How to apply for Research Residency Funding, PhD and Postdoc

About Institute for Humane Studies

The Institute for Humane Studies is a US nonprofit that develops and connects scholars applying principles of freedom to advance policy, culture, and human flourishing. It offers funding and programs for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, with no prior IHS participation required. This makes it a fit for researchers who want support for independent work tied to liberal democracy, economic freedom, or institutional design.

About the role

This is a short-term research residency funding opportunity, not a standard job. It provides up to $10,000, with larger awards possible, for one-week to one-month placements at universities, research centers, or academic organizations. The goal is to let PhD students and postdoctoral fellows access datasets, archival materials, mentors, or collaborators unavailable at their home institution, while retaining full independence over research design, analysis, and publication.

A typical day

A typical day depends on your approved residency plan at the external institution. You might work in an archive, access a dataset, meet with a mentor or collaborator, or advance your dissertation or research project. IHS does not specify daily routines, so ask about reporting expectations and any check-ins during the one-week to one-month placement.

Who Institute for Humane Studies is looking for

• Full-time PhD student, including ABD, or a postdoctoral fellow at an accredited university worldwide.
• Research project that requires short-term access to external datasets, archival materials, mentors, or collaborators.
• Research aligned with liberal democracy, economic freedom, or institutional design for self-government, since preference is given to these areas.
• Able to define a focused one-week to one-month residency plan with a clear external institution or research center.

Tips for this application

• Name the specific external institution, research center, or academic organization you plan to visit and the exact dates or length of the residency.
• Explain which dataset, archival material, mentor, or collaborator is unavailable at your home institution and why the residency is necessary to access it.
• State how your research connects to liberal democracy, economic freedom, or institutional design for self-government, since IHS gives preference to these areas.
• Confirm your eligibility in the application: full-time PhD student including ABD, or postdoctoral fellow at an accredited university worldwide. Prior IHS participation is not required.
• Submit early. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with eight-week notification typical, so applying sooner may lead to an earlier decision.

What to cover in your cover letter

Describe your current status as a full-time PhD student, ABD, or postdoctoral fellow and your accredited university. Explain the specific external institution you want to visit and the one-week to one-month residency you are proposing. Detail the dataset, archival material, mentor, or collaborator you cannot access at your home institution and how the residency solves that. Connect your dissertation or research project to liberal democracy, economic freedom, or institutional design for self-government. Note that you will retain full independence over research design, analysis, and publication.

Research before applying

• Read the Institute for Humane Studies website to understand its nonprofit status and its focus on scholars applying principles of freedom.
• Review IHS materials on liberal democracy, economic freedom, and institutional design for self-government to align your language with their stated preferences.
• Check whether IHS lists past research residency recipients or funded projects to see the range of accepted topics and placements.
• Look up the external institution, research center, or academic organization you plan to visit and confirm the specific dataset, archive, mentor, or collaborator you will access.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Why this specific external institution or research center is necessary for your project and what it offers that your home institution does not.
• How your dissertation or research project relates to liberal democracy, economic freedom, or institutional design for self-government.
• Your exact residency plan: length between one week and one month, timing, and the activities you will complete.
• How you will use the requested amount up to $10,000, or justify a larger award, for the short-term placement.
• How you will keep full independence over research design, analysis, and publication during and after the residency.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Proposing a residency longer than one month or shorter than one week, since the placement is one-week to one-month.
• Failing to name a specific external institution or explain why the residency is needed to access unavailable datasets, archival materials, mentors, or collaborators.
• Ignoring the stated preference for research aligned with liberal democracy, economic freedom, or institutional design for self-government.
• Applying without confirming you are a full-time PhD student including ABD, or a postdoctoral fellow at an accredited university worldwide.