The Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness at Melbourne Law School presents an exceptional opportunity for researchers, practitioners, and educators through its prestigious Visiting Research Fellowship program for 2026. This fully funded fellowship represents one of the world's premier platforms for advancing critical research on statelessness, nationality law, and human rights, bringing together diverse perspectives to address one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges of our time.
Program Overview
The Visiting Research Fellowship is designed to support scholars and practitioners whose work contributes meaningfully to understanding and addressing statelessness globally. The program recognizes that expertise in this field emerges from multiple pathways—academic research, frontline practice, policy development, and lived experience—and actively seeks to create an inclusive environment that values these diverse perspectives.
Fellowship Duration and Timing The fellowship supports intensive research engagement for up to two months between July and November 2026, providing sufficient time for meaningful intellectual exchange while accommodating various professional schedules and commitments.
Research Environment Fellows become integral members of the Centre's intellectual community during their residency, participating in ongoing research projects, contributing to scholarly discourse, and engaging with Melbourne Law School's broader academic ecosystem.
Comprehensive Support Package
Financial Assistance The fellowship provides up to AUD 6,000 in support, specifically allocated for international travel arrangements and accommodation expenses in Melbourne. This funding structure ensures that financial barriers do not prevent participation by qualified candidates from any global location.
Academic Resources and Facilities Fellows receive complete access to Melbourne Law School's extensive research infrastructure, including dedicated workspace allocation, comprehensive library access with digital and physical collections, advanced computing facilities and technical support, and research assistance when required.
Intellectual Engagement Opportunities The fellowship includes mandatory participation in the Centre's seminar series, workshops focused on current statelessness research, a public presentation or faculty seminar showcasing research findings, and collaborative opportunities with Centre faculty and visiting scholars.
Knowledge Dissemination Platform Fellows contribute to public discourse through the Centre's Critical Statelessness Studies blog, extending their research impact beyond academic circles to inform policy debates and public understanding.
Candidate Profile and Eligibility
Academic Researchers The program welcomes applications from postdoctoral researchers developing innovative approaches to statelessness studies, tenured faculty members seeking to expand their research horizons, PhD candidates in advanced stages with substantial research contributions, and interdisciplinary scholars whose work intersects with nationality and citizenship studies.
Professional Practitioners Non-academic professionals bring essential practical perspectives to the fellowship, including legal practitioners specializing in nationality law, policy analysts working on citizenship and migration issues, humanitarian workers addressing stateless populations, and civil society advocates engaged in rights-based approaches.
Diversity and Inclusion Priorities The Centre particularly encourages applications from individuals with lived experience of statelessness, whose insights provide invaluable perspectives often absent from academic discourse. Similarly, researchers from underrepresented regions and emerging scholars from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply, reflecting the global nature of statelessness challenges.
Application Requirements and Process
Comprehensive Application Package Candidates must submit all materials as a single PDF document, ensuring completeness and professional presentation. The application deadline is November 30, 2025, with submissions sent to law-statelessness@unimelb.edu.au.
Required Documentation
Curriculum Vitae and Publications A comprehensive CV highlighting relevant experience, education, and achievements, accompanied by a complete publication list that demonstrates engagement with statelessness research or related fields.
Research Plan A detailed research proposal (maximum 1,000 words) that clearly articulates planned activities during the fellowship, specific collaboration opportunities with Centre faculty or projects, expected contributions to the Centre's research agenda, and anticipated outcomes and impact beyond the fellowship period.
Practical Planning Details Proposed visit dates within the July-November 2026 timeframe, with flexibility for coordination with Centre activities and a detailed budget breakdown explaining how the AUD 6,000 allocation will support travel and accommodation expenses.
Professional References Academic applicants should provide one letter of reference from a senior colleague familiar with their research capabilities. Non-academic professionals may submit support letters from supervisors or professional colleagues who can attest to the applicant's expertise and potential contribution.
Strategic Research Themes
Core Research Areas The Centre's work encompasses prevention and reduction of statelessness through legal and policy interventions, protection of stateless persons and their access to fundamental rights, the intersection of gender, childhood, and statelessness, regional approaches to nationality law and citizenship acquisition, and the role of civil society in addressing statelessness challenges.
Emerging Research Frontiers Contemporary research increasingly focuses on climate change and displacement-induced statelessness, digital identity systems and their implications for nationality recognition, intersectional approaches examining how statelessness compounds other forms of marginalization, and post-conflict citizenship restoration and transitional justice mechanisms.
Professional Development Opportunities
Academic Networking Fellows connect with leading scholars in nationality law, human rights, migration studies, and related fields, creating lasting professional relationships that extend well beyond the fellowship period.
Policy Engagement The Centre's strong connections with government agencies, international organizations, and civil society groups provide fellows with opportunities to translate research into policy recommendations and practical interventions.
Publication and Dissemination Fellows often develop their research into peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, or other scholarly outputs, with Centre support for editing, review, and dissemination through established networks.
Application Strategy and Success Factors
Research Plan Development Successful applications demonstrate clear understanding of the Centre's research priorities and ongoing projects, realistic but ambitious goals for the fellowship period, specific ways the candidate will contribute to the Centre's intellectual life, and concrete plans for disseminating results beyond the fellowship.
Collaborative Approach Strong applications show evidence of preliminary engagement with Centre faculty or research projects, understanding of how the proposed research complements existing Centre initiatives, and willingness to participate actively in the Centre's collaborative research culture.
Impact Orientation The most competitive applications articulate clear pathways from research to practical impact, whether through policy influence, legal reform, improved protection mechanisms, or enhanced public understanding of statelessness issues.
Long-term Impact and Legacy
Career Development Former fellows have leveraged their Melbourne experience into senior academic positions, influential policy roles, and leadership positions in international organizations addressing statelessness and citizenship issues.
Research Contributions Fellowship research has contributed to significant policy changes, influential legal precedents, innovative protection mechanisms, and enhanced academic understanding of statelessness phenomena globally.
Network Building The fellowship creates lasting connections within the global statelessness research and advocacy community, facilitating ongoing collaboration and knowledge exchange long after the formal fellowship concludes.
Application Submission
Submit your complete application materials as a single PDF document to: law-statelessness@unimelb.edu.au by November 30, 2025.
For additional information about the fellowship and application process, visit: https://law.unimelb.edu.au/centres/statelessness/engage/visiting-fellowships
This fellowship represents a unique opportunity to contribute to one of the most critical human rights challenges of our time while engaging with a world-class research community dedicated to creating practical solutions for stateless populations worldwide.
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