ADM NEWS | The Government of Sharjah, under the supervision of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA), has opened first round applications for Mentoring Fellowship Grants for Emirati Youth, the third funding category within the Faya Research Grant Programme, offering Emirati students and graduates the opportunity to gain hands-on training, fieldwork and international research exposure at the Faya Palaeolandscape World Heritage Property, in partnership with the University of Tübingen, Germany.
The Mentoring Fellowship Grants for Emirati Youth, for ages up to 35 years old, form part of the Faya Research Grant Programme, a flagship AED2 million initiative running from 2026 to 2028, led by the Government of Sharjah and administered by the Sharjah Archaeology Authority in coordination with the Faya World Heritage Property Scientific Committee.
The programme was established to advance scientific knowledge at Faya, strengthen the research foundations underpinning its Outstanding Universal Value, and develop future generations of Emirati heritage specialists, with H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi serving as Ambassador of the Faya World Heritage Property.
Following the recent inscription of the Faya Palaeolandscape on the UNESCO World Heritage List, international attention has continued to grow around the site’s archaeological significance and scientific value. The Mentoring Fellowship Grants respond to this momentum by embedding Emirati students and graduates within an active World Heritage research environment, linking academic study with on-the-ground archaeological practice, particularly focused on Stone Age Archaeology. By connecting emerging national talent and those with archeology experience to ongoing fieldwork at Faya, the fellowship allows World Heritage recognition to translate into sustained local expertise and knowledge development, while supporting the long-term stewardship of the Faya Palaeolandscape World Heritage Property, one of the world’s oldest known sites of human occupation in a desert environment, dating back 210,000 years, by locally trained specialists.
The Faya Research Grant Programme concentrates on archaeological studies and analysis, palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, digital heritage modelling, and heritage conservation. It supports targeted short-term research projects alongside a single long-term research project addressing deep-time environmental and human occupation studies. Infrastructure and logistical assistance are provided by the Sharjah Archaeology Authority, enabling participants and researchers to focus on scientific research, specialised analysis, publications, and technical outputs. All research activity under the programme must be fully independent, with outcomes attributed directly to the Faya Research Grant. Activities representing continuations, extensions, or sub-projects of existing international research programmes are not eligible.
Under this category, an initial cohort of approximately ten to fifteen Emirati participants will be invited to take part in Phase One, an intensive Stone Age workshop delivered in Sharjah. This phase functions as both a foundational programme and a selection stage, from which a limited number of participants will be shortlisted to progress to the international stages of the fellowship.
Shortlisted fellows progress through a structured international pathway that includes curated study visits to major Upper Palaeolithic sites and museum collections in Germany, followed by extended hands-on fieldwork at the Hohle Fels Cave UNESCO World Heritage Site under expert academic supervision. The fellowship concludes with applied fieldwork at the Faya Palaeolandscape World Heritage Property, enabling international experience to be translated directly into local archaeological practice and site stewardship. Over the three-year programme period from 2026 to 2028, one fellowship will be awarded each year, with each fellowship running for a one-year duration.
Each awarded fellowship carries an annual budget of up to AED166,666, with a total allocation of up to AED500,000 across the programme period. Fellowship funding supports international fieldwork, academic mentoring, research-related activities, and associated travel and logistical requirements.
The Mentoring Fellowship for Emirati Youth has been established to address the limited number of Stone Age specialists in the UAE by building sustained national expertise in prehistoric archaeology and palaeoecology. Through its phased structure, the programme links academic grounding with progressive field experience and international collaboration, embedding emerging Emirati researchers within active World Heritage research environments and supporting long-term site stewardship.
The Mentoring Fellowship Grants for Emirati Youth are delivered in collaboration with the University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen, one of Germany’s eleven Excellence Universities and a leading institution in archaeological research. This collaboration provides fellows with access to internationally recognised academic expertise and field methodologies, reinforcing the programme’s focus on capacity building through applied learning and cross-border knowledge exchange.
This fellowship is open exclusively to Emirati citizens. Eligible applicants include undergraduate or graduate students, recent graduates within the last five years, or individuals at an early career stage who demonstrate a clear intention to continue professionally in archaeology, heritage, or related scientific fields. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English, both oral and written, as well as strong motivation to pursue a long-term career in this discipline.
Applications for the Mentoring Fellowship Grants for Emirati Youth are now open, with a submission deadline of 31st March 2026. The completion of the application must be in English. Full further application requirements and supporting documentation details are available via the official Faya Research Grant portal at https://jebelfaya.ae/faya-research-grant/.
Programme timelines and deliverables have been carefully structured and are supported by robust institutional infrastructure. At the same time, a measured degree of flexibility may be applied where appropriate to accommodate evolving operational contexts or external situational developments, with any adjustments communicated promptly to all concerned parties.
➤ WAM
