The Centre for Research in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CRASSH) at the University of Cambridge is inviting scholars from the Global South, including African academics, to apply for its funded Visiting Fellowships. Fellows spend a full term in Cambridge in early 2028, with return flights, visa costs, college accommodation and a weekly allowance covered.
This round’s theme is “Musical Bodies and Ecologies”, run with Cambridge’s Faculty of Music. The deadline is 22 January 2027.
At a Glance
| Host | CRASSH, University of Cambridge, UK |
| Who can apply | Academics in the arts, humanities or social sciences employed at a Global South university or research institute |
| Places | Up to 3 Visiting Fellows a year, from different countries |
| When | Lent Term 2028 (mid-January to mid-March), 9–12 weeks in Cambridge |
| Theme | Musical Bodies and Ecologies |
| Deadline | 22 January 2027 |
The 2028 Theme: Musical Bodies and Ecologies
CRASSH is partnering with the Faculty of Music. It wants proposals on how music connects to human bodies and to wider ecologies, from any musical tradition. It especially encourages work on musical practices beyond Western art music. Relevant topics include:
- music, dance and ritual
- listening as a bodily practice
- music and the environment
- Black and Indigenous ecomusicological thought
- music, sound and voice
- religious cosmologies of sound
- music and digital technology, including AI
- music teaching and training of the body
Applicants from any discipline are welcome, including music and sound studies, anthropology, geography, history, literature, media studies, religious studies and sociology.
Benefits
- Return economy flights from your home institution
- Visa costs covered, if a visa is needed
- Single ensuite accommodation at Wolfson College, booked and paid for by CRASSH, with free college membership and access to its library, gym and social spaces
- A subsistence allowance of £175 a week for food and local travel
- Desk space and computer access at CRASSH, plus full access to Cambridge’s libraries, collections and academic events
- A nine-month digital fellowship afterwards, with continued access to the University’s online events and resources
Not covered: travel insurance (at your own cost), meals in college, and any extra costs of bringing family members. The fellowship assumes you keep your salary from your home institution.
Eligibility
- You must be employed at a university or research institute in the Global South on at least a 50% contract. The Global South means countries on the OECD’s list of Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients, which covers almost every African country.
- You must work mainly in the arts, humanities or social sciences.
- Your PhD must have been awarded at least five years before you apply.
- Your spoken English must be good enough to take part actively in academic discussion.
- Preference may be given to applicants who earned their PhD at, and built their careers in, Global South institutions.
What fellows must do
- Live in Cambridge for the full nine-week term. Up to one week can be spent elsewhere by arrangement.
- Join CRASSH’s Research Practice seminar and present at a relevant faculty.
- Work with the other fellows on a roundtable event on the theme. Some preparation happens online beforehand.
- Confirm travel dates at least five months before arrival, and apply for a visa at least four months before the fellowship starts.
How to Apply
- Register on the official CRASSH application system (link below).
- Upload these documents, all as PDF files:
- a cover letter explaining why you want the fellowship
- a CV using CRASSH’s own template. CVs in other formats are ruled ineligible.
- your PhD certificate, showing the date it was awarded
- a letter of support from your Head of Department, confirming leave for the full fellowship
- a published writing sample, such as a journal article or book chapter
- a research proposal of up to 1,500 words
- Submit before 22 January 2027. Shortlisted applicants are invited to an online discussion of their proposal.
Official CRASSH Global South Visiting Fellowships page and application
Questions: [email protected]
Tips for African Applicants
- Make your proposal precise. CRASSH says it values “precision, originality and critical engagement over broad claims”. State a clear research question, your sources and what you’ll finish in Cambridge.
- Bring African music traditions in. The call welcomes work beyond Western art music, so research on African ritual, dance, oral performance or sound cultures fits well.
- Ask your Head of Department for the support letter early. Without confirmed leave, your application can’t succeed.
- Use the official CV template. It’s a common reason applications are rejected.
