Nahrein Network - BISI Visiting Iraqi Scholarships Scheme

The Visiting Scholarships Scheme is run jointly by the Nahrein Network with The British Institute for the Study of Iraq. Previous beneficiaries of the BISI Visiting Iraqi Scholarships, or the Nahrein Network Scholarship, are not eligible to re-apply. 

What do the scholarships cover? 

The scholarships cover:

• Reasonable research costs;
• Institutional fees (e.g. university access and library usage).

And for placements in the UK, we will also provide:

• Advice and support from BISI on applying for a UK visa, and on travel, insurance, and accommodation;
• All travel expenses, including visa costs;
• Travel insurance for your visit;
• Housing (usually with a host family) and a daily allowance for living costs.

These scholarships do not cover any of the following:

• Any salary expenses;
• English language training;
• Fees for long-term or full-time university courses;
• Any routine dental or medical expenses.

Eligibility

The scheme is aimed at Iraqi nationals, currently residing in Iraq, who want to carry out a project relating to one or more of the Nahrein Network’s six aims.

• You cannot normally be a previous recipient of a Nahrein Network or BISI Visiting Scholarship
• You should be a resident of Iraq (including KRI) though we may consider exceptions
• We may ask you to take an English language test because a working level of the English language is needed in order to benefit from the scholarship
• The Scholarship Scheme funds research-related activity and not the restoration or conservations of buildings sites or collections, or archaeological digs. Nor can we fund work that directly involves children. The scholarship is designed to support the intellectual aspects of cultural heritage in the sustainable development of Iraq
• Applications without a UK host will not be considered
• The scheme now includes PhD students as well as cultural heritage professionals and academics. 

Preparing to Apply

1. Check your eligibility
2. Download and read the Application Form
3. Determine what you would like to research and how this fits with the Network aims
4. Identify and contact a suitable host institution in the UK. You must secure approval from their side. Ask them to give you a letter confirming they are happy to host you, who will be your contact within their institution and any fees they expect to be paid for hosting you. We will not accept any applications that do not have a UK host
5. Secure your home institution’s approval. Ask them to give you a letter confirming they are happy for you to undertake the scholarship

How to Apply

1. Fill in your application
2. Make sure you have the letter of permission from your home institution
3. Make sure you have the letter of invitation from your host institution
4. Run through the check on page 10 of your application. You must meet all the conditions there to have a complete application.
5. Convert all three documents into one PDF document. Name your file in format applicantname_homeinstitutionname.pdf
6. Go to https://www.ucl.ac.uk/dropbox/
7. On the first page, choose ‘Drop Off’
8. On the second page, under ‘From:’, add your name and email address
9. On the second page, under ‘To:’, add Nahrein and [email protected]
10. Choose your file to upload and add a short description
11. Choose ‘Upload all files’

Please be aware the form fields might not work properly on older versions of MS word. Please read the below suggestions for getting around some known questions: 

• Entering a new line in a form field: this can be done by clicking into the field and then pushing the Shift and Enter keys together
• Fields don’t allow data entry: feel free to attach an extra page to the final PDF and add the missing information there
  
• Fields don’t allow for a new line/paragraph: feel free to attach an extra page to the final PDF and add the missing information there
• If you are adding an extra page, please make sure to indicate which section and question they belong to, so the reviewers know where it belongs

Terms and conditions for UK placements 

The scholarships cover:

• Scholars must sign a formal agreement with the Nahrein Network and BISI to show that they agree with the terms and conditions of the scholarship
• We reserve the right to withdraw any scholarships that have not been taken up within one year of notification of the awards.

In addition, for UK placements, the following also apply:

• Scholars must apply for a UK visit at least three months before their visit to the UK. This will require you to take your identity documents for checking at a Visa Application Centre in your home country
• Scholars are expected to be able to work and travel independently in the UK 

 BISI Visiting Scholarships

On an exception basis, BISI may consider funding a separate Visiting Scholar whose research is not covered by the Nahrein Network’s aim. Only exceptional applications with developed research proposals and pre-established links to a UK academic sponsor or university will be assessed.

Projects should focus on the history, society, and culture of Iraq from the earliest times until the present. We welcome applications from scholars involved in the following fields: anthropology, archaeology, history, geography, languages and other areas in the arts, humanities and social sciences. 

All applicants must be currently based in Iraq and should demonstrate how a scholarship in the UK will strengthen the research and cultural heritage environment in Iraq.