Visiting Scholarships Scheme

The Joint Visiting Scholarships Scheme aims to enhance the capacity of Iraqi, Iranian, Lebanese and Turkish scholars to engage in the sustainable development of cultural heritage. It enables academics, cultural heritage professionals, and NGO workers to visit the UK for 1-2 months for training and research.

The Visiting Scholarships Scheme is run jointly by the Nahrein Network with:

• The British Institute for the Study of Iraq (BISI).
• The Iran Heritage Foundation (IHF)
• The Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL)
• The British Institute at Ankara (BIAA)

Current Visiting Scholars home institutions

Visiting Scholarships podcast

Listen to Mehiyar and Eleanor explaining how the Visiting Scholarships Scheme works, and how to make an application:

How to apply

The next deadline is 23:59 on 15 August 2019. We expect to make 3-4 awards.

You may apply to the scheme if you are a resident of Iraq, Iran, Lebanon or Turkey and you want to carry out a project relating to one or more of the Nahrein Network's five aims.

Further information on the AHRC remit is available here, while the list AHRC disciplines can be found at this link. 

If you have previously had a BISI Iraqi Visiting Scholarship, or a Nahrein Visiting Scholarship, you will not normally be eligible to apply.

If you are currently a student, you will not normally be eligible to apply.

In order to apply, you will need to:

• Download and read the

  application form

  application form
   for the scheme. This document includes guidance notes. 
• Write a 500-1000 word proposal describing the research or training you would like to pursue with a host organisation in the UK, for a maximum of 2 months.
• Contact a host organisation. You can do this directly (see below) or ask for advice about this from the Nahrein Network.
• Get written agreement to submit an application from the UK host organisation and from your employer (if you have one).
• Complete the Application Form and email it to the Nahrein Network (nahrein@ucl.ac.uk).

The deadlines for proposals are 15 February and 15 August every year (2019-2020).

As part of the application process, the Nahrein Network may interview you by telephone or over the internet, and may ask you for proof of your English language ability. A joint committee from BISI and the Network will then assess your application based on

these criteria

these criteria

We will normally tell you the result of your application within one month of the deadline.

Choosing a UK host institution

You will not be eligible for a Visiting Scholarship without a suitable UK host institution.

The Nahrein Network has the support of a growing number of UK host institutions, including:

• The British Library
• The National Archives
• Birmingham Museums Trust
• The Ashmolean Museum
• University College London
• The University of Glasgow
• The University of Manchester
• The University of Reading

You are also welcome to choose and contact a different UK host institution that is better suited to your research interests; or you are welcome to ask the Nahrein Network for advice about possible hosts.

What do the scholarships cover?

These scholarships cover:

• Advice and support from our partners (BISI, IHF, CBRL and BIAA) on applying for a UK visa, and on travel, insurance, and accommodation;
• All travel expenses, including visa costs;
• Travel insurance for your visit;
• Institutional fees (e.g. university access and library usage, but not tuition fees);
• Housing (usually with a family) and a daily allowance for living costs;
• Reasonable research costs.

These scholarships will not cover:

• Any salary expenses;
• English language training;
• Fees for long-term or full-time university courses;
• Any routine dental or medical expenses.

Terms and conditions

Scholars must apply for a UK visa at least three months before their visit to the UK. This will require you to take your identity documents for checking at a Visa Application Centre in your home country.

Scholars are expected to be able to work and travel independently in the UK.

Scholars must sign a formal agreement with the Nahrein Network and relevant partner (BISI, IHF, CBRL or BIAA) to show that they agree with the terms and conditions of the scholarship.

We reserve the right to withdraw any scholarships that have not been taken up within one year of notification of the awards.