Visiting Fellowships

Why visit?

IAST aims to be the home of academic experimentation and freedom, where top-flight researchers are able to explore new territory in a cross-disciplinary direction and interact with IAST faculty, post-doctoral Research Fellows, and other visitors in an exciting environment. Over the past 3 years IAST has welcomed more than 20 visiting fellows from 10 disiciplines and 11 countries.

Each year IAST invites scholars already employed in a permanent position by another research-active institution for visits ranging from 1 month to 1 year. A completed doctorate or equivalent is required. Fellows receive reimbursement of travel and housing expenses and are provided with an office. A small number of remunerated (sabbatical) fellowships are also available. We welcome our visitors throughout the year except for July and August (when the majority of our Research Fellows are travelling).

Who can visit?

IAST welcomes applications for Visiting Fellowships from researchers within a large range of disciplines. All research interests relevant to the broad study of human behavior are welcome, but interests that complement and/or enhance those already developed at IAST---in particular (but not only) those in line with one of the Research Teams---by  will be given special consideration. These interests include, to cite only a few:

• In history: quantitative economic history (cliometrics), empirical political economy in history, qualitative economic or social history.
• In evolutionary biology: theoretical models of evolution (applied to family structure, strategic interactions, plasticity, cognition, learning, cultural evolution); related empirical work.
• In anthropology: human biology, life history theory, human development and plasticity, health and infectious disease, aging, demography, host-parasite co-evolution, diet and nutrition, global health, evolutionary medicine and genetics.
• In political science: public opinion and public policies, political economy, political institutions, development, experimental political science, studies of networks and their impact on individual and collective action.
• In law: law and economics, corporate governance, criminology.
• In psychology: AI ethics, cumulative culture, human-machine cooperation, machine behavior, moral character, moral dilemmas, social credit, social learning, social preferences.
• In sociology: network formation, the impact of networks on social outcomes, sociology of religion.

Applications from economists are also encouraged, but successful applicants will have demonstrated an interest in, and a commitment to, at least one of the other non-economics disciplines of IAST.

What do we expect from our visitors?

IAST is an institution that fosters communication between disciplines and interdisciplinary research. Being exposed to presentations and participating in discussions are key components of the process. Both permanent researchers and visitors are therefore expected to attend seminars and institutional social events.

How do I apply?

To apply for a visit of 1 month or more, for the 2024-2025 academic year, please send your application by e-mail to info.researchpositions@iast.fr, by 15th November 2023. Please let us know whether you need a reply before a certain date. 

Each application should include:

• a CV
• a project proposal (maximum 2 pages, indicating whether you consider interactions with resident IAST researchers)
• In the e-mail please specify your main discipline, as well as the desired period and length of visit. Applications that do not specify desired visit dates will not be processed.