ISPP Support for Scholars Under Threat

Academic freedom—the right to teach and/or research a topic without fear of personal or professional repercussions—is essential for the advancement of scientific knowledge. To combat the growing threat to this crucial right, ISPP joined the Scholars at Risk Network and aims to protect anyone whose academic freedom is at risk anywhere in the world.

ISPP established the Scholars Under Threat Committee to monitor and coordinate actions that support scholars whose academic freedom is under threat. If you want to participate, please contact the co-chairs of the Scholars Under Threat Committee via e-mail at sut@ispp.com. Both co-chairs of the Scholars Under Threat Committee have access to this email and will respond to you promptly.

ISPP’s Executive Committee has delegated the Scholars Under Threat Committee the responsibility to assess applications and make funding decisions for scholars who are in need of emergency financial assistance. All applications will be kept entirely confidential within members of the Scholars Under Threat Committee.

Who is a Scholar Under Threat?

We recognise that experiences reported by scholars who are under threat can vary considerably across time and context. As such, we have adopted a broad definition to accommodate all scholars whose freedoms are at risk. Consistent with Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network, we use the following definition of a Scholar Under Threat:

Scholars who are under threat include professors, researchers, doctoral students, institutional leaders and other members of higher education communities who are threatened and/or attacked as a result of the content of their work, their status as academics, their identities, or as a result of their peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression or freedom of association (from SAR, 2025).

Unsure if you or someone you know is a scholar who is under threat? If you are asking yourself this question, you most likely are under threat. Please don’t delay and contact us now for support!

ISPP’s Scholars Under Threat Fund

If you enjoy academic freedom and the chance to do the research you think is important, please support your colleagues whose academic freedom is in jeopardy (see How can you donate to ISPP’s Scholars Under Threat Fund?).

To provide financial support for these colleagues, ISPP has established the Scholars under Threat Fund. In addition to being funded through individual donations, a portion of ISPP’s annual operating budget has been allocated to support the Scholars Under Threat Fund since 2024. Several sister organizations have also generously provided support by sharing the ISPP call for donations among their membership.

Who can benefit from ISPP’s Scholars Under Threat Fund?

Small grants from ISPP’s Scholars Under Threat Fund are available to anyone who:

lost their academic position or income due to political persecution and/or
has been displaced as a result of political persecution and is without a university affiliation or income and/or
is conducting research with/focused on Scholars Under Threat.

ISPP is committed to keeping scholars who are under threat connected to the international community of political psychologists. Therefore, ISPP offers free one-year ISPP membership for scholars who are under threat.

To apply for funding, click here.

ISPP members can also nominate a colleague whom they believe may be a scholar who is under threat by emailing the co-chairs of the Scholars Under Threat Committee here. We will keep your identity confidential and follow up with the nominated scholar to see how we may assist

ISPP is a 501(c3) charitable organization, and all donations are tax-deductible for people filing income tax in the U.S.

How can the ISPP’s Scholars Under Threat Fund be used?

Scholars who are under threat can request funds for immediate emergency support for personal living needs.

The funds may also be used to cover research costs. These costs include travel and living expenses for scholars who are under threat to visit colleagues and develop a research collaboration, as well as to organize for foreign scholars to travel to the applicant’s home country to conduct joint research that supports the applicant’s scholarly activities (NOTE: foreign scholars are expected to have their own research funds; additional funds can be sought for the scholar who is under threat to help them stay research active or build their research capacity).

APPLICATIONS FOR EMERGENCY RELIEF ARE GIVEN PRIORITY.

Funding applications are capped at $1,000 USD for emergency relief. Scholars who are under threat do NOT need to be active ISPP members in order to qualify for funding.

There is also consideration given on a case-by-case basis for scholars who are under threat to receive financial assistance to attend ISPP’s Annual Meeting. For more information, please contact the co-chairs of the Scholars Under Threat Committee via e-mail at sut@ispp.com.

Changes in funding priorities will be announced here.

How can you donate to ISPP’s Scholars Under Threat Fund?

If you wish to donate, please click here. ISPP Members, please log in on the first tab. Non-members, please click the “Donate As A Guest” button and follow the remaining instructions.

Donations made to ISPP‘s Scholars Under Threat Fund are used to help support ISPP members who lost their academic positions or their income in direct connection with political persecution and/or to members who have been displaced as a result of political persecution and are without an official affiliation or income in their current location.

Call for the New Twinning Program

The twinning program aims to facilitate scholarly collaborations between political psychologists who are under threat and program partners. These collaborations offer scholars who are under threat the opportunity to continue their academic activities, maintain and advance their careers, and integrate into international political psychology. Partners can also engage in political advocacy on behalf of a scholar who is under threat.

Program partners are political psychologists who live and work in countries across the globe. Partners should be at least an associate professor/senior lecturer to provide the support and mentorship needed. Partnerships can consist of multiple scholars who are under threat and partners, and they are not limited to one-on-one collaborations.

The collaboration can take place between a junior scholar who is under threat and a mentoring partner, as well as between a senior scholar who is under threat and a partner. The actual form of research collaboration should be adjusted to the needs of the scholar who is under threat, and the opportunities the partner can offer. For example: