Visiting Scholars Program

Who can apply to the LIS Visiting Scholar Program?

The LIS Visiting Scholar Program:

  • is open to researchers affiliated with institutes from all countries, and of all nationalities, with preference granted to researchers from LIS participating countries;
  • welcomes applications from researchers at all levels of seniority, although prior experience using the LIS or LWS microdata is required;
  • accepts applications from individual researchers or from groups working on a collaborative project;
  • considers proposals that indicate a clear need for an on-site stay in Luxembourg.

What does the LIS Visiting Scholar Program offer?

Accepted LIS visiting scholars:

  • are assigned office space and given access to a secure personal computer with office applications and statistical software packages, including SAS, SPSS, Stata, and R
  • have direct access to LIS / LWS microdata . Direct access means that Visiting Scholars are not restricted to using the remote-execution system while on-site. Access to the microdata is conditional on completing an additional permission form, is limited to the on-site visit, and is provided on a secure computer with no access to the Internet, email, or any electronic storage devices
  • may have approved software (other than SAS, SPSS, Stata, or R) installed on an assigned secure personal computer
  • have access to the LIS data staff for intensive consultation as needed
  • are expected to post the results of any research carried out during the visit to the Working Papers Series before publication in a professional venue.

Please note that the visits should be self-funded. No financial support will be provided by LIS.

How to Apply?

Send, anytime throughout the year, an application to admin@lisdatacenter.org. It must include:

  • An Application Form available online in PDF format
  • A brief description of your proposed research project that should outline your plans for research, including a justification of your on-site empirical work, as well as an explanation on how your research interests can benefit from and contribute to cross-national research using the LIS or LWS microdata
  • Student applicants will need a letter of support from their supervisor
  • A Curriculum Vitae.

Applicants will be informed of the results of their application within four weeks of submission. If the Selection Committee rejects a proposal, it will indicate the reasons for the rejection and possibly make suggestions for a revised proposal.

The Visiting Scholars Selection Committee will evaluate each proposal on the basis of the following criteria:

  • overall quality of the project
  • scientific value
  • technical value
  • originality
  • methodological approach
  • potential for academic publication
  • clear indication of how the project will benefit from an on-site visit in Luxembourg
  • clear indication of a product that can be used by LIS staff, researchers, and users (i.e., a new dataset or methodological contribution).

NOTE: Projects that can be completed easily off-site will not be considered.