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Institute of Advanced Study
External shot of Institute of Advanced study at Cosin's Hall

The CWIT and IAS is delighted to invite Fellowship applications to join the IAS Major Project ‘Confronting Climate Apartheid: law, economy, culture’ and its Durham University research team and other visiting Fellows in Epiphany term 2026 (12 January – 20 March 2026) to develop ground-breaking ideas, explore interdisciplinary synergies and develop new programmes of research.

About the Charles Wallace India Trust (CWIT)
The Charles Wallace India Trust (CWIT) was established in 1981. The Trust has been awarding grants in the Arts, Conservation and across the Humanities more broadly, since its inception. Its goal is to enable talented Indians (early to mid-career, and resident in India) to fulfil their potential, and in particular through academic research and visiting Fellowships.

Introduction to the IAS
Established in 2006, the (Durham University) Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) supports, promotes and grows new and creative interdisciplinary ideas that transform perspectives in challenging and provocative ways. It provides time, space, and resources to exchange and integrate ideas, knowledge and skills. It is a home to an inclusive, diverse and supportive community of scholars from Durham University and across the world.

What the Fellowship offers:

The CWIT/IAS Fellowship provides the recipient with the opportunity to develop their ideas in a thriving community of researchers, and through engagement with the Institute, the ’Confronting Climate Apartheid: law, economy, culture’ project team, and the University’s Departments and Colleges.
For the duration of the Fellowship, the successful recipient will be provided office space in University College (Durham Castle). The Fellow will be welcomed into Stephenson College where they will be accommodated in a small, sole-occupancy, 2-bedroom house, and offered membership of the College’s Senior Common Room. The costs of this accommodation and utilities will be paid by the IAS from the Fellowship grant.

The CWIT/IAS Fellowship will provide £750 towards the costs associated with the Fellow travelling to Durham from India. The CWIT/IAS grant will also provide funding of up to £2000 as a contribution towards subsistence and other living expenses whilst on the fellowship. This is payable, via bank transfer, on arrival into Durham.

Note: Fellows must apply and pay for their own visa. Letters of support can be provided by the IAS. Fellows must obtain their own travel and health insurance.

Fellows’ contribution:
To ensure the best experience, the CWIT/IAS Fellow is required to:

  • Reside in Durham for the full term of the Fellowship;
  • Participate in the Climate Apartheid Project activities, as well as IAS activities and engage with staff and research students in relevant Departments and Colleges at Durham University
  • Present a ‘work in progress’ IAS seminar paper;
  • Deliver a public lecture;
  • Acknowledge both CWIT and IAS support in any publications resulting from the Fellowship in Durham;
  • Produce an ‘End of Fellowship’ report for both the CWIT and IAS of no more than 1,000 words (3pages of A4) detailing their activities and achievements during their time at the IAS.

How to Apply

Eligibility Criteria

  1. Applicants must be Indian citizens, domiciled and resident in India, and pursuing their academic careers in India.
  2.  Applicants may come from any discipline, though they must hold a PhD in a relevant field, and/or demonstrate a proven track record, and show willingness to work collaboratively in the IAS Major Project ‘Confronting Climate Apartheid: law, economy, culture’.
  3. Applicants must be early- to mid-career researchers (ECR).
  4. Applicants must be able to explain how the value and experience of this Fellowship will enhance their careers.
  5. Applicants must be proficient in English language skills. Day to day activities and work within the Institute is conducted in the English language, and the recipient will be expected to deliver a seminar, and a public lecture in English.
  6. Applicants must submit a complete application. Partial or incomplete application will not be accepted or considered.
  7. Previous recipients of a CWIT grant in the past five years would not be eligible to apply.

This Fellowship is available for a 10-week period from 12 January – 20 March 2026 only. Other dates/terms are not possible.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an online interview, which will take place on 28 October 2025, UK time by MS Teams. The date of interview cannot be changed, and any applicant unable to attend will not be taken forward.

Application Procedures

The following application materials must be submitted by 5.00pm UK time on 15 October 2025. Please submit all your documentation in one email to Linda Crowe at ias.manager@durham.ac.uk.

  1. A Letter of Application outlining how you meet the eligibility criteria, and how the experience of this Fellowship will enhance your career.
  2. A full Curriculum Vitae.
  3. You must arrange for two referees to submit letters of reference directly to ias.manager@durham.ac.uk by the application deadline.
  4. A Fellowship proposal. This should be ca. 500-1000 words and should describe your project outline, aims and objectives, activities, significance of the project, and how the research would benefit from being carried out at the IAS and within the context of the Confronting Climate Apartheid Project. It should outline proposed methods, outcomes and outputs.

Application Materials 

Letter of Application  
The letter of application must make clear that if invited to online interview on 28 October 2025 that you can attend.  The date of interview cannot be changed.  

Curriculum Vitae  
The Curriculum Vitae/Resume should include evidence of research interests and career to date, international recognition and any impact in the field.  

References  
The names and addresses (including email addresses) of your referees must be noted on your letter of application. You must contact your referees in advance of the application deadline, and your referees must send their reference directly to Linda Crowe, the IAS Manager by the application deadline. The IAS will not make any request for references, including any not received by the application deadline.  Missing references will deem the application incomplete, and it will not be taken further.  
 
Your referees should include comments about your standing in your particular field, the quality of your research, the level of recognition you have received for this research, and the quality of the proposed research to be undertaken at Durham, and the degree to which the you would contribute to and benefit from being in an interdisciplinary community of Fellows.  

Fellowship Proposal  
The Fellowship proposal (c.500-1000 words) should describe the activities planned whilst holding an IAS Fellowship, the contacts and contribution envisaged in Durham. Applicants should take into consideration the evaluation criteria when completing the proposal. This must be submitted with the application letter and CV. 

Application Evaluation 

Applications will be evaluated by the Selection Committee according to the following criteria: 

  • Criterion 1. International standing and contribution of the candidate to the field, as appropriate to the career stage of the candidate (40%)   
  • Criterion 2. Quality of the proposed research activities while at the IAS (30%)  
  • Criterion 3. Contribution to the IAS Major Project ‘Confronting Climate Apartheid’ and wider scholarly community at Durham (20%)  
  • Criterion 4. Collegiality and ability to contribute to the community of IAS Fellows (10%)   

The sources of information for assessing applications include the application materials (including references) provided by the applicant, publicly accessible information (including published articles or books, works of art etc.). 

Only shortlisted applicants will be invited to an online interview.   
Due to the volume of applications, regrettably we are not able to offer feedback on submitted applications. 

Closing Date 

The closing date for applications is 5pm UK time, on 15 October 2025. Applications must be emailed to the IAS Manager, Linda Crowe at ias.manager@durham.ac.uk. Incomplete applications, or applications received after this date/time will not be considered.   
 
Should an applicant wish to discuss matters informally relating to this Fellowship, they are welcome to contact the following:  

Additional: 
 
Confronting Climate Apartheid: law, economy, culture 

This Major Project aims to make a ground-breaking contribution to debates concerning climate justice, environmental politics, and narrative imaginaries in a changing world by interrogating the logic of what many now call ‘climate apartheid.’ 
 
While ‘climate apartheid’ may become a useful descriptor in the long run, it raises more questions than it currently answers, and it remains unclear how the concept is comprehended and utilised in contexts where it arises. This project is primarily concerned with answering, what and for whom is ‘climate apartheid’? And what – if anything – distinguishes it from other concepts concerned with the links between climate and inequality.
 
The team will examine the following spaces and overlaps where the concept arises (explicitly or implicitly):  

  • the space of international legal regimes 
  • political activist spaces, including ‘reactionary’ climate movements & activism that is not explicitly climate-oriented 
  • ‘markets’ and the spatial implications of climate change for them
  • narratives regarding border enforcement & “climate migration”  

 More at: Confronting Climate Apartheid - Durham University