Atlas: France > Southeast Asia

Grants will be given to research projects that are in line with IRASEC's scientific policy, in synergy with its researchers and partners. Interdisciplinary projects are welcome.

This call is part of the ATLAS Programme for short-term postdoctoral mobility launched by the FMSH and its partners. The Atlas grant may be combined with other research funding obtained from IRASEC or other institutions, in order to facilitate fieldwork and the implementation of the research project between June 2027 and January 2028.

Financial terms and conditions

A financial grant of €1,700 per month (paid at the beginning of each month of the stay) will be awarded to successful applicants. It is intended to cover travel and living expenses.

Eligibility criteria

• Nationality/residence: Applicants must be nationals of a European Union country and reside in France.
• Degree/status: Applicants must have defended their PhD dissertation in 2021 or later and must be affiliated with a research centre/laboratory in France.
• Language: Proficiency in the language of the proposed field site will be taken into consideration during the selection process.
• Discipline: Applicants must submit an original research project in the humanities or social sciences involving fieldwork to be conducted in one or more Southeast Asian countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam). Particular attention will be paid to exploratory fieldwork that renews the field site or thematic approaches developed in the PhD thesis.
• Research focus: The project must be in line with IRASEC’s scientific policy and develop at least one of the following research areas:

1. Political transitions: political cultures, civil societies, management of ethnic and religious diversity;
2. Territorial issues and development: maritime and terrestrial spaces, natural resources, sustainable cities, land policies;
3. Social dynamics: law, education, place and status of women, migration, health;
4. ASEAN: economic, political and regional perspectives,
5. Societies, environment, climate change: nature/culture, disaster management, resource degradation, public policies and spatial planning.

Obligations of researchers hosted at IRASEC

At the end of the stay, the researcher must submit to the FMSH and IRASEC a 1,000-word report presenting the activities carried out during the stay and their contribution to the research project.

Successful applicants will be required to submit a publication proposal to IRASEC, in particular for its “Note” collection or “Carnet” collection, within six months following the end of the stay.

Applicants should make the necessary arrangements before their stay, as these postdoctoral mobility grants do not cover mandatory insurance, which may be required in the event of illness, hospitalisation and/or repatriation.

Application form

Applicants must submit an online application form and a scientific dossier (research project + appendices) via an online platform (see below, “How to Apply”). The online platform will remain open until 8 February 2027, 5:00 p.m. (Paris time).

The application form and scientific dossier must be submitted in French

Contents of the scientific dossier

The research project :

The research project (1,500 to 3,000 words maximum) must include a literature review/state of the art, the theoretical and methodological framework, the stages the applicant plans to complete during the stay, and the institutional partners involved in the research.

Enclosures:

• A signed cover letter explaining the reasons for the proposed stay in one of the countries covered by IRASEC; the potential connection between the planned research and the applicant’s previous PhD research; the originality of the new research directions; and the links to be established with scientific partners in the region.
• A CV of no more than 2 pages, accompanied by a list of publications.
• A letter from the director of the laboratory/research centre with which the applicant is affiliated in France. Do not include any additional recommendation letters.

How to apply:

1. Reach the online application form http://calls.msh-paris.fr and enter the "Researcher Workspace".
2. Create an account or log in if you have already created an account.
3. Complete your profile, then click “Create a new application.”
4. Select “Programme Atlas outgoing 2027,” then the specific call “FMSH-IRASEC: France > Southeast Asia.”
5. Complete all sections of the application form.
6. In the “Documents” section, upload your application dossier as a single electronic PDF document. The dossier must contain the following documents: Research project; Signed cover letter; CV of no more than 2 pages and list of publications; Letter from the director of the laboratory/research centre with which the applicant is affiliated in France.
7. You may save your application without submitting it and return to it later, or submit it definitively. Once your application has been submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email. Please note that applications that have not been submitted will not be considered. Please also note that any changes made to your application after submission will automatically cancel the application; you will need to submit it again. Incomplete applications or applications that do not comply with the description above will not be considered.

For any information regarding the platform, or if you have any problems using it, please contact fadili@msh-paris.fr.

Evaluation process and criteria

A selection committee composed of members of the FMSH and IRASEC, as well as external experts, will review and select applications based on the following criteria:

• The quality of the scientific dossier and the methodology developed;
• The relevance of conducting research in a Southeast Asian country in light of the proposed project and the researcher’s background;
• The ability to identify scientific contacts on site;
• Preference will be given to researchers who have not previously benefited from the programme.

Results will be communicated to applicants by email in April 2027.