Scholars at Risks

Scholars at Risk Network

https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/

Scholars at Risk works to protect scholars with a well-founded fear of persecution and promote academic freedom around the world. Scholars at Risk helps those scholars who are forced to flee their country of origin in part by arranging positions for them at its partner institutions.

Check out the SAR Student Assistance Information.

IIE Scholar Rescue Fund

https://www.scholarrescuefund.org/

The Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) is a global program that arranges, funds and supports fellowships for threatened and displaced scholars at partnering higher education institutions worldwide. If you are a scholar at risk and are seeking a placement, check the eligibility criteria and the application instructions on their website.

Refugee & Migrant Education Network

https://rmenetwork.org/

Refugee & Migrant Education Network is a global network of universities and non-profit organizations aiming to overcome the pressing need for access to education among refugees and migrants. This network does not provide direct services to immigrants and refugees. The network advocates for the importance of access to education among refugees and migrants by organizing conferences, workshops, and online courses.

The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration

https://www.presidentsalliance.org/

An alliance of American college and university presidents aiming to increase public understanding of how immigration policies and practices impact students, campuses, and communities. They recently organized a series of workshops about campus resources for refugees.

Higher Ed Immigration Portal

https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/areas/refugee-students/

This portal provides regular updates on policy and effective practices related to the education of refugees.

Refugee Advocacy Lab Tracker

https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/policy/limited-access-the-landscape-of-in-state-tuition-for-displaced-students/

This portal provides a state-by-state data tracker of in-state tuition for refugees, SIVs, humanitarian parolees, asylum seekers, and TPS holders.

Welcome. US

Link: https://welcome.us/

Welcome.US is a national initiative aiming to support refugees in the U.S. by inspiring, mobilizing, and empowering Americans to welcome and support different groups of refugees.

World Learning

https://www.worldlearning.org/

World Learning has an array of programs including an exchange program aiming to connect emerging leaders for change.

Others:

Tip Sheet for Financial Aid Administrators Working with Refugee and Asylee Students

The RESPONSE Campaign

Contact us if you need a support letter from ICOIA or if you would like us to link you with these international organisations.

ICOIA can provide a support letter for Iranian scholars who have lost their jobs and the safety of life for speaking out. We may be able to make recommendations to the international organisations who provide tailored support for scholars at risk, conditioned on the evidence provided to us.

ICOIA also collates the information and available programs for students and scholars at risk around the world.

With the Women, Life, Freedom uprising in Iran, many students were expelled or suspended from their universities. Also, as a result of the dramatic slip over of Toman's value, many students struggle to afford the admission fee for north American universities or the mandatory health insurance fee required for Australian universities.

ICOIA intends to liaise with the universities and encourage them to waive some of these fees. Meanwhile, we collect and consolidate the current exemption offers in order to facilitate access to this information for Iranian applicants. If you are aware of other cases which have not been listed below, please get in touch and fill out this Form.

فایل اکسلی جهت جمع‌آوری تسهیلات برای پذیرش دانشجویان ایرانی در دانشگاه‌های مختلف از سراسر جهان در حال جمع‏ آوری است تا در دسترس دانشجویان ایرانی قرار گیرد. لطفا اطلاعات دانشگاه خود را در این فرم وارد نمایید.

متن ایمیل پیشنهادی از طرف گروه دانشگاهیان ایرانی برای آزادی و کانون بین المللی دانشگاهیان ایرانی ، جهت درخواست از دانشگاه‌ها برای تسهیل شرایط پذیرش دانشجویان ایرانی مانند ویو شدن اپلیکیشن فی، نمرات زبان، ارسال مدارک رسمی و تاخیر زمان پذیرش، تهیه شده است که در این لینک قابل دسترسی است.

Embo Solidarity Grant for Medical Science and related majors: One-year stipends for researchers to start, continue or finish their PhD thesis, and for post-doctoral researchers and for research stays by scientists at the professorial and group leader level in one of the following countries: Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia or Turkey. (Deadline: 15 Feb 2023)

Germany:

• Philipp Schwartz-Initiative: Call for Nominations: Universities, universities of applied sciences and other research institutions in Germany can apply for funding from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to support threatened researchers. Scholars from non-EU countries exposed to significant and acute individual risks can be nominated. Please note that scholars must be nominated by institutions and cannot apply directly. Successful institutions will receive funds to grant the nominated scholar research stays in the form of a research fellowship of up to 24 months. We regret that, due to the prolonged difficult budget situation, it will not be possible to submit applications for the employment contract programme line for the time being. Should a later switch be possible, we would approach interested institutions. Successful institutions will also receive a lump sum intended for measures to support Philipp Schwartz fellows in integrating and in re-starting their careers. An extension of up to 12 months can be granted in the framework of a co-financing model. Please find the updated programme documents and further information on the website of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative. The deadline for nominations is 15 September 2023. Selection results are expected to be available at the end of November 2023. Fellowships can be started as of 1 January 2024.

• DAAD's Bridge Scholarships Iran offers Iranians, who have left their home country due to the current political situation and are already in Germany, an opportunity to build or continue their academic career.  (application deadline: 28 Feb 2023)

Italy:

The University of Trento has 2 calls for two 12-month (renewable for further 12 months) Research Fellowships for at-risk scholars who have completed their MA Degree and who would like to consolidate their postgraduate education in order to prepare for PhD applications and/or for other professional job opportunities. (Deadline: 10 March 2023)

• SAR UniTrento CARITRO

• SAR UniTrento ROVERETO

Canada:

• York University: application fee and official transcripts waived for Postgraduate level.

• University of Toronto: application fee waived for Postgraduate level.

• Toronto Metropolitan University (Formerly Ryerson): admission fee waived for Postgraduate level.

• University of Alberta: application fee waived for Postgraduate level (deadline: March 2023)

• Memorial University: application fee waived for Undergraduate level.

• University of Saskatchewan: application fee waived for Postgraduate level (Master and PhD); a duoling waiver for those who struggle to access English language proficiency test, alternative options for official transcripts if students have difficulty in getting their official documents. Any Iranian applicant who is having difficulties with aspects of the application process is encouraged to reach out to their CGPS Program Advisor to discuss the support options (https://lnkd.in/gRc7sv-5 or Telegram ID: @ISC_UofS) or contact their Iranian Student Society at iscuofs@gmail.com.

 USA:

• University of Colombia: application fee waived for Postgraduate level (by filling a form)

• Cornell University: application fee waived for Postgraduate level (need to request in portal, in application process)

• Washington University in st. Louis, Brown School (Department of Social Work): admission fee waived for Postgraduate level (if you contact the PhD coordinator)

• Central Michigan University: application fee waived for undergraduate level (Code: FREEAPP)

• Central Michigan University: application fee waived for Postgraduate level (Code: FireUp2023)

• Marquette University: application fee waived for Postgraduate level (For Fall 2023 and Spring 2024)

• University of Alabama: application fee waived for Postgraduate level.

• Montclair State University: application fee waived for Postgraduate level.

• American University: application fee waived for undergraduate level.

• Boston University: application fee waived for Postgraduate level.

• Eastern University: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• Arizona State University: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• Illinois Wesleyan University: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• Indiana state University: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• Michigan Technological University: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• St. Mary University: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• Southwestern University: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• University of Southern Maine: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• University of Dayton: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• University of New Haven: application fee waived for Undergrdaute level.

• University of Illinois, Springfield: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• University of Rochester: application fee waived for Postgraduate level.

• University of St. Thomas, Minnesota: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• Wellesley College, Massachusetts: application fee waived for Postgraduate & Undergrdaute level.

• Clemson University: application fee waived for Postgraduate level.

• University of Georgia (Department of Law): application fee waived for Postgraduate level.

• Drexel University: application fee waived for Postgraduate  level.

• Rice University (Department of Psychology): application fee waived for Postgraduate  level.

• Oklahama State University (Department of Psychology): application fee waived for Postgraduate  level.

• Florida International University (Department of Psychology): application fee waived for Postgraduate  level.

• University of Pittsburgh (Industrial Engineering): application fee waived for Postgraduate  level.

• Boston College (Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences): application fee waived for Postgraduate  level (waived by email)

• University of Waterloo (Computer Science): application fee waived for Postgraduate  level.

• University of Michigan: Priority for application fee waiver for Postgraduate  level.

• Tulane University: has no application fee.

• NYU Tandon (Electrical Engineering): application fee waived for Postgraduate  level (waived by email).

• Ohio state University (Computer Sciences and Engineering): application fee waived for Postgraduate  level.

• University of Notre Dame: application fee waived for Postgraduate  level.

Australia and New Zealand

• Most universities in Australia and New Zealand have no application fees for admissions of international students.

Useful  resources:

The PEER database includes information on scholarships, online and language learning. You can search by opportunity type, country in which you wish to study, degree type you seek, and scholarships designed for students from your home country.

Read more on Dr Encieh Erfani's Google Site:

"Today marks 829 days since I left Iran for what was supposed to be a three-month research visit to Mexico in August 2022. Shortly after my arrival, the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement began in Iran. In solidarity with my people and in condemnation of the brutal regime of the Islamic Republic, I resigned from my faculty position—an act that forced me into exile.

Surviving these days has been a profound challenge. Many ask what keeps me motivated, and my response is always the same: I don’t want to stay in exile forever. My ultimate goal is to return HOME, to the safest place in the world, which will only be possible with the collapse of this regime and a smooth transition to democracy in Iran.

Throughout these 829 days, I have refused to remain silent, even when my efforts seemed like echoes in a void. The grief of being without a home is overwhelming, but it fuels my determination to raise awareness about the plight of displaced and exiled scholars.

I have shared recommendations based on my experience in my latest interview, hoping to eliminate double standards. Science knows no borders; it is a universal language. Yet, it is heartbreaking to witness the unequal treatment of scholars from different countries. Suffering is suffering, and we all experience it in the same human way.

To those organizations and science diplomats who use human rights as a means to their own ends: stop preaching, stop pretending to advocate, and step aside if you do not understand the true meaning of solidarity and support.

In November 2023, I applied for the SILBERSALZ Science & Media Institute, a 10-month training program offering workshops on science communication, storytelling, production, and pitching. This experience was incredibly enriching, and I am deeply grateful to my wonderful peers and the dedicated team at the Silbersalz Institute.

The program aims to connect scientists with artists. In my application, I proposed focusing on cosmology, particularly my research on dark matter and primordial black holes. However, when my mentors and classmates learned about my journey as an exiled scientist, they suggested creating a documentary to tell my story. While it was a compelling idea, I opted not to pursue it for two key reasons: documentaries typically focus on individual stories, whereas I aim to raise awareness about the thousands of displaced and exiled scholars worldwide, and creating a documentary requires a large team and significant funding. Instead, I decided to focus on a digital graphic novel.

In October 2024, I presented my project, "Void of Voids", at the Silbersalz Festival in Halle (Saale), Germany. If you're curious about the title’s connection to cosmology, I invite you to watch my 7-minute presentation and explore the accompanying story.

A special thanks goes to Jacopo Sacquegno, my talented artist partner, whose remarkable illustrations brought this project to life. I also deeply appreciate the guidance and support of my mentor, Tom Millen, throughout this journey.

Encieh Erfani