Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS): Fung Global Fellows Program 2026–27

If you're an early-career researcher from outside the U.S., poised to expand your intellectual horizons within a vibrant academic community. The Fung Global Fellows Program at Princeton’s Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) is now accepting applications for the 2026–27 academic year — and this time, the theme invites you to examine "The Politics of the Archive.” Here's everything you need to know.

🎓 Fellowship Summary

• Location: Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

• Host Institution: Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS)

• Level: Fellowship for early-career scholars (Visiting Research Scholar)

• Target Group: Early-career scholars employed outside the United States with faculty or professional research appointments; Ph.D. received after September 1, 2016 

• Fields of Focus: Broadly within humanities and social sciences; thematic research based on “The Politics of the Archive” — e.g., archives, libraries, museums, restitution, memory, historical narratives, digital asymmetries

• Value & Coverage: Expected salary range approximately $100,000 to $135,000, plus full benefits (health insurance, visa support, possibly more)

• Duration: One academic year (~10 months), in-person residency at Princeton

• Application Deadline: November 17, 2025 (11:59 p.m. EST) 

• Start Date: Fall 2026 (academic year 2026–27, beginning around September)

• Eligible To: Apply: scholars outside the U.S. with relevant appointments; must not be current Ph.D. students or postdocs

📚 Program Overview

This prestigious fellowship brings an international cohort of six exceptional scholars to Princeton for a shared year of focused research, writing, and intellectual exchange around the central theme: "The Politics of the Archive.” Candidates will engage with pressing questions such as:

• How are libraries, museums, and archives created, maintained, contested, or recontextualized amid political change?

• What does restitution versus curatorial rethinking tell us about the past’s claims upon the present?

• How do digital systems reinforce or disrupt global inequities in knowledge production?

• In what ways do archives participate in narratives of resistance or coercion, and how do memory’s custodians—especially displaced figures—shape and contest history?

Selected fellows contribute to a vibrant seminar and public programming, including a public seminar series where they present their work to the broader Princeton community .

💰 Benefits

• Competitive salary in the range of $100,000–$135,000, inclusive of comprehensive benefits

• On-campus residency for approximately 10 months, fostering deep scholarly immersion

• Access to Princeton's resources, networks, and cross-disciplinary engagements

• Visa support (typically J-1), reimbursement of visa fees, assistance with Social Security, health insurance, and tax guidance via the Davis International Center and university offices

✅ Eligibility Criteria

• Must hold a Ph.D. (or equivalent) generally awarded after September 1, 2016

• Cannot be currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program or employed as a postdoc

• Must hold a faculty or professional research appointment outside the U.S. during the period of the fellowship and intend to return to that role afterward

• Demonstrated scholarly excellence and intellectual promise in humanities or social sciences

• Research project must align well with the 2026–27 theme and display potential for fruitful intellectual exchange

📝 Application Procedure

Submit via the Princeton online portal by November 17, 2025 (11:59 p.m. EST) — applications via email or mail won’t be accepted :

• Cover letter (max. 1.5 pages), addressed to “Dear Search Committee”

• Curriculum Vitae, including publications

• Research proposal (max. 3 single-spaced pages) clearly relating to “The Politics of the Archive” theme

• Writing sample (one article chapter or paper, up to 50 pages)

• Three referees' names and email addresses — referees will be automatically invited by the system to submit letters; ensure they submit by the deadline

• If offered the fellowship, you’ll need an official letter from your current employer permitting you to spend the academic year at Princeton

🔍 Important FAQ Highlights

• Complete all submissions online before the deadline; the portal locks afterward

• The system triggers referee contact only after your submission; allow up to 48 hours for them to receive the request — so plan ahead

• No supplemental materials beyond requested items will be accepted

• Notifications will be sent by early-to-mid February 2026 

👀 Why This Fellowship Matters

• It offers early-career scholars a rare space to build global academic connections at one of the world’s leading universities

• Research is anchored in a compelling, socially resonant theme—archives as battlegrounds for memory, power, and identity

• Structure includes both individual research and engagement through seminars and public series, encouraging collaborative intellectual vitality

• Financial and institutional support ensures focus on research, not logistics — including visa support, salary and benefits, and relocation assistance

🚀 Quick Snapshot

• Deadline: November 17, 2025 (11:59 p.m. EST)

• Theme: The Politics of the Archive

• Eligibility: Ph.D. after Sept 1, 2016; employed outside U.S.; faculty or research appointment

• Duration: ~10 months (2026–27 academic year)

• Benefits: $100k–$135k salary, full benefits, visa support, U.S. institutional infrastructure

• Apply: Online via Princeton portal

• Notification: Early to mid-February 2026

🔗 Apply Now

🔗 Official Link

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