The fellowship is open to scholars from across disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, with an emphasis on research on cultural and social diversity, cultural heritage and creativity, societal structures and public resistance, and varieties of cultural expressions in local and global perspective.

The fellowship programme encourages, but is not limited to, applications from talented younger scholars in non-Western countries and of underrepresented gender. At the time of application, the candidate must have held a PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree) for at least three years.