Drewes Fellowship

The G.W.J. Drewes Fund was invoked to celebrate the transfer of the scholarly legacy of Professor Drewes to the UBL and to mark the opening of the Asia Library in the University Library at the Witte Singel. The fund provides financial support to one or more fellowships at the Scaliger Institute. The allowance is € 1,000 per month.

Objective Drewes Fellowship

The objective of the Drewes Fund is to promote the research and study by graduate philologists - holding a MA degree at least- of texts on Islam and Indonesia, especially on Islamic mysticism and more specifically Islamic mysticism as described in the so-called Suluks. The fund provides in a financial contribution. The allowance/grant is, in principle every two years, awarded to one person. The stipend is € 2,000 maximum.

The deadline for sending in the application form is 1 April 2025.

Conditions Drewes Fellowship

Applications for a Drewes fellowship have to comply with a number of conditions:

• Fellows are expected to conduct their research in Leiden University Libraries and/or The Scaliger Institute during the period of the Fellowship.
• Fellows are responsible for ensuring they have the correct visa to support a research trip in the Netherlands for the duration of the Fellowship.
• An invitation to take up a Fellowship will be made subject to agreement on the dates of the visit. Applicants should indicate their preferred dates on the application form.
• All Fellowships are to be started and completed during the period May 2020 to 31 December 2020, except when a special agreement is made.
• It is the fellow's responsibility to find an accommodation for living (with the support of the Housing Department of the University) and to fund all the costs of the visit with the support of the funds awarded. Applicants should be aware that accommodation costs in Leiden may exceed the funds offered.
• The fellow will provide the Scaliger Institute with a written research report at the completion of the Fellowship.
• The fellow will provide Leiden University Libraries with a copy of every publication resulting from the research visit.

Applicants are reminded that if they require a visa in order to start a Fellowship in the Netherlands, they must secure the appropriate visa and, once a proposal has been accepted, awarding of the Fellowship will be on the condition of fulfilling this requirement.

Applications must include:

• A completed application form stating personal details, the name of the Fellowship, the title of the proposed research project, the preferred dates of the intended visit and the names and addresses of two academic referees;
• A proposal for research to be carried out in the Special Collections of Leiden University Library during the term of the Fellowship (1,200 words or fewer). Applicants should indicate how the proposed study advances their own research goals and how the study satisfies any particular aims of the award;
• The research proposal must specify the relation between the proposed research and the primary sources, which are to be researched and consulted in the Special Collections Department of the library;
• A list of manuscripts, editions of other items to be consulted in the library, supplied with shelf marks;
• A start and end date of the proposed research;
• A curriculum vitae;
• A list of relevant publications;
• Two letters of recommendation from the academic referees named in the application form. Applicants should ask the referees to comment on their professional knowledge of the applicant and the contribution the proposed research would make to scholarship. The referees should be asked to send their letters directly to the Coordinator of the Fellowship Programme, by e-mail or by post to the following address: K. van Ommen, Scaliger Institute, P.O. Box 9501, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands;
• Researchers who have yet to obtain their doctoral degree also need to have a letter of recommendation from their supervisor(s);
• Fellows who have previously received a fellowship from the Scaliger Institute, cannot obtain this grant a second time.

Professor G.W.J. Drewes

Professor G.W.J. Drewes (28 November 1899-7 June 1992), commenced with the study of Indonesian language and literature in 1917 and graduated cum laude on a dissertation titled Drie Javaansche Goroe's; hun leven, onderricht en messiasprediking in 1925, supervised by Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje. In the same year Drewes entered the governmental service in Indonesia (the former Dutch East Indies). His career in Indonesia was interrupted during his leave in the Netherlands by the German occupation. After the liberation, he worked briefly at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. From 1947 until his retirement in 1970 he was a professor at Leiden University where he held several teaching assignments. The numerous publications and lectures are the testimonies of Drewes' broad interests and extensive knowledge. However, it is clear that his main interest was focused on the religious aspects of Islam in Indonesia and the mystical in religion in particular.

Evaluation Committee

The Drewes Fellowship applications will be reviewed by a special board consisting of: dr. A. Vrolijk (Curator Oriental Collections UBL), dr. D.A. Jedamski (Curator South-South-East Asian Collections UBL), dr. K. van Ommen (Coordinator Scaliger Instituut), dr. N.J.G. Kaptein (Senior lecturer Islam & Indonesia UL) and Prof. dr. E. Wieringa (Professor Indonesische Philologie mit besonderer Berücksichtigung islamischer Kulturen, University of Cologne).

Application Form

Applicants for the Drewes fellowship are required to fill out this application form (see aside) and send it to the coordinator of the Scaliger Insitute, K. van Ommen, Leiden University Library, P.O. Box 9501, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands.