The Ian Ramsey Centre will award up to ten Visiting Fellowships to Latin America, which will enable senior academics from other regions in the world to visit Latin America for short-term courses, workshops and lecture series at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The IRC hopes that these visiting fellowships, proposals for which will be submitted from Latin American HEIs, will create opportunities for significant numbers of promising Latin American students, especially at advanced graduate and early postdoctoral stages, to engage with teachers and ideas from other parts of the world. The intention is that this engagement will enhance the capabilities of students as potential researchers and communicators of ideas.

All successful applicants have now been notified. You can see the Templeton Visiting Fellows to Latin America here.

You can download the complete call for applications here.

Aim and summary

The Oxford Templeton Visiting Fellowships to Latin America is a fellowship scheme which aims to encourage Latin American universities to invite senior academics from other regions of the world to visit their institution for short-term courses, workshops and lecture series on topics broadly related to the interplay between science, philosophy and theology. The scheme, developed by the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion, University of Oxford, and funded by the John Templeton Foundation, is intended to foster the engagement of Latin American scholars and students with academics and ideas from other parts of the world. The hope is that this engagement will enhance the capabilities of students as potential researchers and communicators of ideas.

Up to ten Fellowships for visiting scholars to Latin American will be awarded by the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion. The second round will award six visiting fellowships. Each grant will be worth up to US$15,000, to help support a Fellow who has been approached and invited by the institution to visit Latin America. During this visit, it is expected that the Fellow will offer short-term courses, workshops and seminars at the host institution. After this visit, it is also hoped that longer-term academic collaborations will be established. Besides the application for the grant, the host institution will be expected to submit a brief final report at the conclusion of the visit stating the activities carried out, and any future plans and collaborations arising.

The first round of applications has awarded four Templeton Visiting Fellowships to Latin America. The second round of applications, offering six fellowships, has as deadline for submission of all documents 15 April 2016.

Themes and key questions

Topics and themes of the work of the prospective Visiting Fellow will be required to show interdisciplinary engagement, and in terms of the faculties involved at the host institution. Suggested topics should be at the intersection of science, philosophy and/or theology. For example, issues on cosmology, biology or cognitive science, with particular relevance to the human person. High quality applications on alternative themes will also receive favourable consideration. A list of questions is available to stimulate ideas for applications, but this list is not exhaustive and high quality applications on alternative topics will be considered.

Monetary amount

Each grant will be up to US$15,000.

This sum can be used for expected expenditures, such as an honorarium, from which the professor may wish to make his or her own travel arrangements, accommodation, course advertising and materials, support for a selection of audio-visual outputs, and possible support for local interdisciplinary events. Essentially the grant will be for a kind of mini-project around this Visiting Fellow with significant academic value and ideally an element of broader public impact.

Two institutions can also apply for a larger grant in combination, up to US$25,000. Some activities must take place at both institutions, however, and at least one activity must be held jointly. In case that two institutions want to apply together, institutions should contact Dr Ignacio Silva in advance at latin.america@theology.ox.ac.uk.

Eligibility

Individuals or teams at reputable HEIs in Latin America, with demonstrated institutional support, can apply for this scheme.

Timing

Deadlines for second round application submissions are:

  • 15 February 2016, for Letter of Intent (a simple note explaining your willingness to apply)
  • 15 April 2016 for Full Application

Successful fellowships can be held beginning any time from 1 July 2016 and finishing at the latest by 31 March 2017.

Requirements

Details of requirements can be found on the request for applications. In summary, the requirements are:

  • A CV of the proposed Visiting Fellow
  • A complete application form including:
    • A summary of not more than 300 words
    • A statement of not more than 1500 words
    • A budget
    • A budget narrative explaining the details of the budget
    • Plans for disseminating the visit and activities through the local media
  • An institutional support form
  • A statement from the proposed Visiting Fellow stating his/her intention to accept the Oxford Templeton Visiting Fellowships to Latin America

Selection criteria

Applications from across Latin America will be considered in a competitive basis administered by the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion, University of Oxford. The applications will be assessed according to the following criteria:

  • Quality, reputation, and endorsement of the proposed Visiting Fellow
  • Engagement with contemporary developments
  • Quality of planning of activities
  • Prospects for dialogue across disciplines, institutions, and confessions (treating also ‘atheism’ in this context as a confession)
  • Prospects for effective academic outcomes
  • Prospects for broader public impact

The assessment will also look favourably on applicants that have demonstrated potential for longer-term success that will maximise the benefit of investment. This potential will be assessed principally by the integration of the visit of the Fellow within longer-term plans for those involved, and prospects for the broader HEI that will host the project.

Successful applicants’ obligations

The host to the Oxford Templeton Visiting Fellow to Latin America will be required to:

  • Prepare a brief biographical statement of the Visiting Fellow and a short description of the host Institution, in English and Spanish/Portuguese for the project website;
  • Organise seminars, workshops, short-term courses, public lectures, or other academic gatherings for the Visiting Fellow;
  • Submit a final report by the second month after the completion of the scholarship;
  • The leader of the host group should attend the 2017 final conference of the IRC’s project (up to U$S750 will be available to cover travel expenses).

Stages of the application and approval process

  1. Download the request for applications, the application form and institutional support form and check carefully the detailed criteria
  2. Send a letter of inquiry indicating the intent of applying for the scholarship before 15 May, 2015
  3. The host institution must secure the interest and commitment of the prospective Visiting Fellow
  4. Request and collect supporting documents for the application
  5. Submit documents before the deadline: 30 June, 2015

The IRC will inform all applicants of the outcome of the assessment process by 15 August 2015. Depending on the number of high quality candidates funded in the first round of fellowships, a second round may be announced in October 2015.

All correspondence and submission of application documents should be sent to Dr Ignacio Silva at latin.america@theology.ox.ac.uk. Should you require further information about the application process, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions below.

Request for applications

For more detailed information download the call for applications, the application form and the institutional support form.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who can apply?
Any recognised Latin American Institution of Higher Education offering academic degrees valid at their country, through individuals or research groups based at the university, who wish to invite a senior scholar from other regions of the world.

2. What is a ‘host institution’?
The ‘host institution’ is the Latin American University that will receive Oxford Templeton Visiting Fellow to Latin America, i.e. any university in Latin America who wishes to invite a senior scholar from other regions of the world for a short visit.

3. Can I invite members of the Ian Ramsey Centre to visit my institution?
Members of the Ian Ramsey Centre, University of Oxford, may not be invited to be Oxford Templeton Visiting Fellow to Latin America. However, institutions may wish to invite scholars from other centres and faculties at Oxford University.

4. What academic status should be given to the Visiting Fellow at my university?
Status at host institutions could vary, according to the policies of the particular host. It is expected, however, that the Oxford Templeton Visiting Fellow to Latin America will be offered an appropriate official academic visiting status, together with working space and facilities, such as an office or desk, library access, institutional internet access, etc.

5. How long can the Fellowship last?
The Oxford Templeton Visiting Fellowships to Latin America are intended to cover the expenses of short visits. These short visits could vary in length, but we expect the Visiting Fellow to stay for at least two weeks and no longer than six months. In the case of joint applications, it is expected that the Fellow’s visit will last at least one month and no longer than six months.

6. Can I use this scheme to invite a scholar to a conference I’m organising?
Yes, as long as the scholar stays longer than the duration of the conference and different activities are organised surrounding his/her visit, such as seminars, research workshops, public lectures, short-term courses, etc.

7. Can the budget be less than U$S15,000 if the visit is for two weeks only?
Yes. You should prepare a grant budget which is appropriate to the length of the visit and the activities to be carried out. You should make sure to discuss a suitable honorarium with the prospective Visiting Fellow, which must be a major part of the budget. Grant applications exceeding U$S15,000 will not be considered, unless they are submitted as joint applications between two host universities.

8. When is the deadline?
The deadline for the first round of submissions is 30 June, 2015. The deadline for the second round of submissions is 30 April, 2016.

9. Who should provide the institutional support?
Letters showing institutional support should be sent together with the application and signed by an authority of the Faculty where the host individual or research group is based, or by any appropriate authority of the University. Letters from directors of research group or institutes cannot be accepted.

10. Can I submit two applications in the same round?
Each applicant can submit one application only per round to the scheme.

11. Can I apply in the second round to extend the stay of the Oxford Templeton Visiting Fellow at my university?
The scheme is intended to foster and promote visits to as many Latin American universities as possible. Hence, first round successful applicants will not be eligible for the second round.

12. If my application was not successful in the first round, can I submit a new application in the second round?
Yes. First round, unsuccessful applicants are welcome to re-apply in the second round.

13. Can I apply if I have received other grants from the IRC or I have participated in other activities of the IRC project?
Yes. There are no restrictions arising from participation in other activities of the IRC project.

14. Which topics are acceptable?
Topics and themes of the work of the prospective Visiting Fellow will be required to show interdisciplinary engagement, ideally in terms of the faculties involved at the host institution. Suggested topics should be associated with a range of topics at the intersection of cosmology, biology or cognitive science, with particular relevance to the human person. For a list of example questions being considered under the project, see the website. Nevertheless, high quality applications on alternative themes will receive favourable consideration. Projects focusing on fine-tuning, theistic evolution and the like are welcome, although the IRC will not consider projects on creationism and/or intelligent design, in the anti-evolutionary sense in which these terms are usually understood.

15. When should the Fellowships begin?
Fellowships can be held any time between October 2015 and March 2017. We suggest you make early arrangements with the prospective Fellow to allow sufficient time for money allocation and organisation of events.

16. How will the grant be disbursed?
It is expected that the host institution will receive the full amount of the grant up to a month before the commencement of the visit. Individual arrangements could be made for the Visiting Fellow to receive his/her honorarium directly from Oxford if requested.

17. Should my university contribute to the visit in any way?
Host universities are not expected to incur in any extra expense to receive the Visiting Fellow besides providing work space and facilities, such as an office or desk, library access, institutional internet access, etc. However, we encourage universities to collaborate in any other ways they find fit, and to express this collaboration in the application.

18. Where can I find the application form?
The Oxford Templeton Visiting Fellowship to Latin America application form can be found at the project’s website, www.cyral.info/es/fellowships.

 

See also: Project Grants – Scholarships – Workshops