The Institute of International Education's (IIE) Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) provides fellowships for established scholars whose lives and work are threatened in their home countries. These fellowships permit professors, researchers, and other senior academics to find temporary refuge at universities and colleges anywhere in the world, enabling them to pursue their academic work and to continue to share their knowledge with students, colleagues, and the community at large. During the fellowship, conditions in a scholar's home country may improve, permitting safe return post-fellowship; if safe return is not possible, the scholar may use the fellowship period to identify a longer-term opportunity.


Emergency applications receive urgent consideration. Otherwise, the deadline for application is a rolling deadline.

Professors, established researchers, and other senior academics from any country, field, or discipline may qualify. Preference is given to scholars with a Ph.D. or other highest degree in their field; who have extensive teaching or research experience at a university, college, or other institution of higher learning; who demonstrate superior academic accomplishment or promise; and whose selection is likely to benefit the academic community in the home and/or host country, or region. Applications from female scholars and under-represented groups are strongly encouraged.

Fellowship recipients are expected to resume their teaching, lecturing, research, writing, and publishing at an academic institution outside the region of threat.


Fellowships are awarded for visiting academic positions ranging from 3 months to one calendar year. Awards are issued for up to US$25,000 plus health insurance, with the final amount dependent upon the location of the host institution, the cost of living, and the value of any additional contributions from the host institution or other source.


Fellowships are disbursed through host academic institutions for direct support of scholar-grantees. In most cases, host campuses are asked to match the SRF fellowship award through partial salary/stipend support, research materials, medical insurance, and other in-kind assistance.


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