Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness Visiting Fellowship 2027: Fully Funded Research Opportunity at the University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne’s Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness has opened applications for its 2027 Visiting Fellowship Scheme, offering one fully funded research fellowship of up to AUD $6,000 to scholars, practitioners, and educators working on statelessness. This is a genuine opportunity for researchers, including those with lived experience of statelessness, to spend one to two months embedded in one of the world’s leading academic centres dedicated to this field.
Here is a full breakdown of the fellowship, who can apply, what it covers, and how to apply before the deadline.
About the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness
The Centre operates as part of Melbourne Law School and is dedicated to advancing research, teaching, and engagement on statelessness globally. Its Visiting Fellowship Scheme gives University of Melbourne faculties the opportunity to engage with a range of statelessness scholars and expand international research collaborations. Visiting Fellows are provided with a workspace, and library and computer access, and are expected to fully participate in the life and work of the Centre during their stay, including events and workshops.
What the Funded Fellowship Offers
The Centre is offering one funded Visiting Research Fellowship to carry out research work in an area related to statelessness.
- Funding: Up to AUD $6,000, covering international travel and accommodation costs in Melbourne
- Duration: A suggested duration of one to two months
- Availability: The Fellowship can be taken up from August to October 2027
As part of their Fellowship, scholars are expected to present their work in a Faculty or public seminar or work-in-progress meeting, and to contribute a blog post to the Centre’s Critical Statelessness Studies blog where appropriate.
Who Can Apply?
The Centre is explicit about welcoming a broad and diverse range of applicants working on statelessness globally. Eligible applicants include:
- Postdoctoral early-career researchers through to tenured academics
- Non-academic visiting professionals proposing an applied research project relevant to the Centre’s work
- Researchers with lived experience of statelessness are strongly encouraged to apply
This openness to both academic and applied, non-academic applicants makes the Fellowship accessible to a wider range of practitioners than a typical university research fellowship, including legal practitioners, advocacy professionals, and community researchers working directly on statelessness issues.
Required Application Documents
Applications must be submitted as one single PDF document, containing:
- Curriculum vitae and list of publications
- A research plan of a maximum of 1000 words, outlining the proposed research, planned activities and collaboration during the visit, and how it will contribute to the Centre’s work
- Proposed dates of the visit
- The Fellowship amount requested, up to a maximum of AUD $6,000, including a full budget breakdown covering airfare costs where needed
- One letter of reference (non-academic visitors should provide a letter of support from their employer or another organisation they are professionally associated with)
How to Apply
- Prepare your complete application as a single PDF, containing all required documents listed above
- Email your application to law-statelessness@unimelb.edu.au
- Use the subject line “Visiting Fellowship Application”
Application Deadline: 30 November 2026
Important Notes for International Applicants
Visiting Fellows travelling from outside Australia are responsible for obtaining and funding any necessary visas or insurance. The AUD $6,000 funding covers travel and accommodation costs only, so applicants should factor visa and insurance costs into their own planning ahead of applying.
Self-Funded Visiting Option
If you are not selected for, or do not wish to apply for, the funded Fellowship, the Centre also welcomes self-funded visitors who can cover their own stay. Self-funded visitors are offered a workspace where available, along with library and computer access, and are encouraged to participate fully in the Centre’s events and workshops.
Applications for a self-funded visit can be made year-round, and must include the same documents as the funded route, except for the funding request and budget breakdown: a CV and list of publications, a research plan of up to 1000 words, proposed visit dates, and one letter of reference. Enquiries about a self-funded visit should also be sent to law-statelessness@unimelb.edu.au.
Why This Fellowship Matters
Statelessness remains one of the most underexplored areas of international human rights law, affecting millions of people worldwide who lack recognised nationality or citizenship in any country. The Peter McMullin Centre has hosted Visiting Fellows researching statelessness across a wide range of contexts, from documentation and identity access, to gendered experiences of statelessness, to climate-related displacement and migration pathways. For African researchers and practitioners working on citizenship, identity, displacement, or related legal and policy issues, this Fellowship offers direct engagement with one of the field’s most active global research communities.
Final Thoughts
With funding covering travel and accommodation, a flexible one-to-two-month format, and a deliberately broad definition of who qualifies as a researcher, including those with lived experience of statelessness, this Fellowship is one of the more accessible international research opportunities currently open in the human rights and migration law space. Prepare your CV, a concise 1000-word research plan, and a letter of reference, and get your single PDF application to the Centre before the 30 November 2026 deadline.
Apply now: law-statelessness@unimelb.edu.au (Subject line: “Visiting Fellowship Application”)
Visit the official website here
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