Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome - Koninklijk Nederlands Instituut Rome - Beurzen Nederlands Instituut in Rome (KNIR)

What you get

You get a free room at the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome (KNIR) for a research stay of 7 or 10 weeks. You also get a weekly allowance and a travel reimbursement. Master's students receive 7 weeks of free lodging, 70 EUR per week and a one-time travel reimbursement of 100 EUR (or 125 EUR if you come by train). PhD candidates and those preparing a PhD or postdoc project get 10 weeks of free lodging and up to 175 EUR per week, with the same travel reimbursement. Your room is inside the institute, with a shared kitchen and living room. You also get 24/7 access to the KNIR library, a supervisor from the academic staff and a place in the institute's academic events. The institute is run by the University of Groningen and supports research into Italian culture, history and archaeology.

Who can apply

• University: You study at, graduated from, or write your PhD under a supervisor from one of six Dutch universities: Groningen, Leiden, Amsterdam (UvA), Utrecht, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam or Radboud University Nijmegen.
• Level: You are a Research or regular Master's student, a PhD candidate, someone preparing a PhD proposal, or a young researcher preparing a postdoc application. Bachelor's students cannot apply.
• Research fit: You can show that a stay in Rome helps your thesis, PhD or project, for example because you need libraries, archives or museums there.
• Supervisor: If you are preparing or writing a PhD, you have arranged a (prospective) supervisor at one of these universities.
• Own funding: For the PhD-preparation and external-PhD grants, you have no other funds or income during the stay. If you do, the allowance and travel money are cut accordingly.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply. What counts is your link to one of the partner universities, not where you are from.

How to apply

You apply through the KNIR online portal, which opens about six weeks before each deadline. The institute runs three stay periods per academic year. You hear back within one month of the deadline. Selection looks at your motivation, why the stay matters for your research, the quality of your proposal, your CV and what you would add to the institute's academic community.

How realistic are your chances?

Only students and researchers tied to one of six Dutch universities, working on Rome-relevant topics, can apply, so the pool is small. If you clearly fit one of the categories, can show why Rome matters for your research and apply early in the cycle, your prospects are good. A concrete, well-argued research plan counts more than a polished CV.