Deadline: 29-Aug-2025
The Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities is inviting applications for the 12th cohort of its International Fellowship Programme. This opportunity is open to outstanding researchers in the humanities, cultural studies, and social sciences who have completed their PhD and possess up to six years of postdoctoral experience.
Selected fellows will receive a fellowship contract—not a full employment contract—and a monthly stipend of €3,000 before taxes. The fellowship will last for six months, running from April 1 to September 30, 2026. The stipend is intended to cover rent, insurance, and living expenses. Partial reimbursement for travel to and from the institute may also be provided, but other travel costs, including for conferences, must be covered using the allowance.
Fellows are expected to focus their research on topics aligned with KWI’s programmatic agenda. Projects may include completing a book, preparing a research proposal, establishing a research group, or initiating collaboration with universities in the Ruhr Alliance. Fellows must be present at the institute at least three days a week and are expected to participate in entry and exit interviews.
Active participation in KWI’s academic life is required. Fellows will contribute to colloquia, lectures, conferences, reading groups, and the KWI Blog. They may also propose to organize a workshop during their stay, depending on scheduling and available resources. While teaching is not expected, fellows are welcome to engage with lecture series and seminars at nearby universities.
All publications resulting from the fellowship must acknowledge KWI. Knowledge of German is not necessary, as the programme operates entirely in English. Fellows must be available to start on April 1, 2026, and the fellowship dates are fixed due to the institute’s semester schedule.
The fellowship is open to international applicants. German nationals may apply only if they are currently employed at an institution abroad. Applications must be submitted in English as a single PDF file not exceeding 20 MB. The file should include a CV, a list of publications, a PhD certificate, and a project proposal of up to 5,000 characters.
Fellows will be selected by a committee made up of members of the KWI governing board and the institute’s director.
For more information, visit KWI.
