Gulbenkian Institute Fellowship 2027 To Study for Free in Portugal

The Gulbenkian Institute for Advanced Study has opened its 2027–28 Fellowship competition for established academics, independent scholars and artists seeking uninterrupted time to develop original work in Lisbon.

Unlike a conventional degree scholarship, this is a residential research fellowship for accomplished researchers. Selected fellows will spend approximately three to eight months at the Institute, pursuing a self-directed project with few compulsory academic duties.

What Makes This Portugal Fellowship Different?

The programme is designed around intellectual freedom rather than coursework, laboratory work or formal teaching responsibilities.

Fellows will join a multidisciplinary community composed of researchers from different countries, institutions and academic traditions. The Institute expects residents to concentrate on their own projects while benefiting from informal discussion, intellectual exchange and occasional opportunities to organise seminars, lectures or workshops.

Physical residence in Lisbon is required for the agreed fellowship period. The award is therefore unsuitable for applicants seeking remote funding or a grant that can be used at their home institution.

What Financial Support Is Provided?

This Portuguese fellowship includes:

• A stipend for the residency period
• A housing allowance
• Access to the Institute’s campus and working environment
• Time to pursue independent research with minimal regular obligations

The Foundation has not published a universal stipend or housing-allowance amount on the public call page. Applicants should therefore avoid describing this opportunity as fully funded in a fixed monetary sense until their individual offer confirms the value and exact expenses covered.

The fellowship is non-renewable. Former fellows cannot apply for another residence during the first five years following their previous residency.

Who Can Apply for Gulbenkian Institute Fellowship?

The call primarily targets internationally recognised academics who are currently active in research. However, applications may also be considered from:

• Emeritus professors
• Independent scholars
• Professionals with a substantial intellectual record
• Practising artists

Most academic disciplines are eligible, but the proposed project must not require laboratory facilities or experimental infrastructure. Work that is predominantly practical, technical or application-oriented is also unlikely to fit the Institute’s purpose.

This is not an early-career student scholarship. Master’s students, ordinary PhD applicants and researchers without an established body of work should not assume that general academic promise will be enough. The inaugural 2026–27 cohort consisted of only 15 fellows, including scholars in history, philosophy, political theory, archaeology, literature, musicology and the arts, demonstrating the senior and highly competitive nature of selection.

How Will Candidates Be Selected?

Applications will be reviewed through an international competitive process by the GIAS Advisory Board. The central considerations are:

• Quality and originality of the proposed work
• Evidence of a distinguished intellectual or creative record
• Suitability of the project for concentrated residential study
• Compatibility with the Institute’s interdisciplinary environment

A strong proposal should explain what the applicant intends to accomplish in Lisbon and why several months of protected research time would materially advance that work.

Application Documents and Process

Applicants must apply individually through a MyGulbenkian account. The application requires a curriculum vitae, a brief description of the activities proposed during residency and the names of two referees who may be asked to provide recommendation letters.

Fellowship offers are expected to begin from late January 2027, with official appointments normally announced by April.

Final Application Deadline

The last date to apply for the Gulbenkian Institute for Advanced Study Fellowships 2027–28 is October 15, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Lisbon time.