Get Support

In order to be considered for Cara’s support, you must fall under our risk criteria; have held a paid post as a lecturer and/or researcher in a higher education institution or equivalent for a minimum of 6 months; and have a minimum Master's degree or be able to show evidence of at least one publication in an internationally peer reviewed journal. All Cara support is contingent upon your competency in English.

We accept applicants from any country and from any academic field. There is no deadline to apply as we accept applications on a rolling basis. 

Please note that we receive a high volume of applications for support, and therefore we are having to prioritise those who remain at immediate risk and have limited alternative options.

Given the demand for our support, we are not able to respond to all applicants individually. If you have submitted your application before 31st of December 2023, and have not heard back from us since, please assume that we are unable to consider your application for our support.

We serve as a lifeline to academics at risk by providing temporary sanctuary, usually in the form of PhD or Visiting Fellowship research placements in higher education and research institutions, mainly in the UK. The hope is that our Fellows return home once the crisis abates, taking with them new skills and expanded networks that will help the future rebuilding of their
homes and countries.

Unfortunately, we do not provide standard or partial scholarships, or research grants. We are also not able to secure placements for undergraduate studies. In very exceptional circumstances, we may secure Master's degree placements, however this remains at our discretion.

A Visiting Fellowship offers a one to two-year opportunity for academics, who are experts in their field, to conduct novel research at a higher education institution. Visiting Fellowships are postdoctoral research opportunities, and they are unlikely to involve teaching
responsibilities.

PhD placements are research degrees at the highest postgraduate level. The student, with the guidance of a supervisor, will conduct novel research, in their chosen field. Full-time PhD funding typically lasts 3 years, and students will produce a thesis by the end of the PhD, presenting their research findings. A PhD is an essential experience for pursuing an academic career.

Please note that Cara placements are not employment opportunities and Cara does not help secure employment opportunities after the end of the Cara placement.

In our application, we ask for:

• A copy of passport (including pages with a photo and with expiry date)
• A copy of legal status documents and their official English translation (biometric card, visa, travel documents) if relevant
• A copy of academic certificates including their official English translation if relevant
• An English language certificate if available (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo)
• A copy of CV detailing academic work history and publications
• Contact details of 3 referees (at least 2 must provide an academic reference)
• A research proposal and/or PhD proposal, however, this can also be sent to Cara once we begin processing your application
• Evidence of academic employment and its English translation if necessary – this could be a headed letter, a copy of your employment contract, ID card and payslips or bank statements that confirm receipt of payments from a higher education institution for a period of six months or longer
• A detailed risk statement (a statement detailing any personal risk or threats you currently face)

Our Enquiries Form only allows one application per person. If you wish to provide additional documents, update your existing documents, or let us know about any changes in your situation (especially in relation to location, employment and family circumstances), please contact us at [email protected].

We do not take walk-ins, we mainly communicate via email. If you are a current Cara fellow and a conversation is required, please contact your relevant officer.