About program

“Visiting Researcher Program” offers research opportunities for international scholars specialized in the Caspian Basin region and Azerbaijan. Candidates having academic interest in the region are welcome to apply for in-residence fellowships in Baku, Azerbaijan. “Visiting Researchers Program” is carried out by the sponsorship of Azerbaijan International Development Agency (AIDA) in cooperation with the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center).

AIR Center which has acquired a unique position in the region and have meanwhile established itself as a research center with international reputation, together with other host institutions support scholars by providing excellent conditions for conducting their research and by establishing a strong and fruitful network among academics in the country.

Application period

The program sponsored by AIDA provides from 2 (two) weeks up to 2 (two) months research opportunities for international scholars between the period of June 01 – December 29, 2023. Application deadline is May 15, 2023.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the participation:

• Candidates at the time of application should either already hold or be enrolled in a PhD programme.

• Preference is given to candidates whose research background and interests match the selected topic.

• Have an excellent command of English, both written and verbal.

Provision of support

• All approved participants are provided with a roundtrip ticket to Azerbaijan.

• Accommodation will be provided by the organizers.

• Fellows are granted 60 AZN per-diem for each day of staying within the borders of Azerbaijan during their fellowship.

• Emergency medical insurance for the period of the program is also covered.

• Visa issuing might take a long time. Therefore, the approved participants are advised to make the application for 3-month single entry visa to the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan as soon as the confirmation of participation is received. The cost of the visa fee is to be reimbursed upon arrival in Baku.

IMPORTANT NOTE: During the period of the program candidates are strongly requested not to leave the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan. If such a case occurs for any reason during the period of the program or candidates leave the country earlier than it was scheduled according to their application form, they must:

• Return a provided unused return ticket on time and cover relevant penalties;

• cover penalties for the accommodation paid in advance;

• return per-diem for each day spent out of Azerbaijan;

• have no claims in case of emergency.

 Research process

During the period of the program successful candidates will conduct their research on the topic related with the list of research areas provided by organizers

With regards to carrying out the research the participants will be provided with work station, available resources. It is advisable to take your personal laptop with you for your personal convenience.

Participants of the “Visiting Researcher Program” are expected to work intensively (including in the host office) in accordance with the relevant schedule and work plan agreed with their academic supervisors.

After meeting with their respective supervisors at the work station, within the first 2 working days the researcher has to provide AIR Center with the work plan reflecting activities planned to be implemented and the list of institutions requested to meet within the research program. AIR Center should be kept informed on any change to the work plan.

Researchers are required to issue two reports, a mid-term report (at the end of the first week/month) during the program period and a final report (before the research presentation) containing the result of research. The aforementioned reports should be submitted to the programme coordinator.

Moreover, researcher is expected to prepare a short (10-15 minutes) presentation on a topic. Program participants are also required to submit their presentation material to the program coordinator.

After completion of the Programme, within the period of three months, the researcher is expected to issue and submit to AIR Center published or disseminated research article/paper on 5-12 pages (Font - Times New Roman 12, Line Spacing - 1.5).

Application procedure

To apply for the program researchers should submit hard copies of all documents listed below to the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in their country. Application documents should also be submitted electronically to the following email address: shahmar.hajiyev@aircenter.az

Candidates are asked to enter in the subject field of their e-mail message “Visiting Researchers Program”.

The application package includes:

1. Application Form for the Research Program;

2. Research Proposal Form;

3. Resume (CV) in English;

4. The list of publications;

5. The copy of a valid passport.

Selection Process

After submission of the required documents to the organizers through the respective Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan or to the AIR Center via the aforementioned e-mail, applications are reviewed and evaluated by the organizers, based on eligibility criteria: academic performance, teaching and research, experience and relevance to the selected research topic. Please note that only successful candidates will be contacted.