Resident Scholar 2023 – FAQ
This page answers some frequently asked questions regarding the Resident Scholar programme.
I am interested in the position, but I also have teaching commitments with another institution. Can I apply?
The post can be combined with teaching as long as the teaching entails no more than one course and the weekly teaching hours do not exceed 4 hours total. In case you are planning to teach during your potential term as a FIME resident scholar, please provide details of the course, amount of classroom hours and estimate of time needed for preparatory work during your term. The preference is that the resident scholars will be able to devote the majority of their time to their own research project.
I am coming to Lebanon to do field work. Can I apply?
The resident scholar positions are intended for researchers based in Lebanon. As such, researchers normally working outside of Lebanon are unfortunately not eligible to apply.
I don’t have a PhD but I have what is considered a terminal degree in my field (e.g. a professional doctorate or a master’s degree in fine arts). Can I apply?
Due to the nature of the programme, applicants without the kind of research training and experience that are usually gained as part of a PhD are unlikely to be shortlisted.
I received my PhD over six years ago. Can I still apply?
For 2023 Resident Scholars, we are looking for junior scholars who received their PhD no more than six years ago (1 January 2017 or later).
At what stage in the process do I submit my letters of recommendation?
In the application you only need to provide the name and contact details of two academic referees that we may contact during the evaluation process. If you are shortlisted and invited for an interview, we ask that you provide full letters of recommendation from both referees.
My degree certificate is in a language other than English. Do I need to submit a certified translation?
If your degree certificate is written in French or Arabic, you can submit a copy of the original document without a translation. If your certificate is written in a language other than English, French or Arabic, please include a translation as well. You can translate the document yourself. There is no need for a certified translation.
Is this position only aimed at Finnish researchers?
The Resident Scholar programme is open to all academics living and working in Lebanon. Finnish nationality or having a prior connection to Finland are not among the selection criteria. On the contrary, our aim is to forge new partnerships and to expand our network within the academic community in Lebanon.
Do you welcome applications from all academic disciplines?
The Institute carries out research on Middle Eastern languages, cultures, and societies. While the subject specialism of potential applicants has not been limited to any particular field, the proposed research project should fall within this wider remit of the Institute.
What are the research outputs expected from the researcher at the end of the three-month residency?
This would depend on the nature of your proposed research. Parts 12 and 14 in the application form (Summary of research plan and Research plan) relate directly to this point. We would like to hear what you plan to work on, what you aim to achieve, and how the Resident Scholar programme would help you accomplish this goal. The final product could be an article in an academic journal, a book chapter, or any other traditional academic research output. This could be something you are already working on, or it could be a new project. It is not necessarily a requirement that the work should be finalised during the residency.
If your proposed research is part of a wider research project that you wish to pursue during the residency, we would urge you to be very specific about what you plan to achieve in the three-month residency period.
What does ‘full-time resident scholar’ refer to? Is there a certain schedule that needs to be followed or a certain number of working hours per week?
The resident scholar is expected to work a flexitime 40-hour week on average. The core office hours are from 10 am to 3 pm. The preference is that the resident scholars will be able to devote the majority of their time to their own research project, however, there is some flexibility to this. Please see the question above regarding existing teaching commitments.
Are the dates of the residency flexible?
The dates of the residency are fixed and a successful applicant is expected to be able to commit to the programme for the full three months.
I am interested in the position but I am unable to apply this year. Will the Resident Scholar programme continue to be offered in the future?
The programme is still a new initiative, and as such there’s always a possibility that it could be renewed or that we develop other similar initiatives in the future. Even if you decide not to apply to this position, we encourage you to follow our website and social media to keep up to date on any future opportunities.
Published 19 April 2021; updated 21 April 2021; updated 14 December 2022