Deadline: March 16, 2026
Applications are open for the KB Fellowship at NIAS 2026. The KB Fellowship at NIAS offers researchers the opportunity to work on any topic that is pertinent to a future-oriented functionality of the (public) library and/or the sustainability of the library as a public institution and pillar of liberal democracy. The KB Fellowship at NIAS was established in cooperation between NIAS and the KB National Library of the Netherlands in 2025 and is intended for talented researchers in all scholarly and artistic disciplines.
During the fellowship, researchers are given the opportunity to work on any topic that sits at a cross section with- or broadens the scope of the KB research agenda. The call is open to proposals addressing societal and practical challenges reaching beyond the KB as national library or even the library field, as well as to those focusing on problems pertaining to the (digital) collections or other aspects of the national library per se. The call especially invites proposals addressing their topic from an international (comparative) perspective.
Fellows join a stimulating international academic community at NIAS in Amsterdam where they may benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration with scholars from the humanities and social sciences. Fellows at NIAS are enabled to concentrate fully on the study of their chosen topic while being committed not only to their own, but also to each other’s work and progress.
Fellowship
- The KB offers one five-month fellowship per year at NIAS (September 2026 to January 2027).
- Fellows receive a personal stipend or, for scholars affiliated to a Dutch university or research institute, a Dutch University Grant, given to the institution.
- Fellows are provided with an office in the NIAS building, including research facilities, and (where eligible) subsidised accommodation in Amsterdam.
- A residency at the Institute constitutes a full-time commitment and fellows are expected to be present at the Institute four workdays a week from the opening of their semester until the end of their semester.
Eligibility
- Open to scholarly researchers, with or without institutional affiliation, with at least 3 years of research experience after having obtained their PhD (on the closing date of the call) and to creative practitioners, with or without institutional affiliation, with at least 3 years of independent art practice since formal graduation or equivalent. Note that artists are welcome for artistic production as a research strategy and for pre-production research. NIAS does not offer ateliers nor materials or tools for artistic production.
- The working language at NIAS is English. Applicants must have a good command of English to contribute effectively to the fellows group and receive input on their own research.
Application
For more information, visit KB Fellowship at NIAS.
