NI Research visits

Overview
The Network Institute (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) invites applications for its “Network Institute Research visits” program. The program offers scholars the opportunity to spend up to one month at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to conduct research on the theme of Digital Society (see our mission here) in collaboration with researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Research visitors will benefit from the Network Institute’s established track record of fostering collaboration among scientists across various disciplines, including computer science, social sciences, and humanities. Visitors will also gain from the unique interdisciplinary character of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Our faculties are conveniently situated together on a single campus located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas Knowledge District, placing it at the center of a vibrant academic and professional community.

Who can apply?
Network Institute members can apply and propose candidates for the research visit. The proposed candidates cannot be employed by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and all applications have to be written in English. The visiting scholar must be based at a research institution outside of the Netherlands. We are committed to supporting global research diversity and especially encourage applications from underrepresented regions, including the Global South.

Important dates
The deadline for applications to the Network Institute research visits program is June 27th, 2025 before 23:59. All required documents must be sent in one pdf to network.institute.beta@vu.nl.

The applicants of the winning proposals will be notified by July 7th, 2025 via email.

The funding is available only for research visits conducted between September 1st 2025. and November 30th 2025. 

Due to administrative reasons, all requests for reimbursements must be submitted by December 5th 2025. All requests submitted after that date will not be considered.

Funding
The Network Institute is pleased to announce the availability of €15,000 in funding to support research visits. We aim to allocate these funds to as many researchers as possible while ensuring the grants are substantial enough to cover meaningful activities. Applicants are requested to submit a detailed budget estimate, with a maximum limit of €5,000 per application.

The funding is intended to cover all types of costs of the research visit including travel, accommodation, meals, public transport, Visa application, and use of VU facilities. The costs of Visa and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam guest status will be settled before the reimbursement of the travel and/or travel expenses. All costs exceeding the predetermined amount of funding granted will be at the expense of the applicant/candidate.

How to apply?
A complete application must include:
– Research plan, including a brief description of the targeted research problem, its relation to the theme of ‘Digital Society’, expected contributions during the visit, a plan of activities, and a detailed budget estimate. (max. 2 A4 pages).
– CV of the visitor (including a list of publications).
– CV of the Network Institute member (including a list of publications).

To be considered eligible, the research plan must follow the template available HERE.

The three required documents have to be sent as one pdf file to network.institute.beta@vu.nl by a Network Institute member before 23:59h, June 27th, 2025. 

Each application must be co-signed by a Network Institute member and the visitor. 

Selection criteria
Visiting fellows are selected on the basis of:
– relevance of the proposed research project to the Digital Society
– the level of interdisciplinarity of the proposed research project
– expected outcomes of the intended collaboration with VU staff
– the quality of the proposed research project

Note that the CVs of the visitor and Network Institute member are included in the application, but they will NOT be used as selection criteria. They will be used by the selection committee to have a complete overview of the research interests of the applicants, their recent publications, and all required information about the visitor.

Expected contribution
The research visitors are required to:
1. actively collaborate with VU staff during their stay;
2. give at least one seminar on their research project;
3. add the following acknowledgment to the Network Institute in all the scientific publications resulting from the visit: “This research is partially funded by the Network Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam through the Network Institute Research Visit program”; a copy of such publications should be sent to network.institute.beta@vu.nl and to the head of the department or research group where the visit took place.
4. within 4 weeks after the end of the visit, submit a short report (up to two A4 pages) describing the progress and outcomes they have achieved during the visit.

Further remarks
Potential candidates who are considering a stay at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, are kindly invited to read the Information for new international staff. The website provides an overview of useful information on moving to the Netherlands.

Visiting researchers can also request access to the research facilities of the Network Institute.

About
The research visits are organized and funded by the Network Institute, the hub for interdisciplinary research on the Digital Society at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. https://networkinstitute.org/.  

The Network Institute studies the interaction between digital technology and society, or what is often called: the Digital Society. For over ten years, the Network Institute has been studying the digital society, with an interdisciplinary approach. The institute brings together a unique combination of scientists from informatics, social sciences and humanities. Further information about the Network institute can be found on its official website: https://networkinstitute.org/mission

Contacts
Prospective applicants can contact the organizers of this call to request clarifications. Please CC all of the organizers in your communication with them: