The M.S. Merian – R. Tagore International Centre of Advanced Studies “Metamorphoses of the Political: Comparative Perspectives on the Long Twentieth Century” (ICAS:MP), a project under the aegis of the Max Weber Stiftung India Branch Office, advertises multiple fellowships for the academic year July 2023 – June 2024.

ICAS:MP is funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and has its main location in New Delhi, India, though the research conducted at the centre is not restricted to India and South Asia. It offers fellowships for senior researchers and a smaller number of outstanding postdoctoral scholars who work on at least one of the ICAS:MP research themes (TM = Thematic Modules).

Thematic Modules offering Fellowships in 2023/2024:

TM1: History as a Political Category
TM3: Critiques and Renewals of Democracy
TM4: Normative Conflicts and Transformations
TM5: The Challenge of Gender
TM6: Political Economy of Growth and Distribution
TM 7: Media and the Constitution of the Political

Notes: In TM 5, fellows conducting comparative research on the politics of gender and ways in which power and powerlessness are constructed in economic, social and cultural fields will be preferred. Exploration of gender dimensions of religion, performance, reproduction, violence and international relations will be of particular interest. TM 2: Labour as a Political Category does not offer Fellowships in 2023/24.

Application Details and Fellowship Terms & Conditions:

The fellowships are open to applicants of all nationalities. We particularly welcome applicants based at German and Indian academic institutions. Interested scholars from related social sciences and humanities disciplines working on thematic fields relevant to ICAS:MP are invited to apply. The research project must be related to the research programme of a thematic module and to the broader ICAS:MP research agenda. For detailed module descriptions please consult the ICAS:MP website.
https://micasmp.hypotheses.org/

Senior Fellowships are for up to a period of 6 months. ICAS:MP will either pay a stipend or reimburse a teaching substitute at the home institution of the successful candidate. Fellows will receive travel costs and allowances for housing and other expenses in Delhi. Senior Fellows are professors, or have a record of at least ten years substantial (institutional or independent) academic work following the PhD., or have a high-quality research and publications profile.

(Postdoctoral) Fellowships can be awarded for up to 7 months. ICAS:MP will pay a stipend which includes allowances for housing and other costs in Delhi. Fellowship recipients will also be reimbursed for their travel costs. Fellows must already have a PhD degree, or shall have successfully completed all requirements for PhD by March 2023.

Please note that this is a residential writing fellowship based at ICAS:MP, New Delhi. Fellows should work on a topic for which the major part of research is already completed by the beginning of the fellowship. During the fellowship term, absences for fieldwork or archival research outside Delhi should not exceed one month max.

Should travel still be restricted, or not advisable due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we may (partly) offer virtual fellowships or temporary additional work spaces at one of ICAS:MP’s partner institutions in Germany. Collaboration and exchange between Fellows would then be enabled through the digital media.

Applicants are expected to possess adequate language skills in English as well as other languages that are relevant to their research proposal.

Application materials:

- Completed Application Form: Available for download at https://owncloud.gwdg.de/index.php/s/sxYbuX1zQyqKGch
- Application: Single PDF comprising list of publications’ project description of 3000 words including description of relevance and fit with ICAS:MP research theme and the framework of the Thematic Module(s) applied for; research schedule for the fellowship period.
- Cover letter: 1 page, outlining research experience and academic qualifications
- Postdoctoral Fellows should also provide (1) an academic reference letter (the referee should submit this directly to Ms. Sukriti Manocha manocha@mwsindia.org), (2) a copy of their PhD. degree, or a letter from their supervisor/department head confirming that they will have completed all requirements for the PhD degree latest by March 2023.
All materials should be sent by email to Ms. Sukriti Manocha (manocha@mwsindia.org) by 30.09.2022. Late applications will not be considered.

Enquiries related to academic content:

TM 1: Prof. Shail Mayaram, CSDS Delhi (shail@csds.in); Dr. Indra Sengupta, GHI London (isengupta@ghil.ac.uk)

TM 3: Prof. Rupa Viswanath, CeMIS Göttingen (rupa.viswanath@gmail.com); Dr. Ritajyoti Bandyopadhyay, IISER Mohali (ritajyoti@gmail.com); Prof. Srirupa Roy, CeMIS Göttingen (srirupa.roy@sowi.uni-goettingen.de)

TM 4: Prof. Rajeev Bhargava, CSDS Delhi (rbhargav4@gmail.com); Prof. Martin Fuchs, MWK Erfurt (martin.fuchs@uni-erfurt.de)

TM 5: Prof. Elisabeth Schömbucher-Kusterer, Würzburg (elisabeth.schoembucher-kusterer@uni-wuerzburg.de), Prof. Janaki Nair, JNU Delhi (nair.janaki@gmail.com); Prof. Jörg Gengnagel, Würzburg (joerg.gengnagel@uni-wuerzburg.de)

TM 6: Prof. Oliver Kessler, Erfurt (oliver.kessler@uni-erfurt.de); Prof. Sebastian Vollmer, Göttingen (sebastian.vollmer@wiwi.uni-goettingen.de);

TM 7: Prof. Ravi Vasudevan, CSDS Delhi (Vasudevan.rs@gmail.com ); Prof. Srirupa Roy, CeMIS Göttingen (srirupa.roy@sowi.uni-goettingen.de)

For all general enquiries, e.g. terms of conditions of the fellowship and financial compensation, please contact Ms. Sukriti Manocha, ICAS:MP New Delhi (manocha@mwsindia.org).