Fellowships & awards
CSRS Fellowship Program
The CSRS fellowship program plays a significant role in fostering the mandate of the centre. Each year we welcome a broad mix of scholars to visit the centre's vibrant research community. Successful applicants are provided with office space in the scenic and centrally located Sedgewick building, access to the university library and other university services, and valuable research and networking opportunities, all within a congenial retreat-like setting.
CSRS fellows are expected to support centre activities by participating in daily discussions and weekly lectures, making a good use of the assigned office space, as part of their appointment. Fellows are also asked to provide a public lecture on their research activities.
We welcome applications from all disciplinary backgrounds. Some fellowships such as graduate student and Artist-in-Residence fellowships are stipendiary, while the others are non-stipendiary awards (no cash value) - please see the list below for more information for each fellowship. Applicants must be fully self-funded from external sources to qualify for these awards.
Applications are adjudicated by the centre's Program Committee and/or Advisory Council based on the academic merit of the proposal, the views of the referees and the recent scholarly activity of the candidate.
Fellowship Categories
UVic faculty fellowships
The CSRS offers fellowships to UVic faculty working on scholarly research projects related to some aspect of religion and society. The award comes with office space, a course release (equivalent to a 1.5 credit course), and the opportunity to participate in our dynamic interdisciplinary research community. Fellowships are adjudicated in December.
Click here to apply.
Life as a Faculty Fellow at the CSRS is what the academy is supposed to be. A place of genuine intellectual diversity, the conversations and lectures are routinely as inspiring as they are rigorous. Add in the human and humane touch of the Centre's leadership team and it is as good a place to be as an academic as I have encountered. UVic is incredibly fortunate to house such a wonderful Centre. A jewel in the Crown indeed.
- Gary Kuchar, CSRS Faculty Fellow 2019-2020
Graduate student fellowships
The CSRS offers fellowships to graduate students that include research space and a monetary award. Applicants should be pursuing a research project related to religion and society. Fellowships are adjudicated in December. Both UVic and non-UVic graduate students are eligible to apply.
Click here to apply.
Many graduate student fellowships are sponsored by generous members of our community.
- Rev, Heather J. Lindstedt and Dr. Brian A. Pollick Fellowship
- Ian H. Stewart Graduate Fellowship
- Scales Family Fellowship
Being a graduate student fellow at the CSRS has been one of the highlights of my doctorate studies at UVic. As a Scales Family Fellow, I have enjoyed a great deal of encouragement and personal support from Peter Scales, the Chair of the CSRS Advisory Council. Peter and the entire CSRS community have graciously given me a supportive, interdisciplinary home.
- Kikila Perrin, CSRS graduate student fellow 2024-25
Visiting research fellowships
The CSRS offers research space for scholars working on projects related to our mandate. These non-monetary fellowships offer scholars the opportunity to participate in our dynamic interdisciplinary research community. Fellowships are adjudicated on an ongoing basis.
Click here to apply.
The Visiting Research Fellowship offered an ideal blend of social and intellectual engagement for advancing my ‘Arctic Muslims’ research project. I especially valued the opportunity to exchange ideas with the interdisciplinary community of junior and senior scholars during the Centre’s ‘legendary’ coffee talks.
- Dietrich Jung, CSRS visiting research fellow 2024-25, University of Southern Denmark
Community Sabbaticant Fellowships
The CSRS offers fellowships that allow members of the broader public to join our vibrant research community on a short-term basis. Applicants should be pursuing research projects related to religion and society. These are non-monetary fellowships. Applications are accepted throughout the year.
Click here to apply.
As a Community Fellow at the CSRS, I enjoyed the collegial atmosphere, structured deadlines, daily coffee talks and ample desk space. The Centre provided a venue to share my work publicly and receive feedback, both invaluable to a historian working alone.
- Peter Scales, CSRS community sabbaticant fellow 2017-20, the CSRS Advisory Council Chair
Artist-in-Residence Fellowships
The CSRS offers a monetary award and office space to artists working on projects related to religion and society. Artists-in-Residence are an essential part of our vibrant interdisciplinary research community. The fellowships are adjudicated in May.
Click here to apply.
My time as an Artist-In-Residence at the CSRS was magical! I experienced compassion, connection, collaboration, and constructive conversation amongst the Centre’s diverse community.
- Meharoona Ghani, the Artist-in-Residence 2020-2021
Associate Fellowships
The CSRS offers fellowships to local scholars who are actively engaged in research related to religion and society, but do not hold a full-time academic post. These non-monetary fellowships offer scholars the opportunity to participate in our dynamic interdisciplinary research community. The fellowships are adjudicated on an ongoing basis.
Click here to apply.
Being an Associate Fellow at the CSRS has made me feel welcomed and well cared-for in the face of unavoidable graduate-student blues. Daily coffee talks have helped me to find my ‘scholar’s voice’ and develop friendships and professional mentorships that have enriched my life and my research.
- Jessica Ziakin-Cook, CSRS Graduate Student Fellow 2022-23 and Associate Fellow since 2023
Harold Coward India Fellowships
The Harold Coward India Research Fellowship offers support for faculty, senior doctoral students, and post-doctoral students at Indian universities to pursue research at the CSRS. The fellowship is a joint initiative of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives (CAPI), the Centre for Global Studies (CFGS), and the CSRS.
Click here to apply.