Ambedkar–Kalaignar Visiting Fellowship for Social Justice and Federalism
Key information
- Deadline date
Scholarship overview
The SOAS South Asia Institute is pleased to invite applications for the Ambedkar–Kalaignar Visiting Fellowship for Social Justice and Federalism.
The Fellowship honours the transformative visions of Ambedkar and Karunanidhi, supporting work dedicated to dignity, inclusion and social reform, focusing on themes of social justice, democracy and federalism in India, with a desirable focus on Tamil Nadu. Preference will be given to applicants from Tamil Nadu and from marginalised communities, reinforcing the Fellowship’s commitment to widening access and supporting underrepresented voices. We invite applications from across academic disciplines and professions that connect to these themes
The Fellowship, hosted at the SOAS South Asia Institute fully funds travel, visa fees, and a three-month stipend and term fees, enabling Visiting Fellows to dedicate themselves entirely to research, writing and professional inquiry during their residency in London.
Who is eligible?
Open to researchers, journalists, lawyers, policymakers, civil society practitioners, activists, writers and others working on themes related to Dravidian studies, democracy, federalism, social justice and human rights, the Fellowship reflects the broad intellectual and public impact of Ambedkar and M. Karunanidhi.
Visiting Fellows will be actively integrated into the academic life of SOAS. They will receive mentorship from the Director of the South Asia Institute, participate in seminars and workshops, attend relevant modules and receive a certificate of academic engagement at the end of the term.
Over time, the Fellowship seeks to build a diverse network of scholars and practitioners working on pressing questions of equality, representation and democratic governance across South Asia and the global South, while deepening long-term partnerships between SOAS and research communities in Tamil Nadu. Applicants should briefly mention how they are suited to that role.
Application procedure
Applicants should submit an expression of interest, including a personal statement, a CV, and a proposal of work to be done in London during the Fellowship period. They should specify the connection between the work they propose to do, and the themes specified in this notice. They may send short samples of written (preferably published) work, and the names of referees who will be contacted in the event the applicant is shortlisted.
The deadline for receiving applications is February 9, 2026. The successful candidate will be notified within 2 weeks of this deadline.
Please send your application to the SOAS South Asia Institute at ssai@soas.ac.uk, with the subject line “Application for Ambedkar–Kalaignar Visiting Fellowship 2026”. For queries and clarifications, please use the same email address with the subject line “Query Regarding the Ambedkar–Kalaignar Visiting Fellowship 2026”.
Notification of competition result
Given the high number of applications, individual feedback will not be provided. Ineligible or incomplete applications will not receive a response.
The School is authorised to release the names of successful fellows and their research topics as it deems fit.