What we've supported: International Exchange Fellowship

International Exchange Fellowship

This fellowship allowed an individual to travel to sites across our network in order to undertake a placement for up to two months. This funding was for academics in the field of phenomenological psychopathology or allied fields, who wanted to develop collaborations with leading researchers, transform their careers and shape the direction of future research. International Exchange Fellows had the opportunity to work with international colleagues, gain vital experience in multi-/inter-disciplinary working and extend their international networks. We provided a £3000 stipend per International Exchange (IE) Fellow to cover travel, accommodation and any visa costs. 

While we encouraged applicants to consider choosing one of the existing Network members, applicants were welcome to nominate an alternative suitable institution if there was interest in becoming a member of our Network.

Applicants were required to submit:

• A letter from the proposed host institution within our network in support of their application, stating their agreement to host the fellowship.

• A 750-word written proposal or a 5-minute video explaining what they will gain from the fellowships (skills, networks, new disciplines, etc.) and the outputs they planned to produce. 

• A CV and a 100 word biography

• A spend profile, estimating what the £3000 would be used for, including quotes for hotel costs, travel costs, visa costs etc. 

Applicants had to hold a PhD in a relevant field or have equivalent research or lived experience. Abstracts were reviewed by members of the Renewing Phenomenological Psychopathology team and our international advisory board.  Research had to be within the remit of renewing phenomenological psychopathology. We were particularly interested in submissions that adopted an interdisciplinary approach to phenomenological psychopathology.

An important aspect of this project is to diversify the field of Phenomenological Psychopathology. We encouraged applications from the widest range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to maximise innovation in the field. We were particularly keen to receive submissions from female applicants, early career researchers, those with lived experience and researchers from the global south/non-WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) countries.

Awardees:

Marucela Uscamayta Ayvar

Marcela Juana Uscamayta Ayvar is a psychologist and neuroscientist born in Cusco, Peru. She belongs to the indigenous population of Cusco, descendants of the Inka people, and her mother language is Kechwa.  She currently works as a research associate in the Laboratory of Brain Development, Modulation and Repair within the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimers and Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Texas Health San Antonio. For the International Exchange Fellowship, Marucela travelled to the University of Florence to work with Prof. Giovanni Stanghellini. 

Luca Fasciolo Maschião

Luca Fasciolo Maschião is a training psychiatrist at Santa Casa de São Paulo Medical School and an early career researcher on phenomenological psychopathology. Luca is interested in linguistics, psychopathology, and LGBTQIA+ health, but is also deeply curious about literature and music. Luca travelled to Ghent University to conduct research with Prof. Jasper Feyaerts.

I arrived in Ghent at the beginning of May 2023 as advised by Professor Jasper Feyaerts, sponsor of my exchange program. Professor Feyaerts and the entire Department of Psychoanalysis and Clinical Consulting welcomed me warmly and involved me in various activities. For two months I attended weekly lab meetings where we discussed research ideas from all department members, many of whom are working within a phenomenological framework. During one of these meetings, I presented my ongoing theoretical work on the experience of language and psychosis. Additionally, I had the opportunity to attend several lectures delivered by Professor Louis Sass, who was a visiting professor at UGent. I gained valuable networking opportunities and received career and research insights from Professor Sass.

I also attended and presented at the Too Mad to Be True II Conference which took place in the rooms of Museum Dr. Guinslain, situated in an XIX century asylum with unique architecture envisioned by Dr. Joseph Guinslain himself. The conference provided another great opportunity for networking with researchers in the fields of philosophy, psychopathology and mad studies from all over Europe, also with a few participants from other continents. I presented a talk on phenomenology-oriented psychopharmacology, a topic I’ve been working on with our research group in São Paulo, Brazil, under the supervision of Professor Guilherme Messas.

The exchange experience was very rich in learning opportunities, but also made me aware of the many possibilities for an academic career in the field of phenomenological psychopathology and its very exciting combinations of philosophy, psychiatry, psychology and anthropology. I’d like to thank the RPP for this amazing opportunity.

Sovady Bora

Details of Sovady Bora's international exchange fellowship will soon be available here.