation of what specific Princeton resources are necessary for you to conduct this research. 
  • C.V.

If supported by a faculty member, you will be asked to provide the Department Business Manager, Angela Bryant ([email protected]), with proof of financial support at the level required by Princeton University.

Prospective VFs are encouraged to consider carefully the length of time required to do their work while visiting Princeton. Scholars who propose to visit for a period of time exceeding what is necessary to conduct their research may be asked to shorten their proposed dates of stay.

Once the Department has approved the request, the scholar will need to submit all necessary appointment and financial documentation to Angela Bryant as soon as possible in order to allow sufficient time for processing of the formal application and, if necessary, the visa paperwork.