About the organization
In 2002, IIE launched the Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) to formalize its commitment to preserving the lives, voices, and ideas of scholars around the globe. IIE-SRF selects outstanding professors, researchers, and public intellectuals for fellowship support and arranges visiting academic positions with partnering institutions of higher learning and research. The fellowships enable scholars to pursue their academic work in safety and to continue to share their knowledge with students, colleagues, and the community. Scholars may return after their fellowships to make meaningful contributions to their national academies and civil society. Since 2002, IIE-SRF has provided life-saving support to 749 scholars from more than 58 countries in partnership with more than 380 host institutions in 43 countries around the world. Since the 2011 outbreak of conflict in Syria, the program has awarded fellowships to over 90 Syrian scholars. For IIE’s work, the program was awarded the Middle East Studies Association (MESA)’s 2013 Academic Freedom Award.