Post-doctoral Fellowships in the Humanities at Universities and Research Institutes in Germany (VolkswagenStiftung)

Call for Post-doctoral Fellowships in the Humanities at Universities and Research Institutes in Germany

The post-doctoral fellowships at German universities and research institutes are provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Volkswagen Foundation in close cooperation with the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, the Lichtenberg-Kolleg in Göttingen, the Center of Excellence and the Zukunftskolleg in Konstanz, the Dahlem Humanities Center of Free University of Berlin, the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, the Berliner Zentrum Moderner Orient, the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), the National Museums in Berlin, the German National Library in Frankfurt, the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel, and the German Archive of Literature in Marbach. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will fund up to 12 American post-docs in the humanities spending a year at academic institutions in Germany.

The fellowships are granted for 9 - 12 months and aim at supporting post-doctoral studies at the above-mentioned universities and institutes as well as at universities or research institutes of the candidate’s choice. Scholars shall be given the chance to
- pursue a research topic in the humanities in an attractive international environment,
- take advantage of rich interdisciplinary scholarly discussions and research networks,
- use the local libraries, archives, and other facilities, and to attend international conferences, symposia etc.,
- get access to a non-American university system by teaching courses to undergraduate and graduate students, depending on the needs of the relevant academic departments.

The respective target group are promising young scholars in their post-doctoral research phase based at institutions in the U.S. who want to strengthen their research capacity in a specific field of the humanities which can be expected to have a strong impact on their individual research profile and expertise. Scholars who work in an interdisciplinary field are especially encouraged to apply. The applicants should have finished their Ph. D. between one and no more than five years ago. In exceptional cases outstanding candidates can also be accepted if the Ph. D. was acquired more recently. Candidates who apply for a fellowship at an institution not listed above will have to provide a letter by the institution of their choice stating that it will support the candidate’s application and host the person during the respective academy year.

The grants will be awarded for 9 - 12 months and cover a post-doctoral fellowship (2,100 Euro per month) plus international health insurance, travel expenses (including one additional flight home), conference participation in Europe, and for additional living costs (approx. 1,000 Euro per month). In addition, the Foundation will cover up to 10,000 Euro for a workshop at the beginning of the stay and a maximum of 3,000 Euro for administration costs of the hosting institute/department.

The universities/institutes will support the fellows to arrange the necessary contacts at the university and its faculties or the institute respectively.

Up to 12 fellowships per year can be funded. Grants will be made to the German institution that hosts the respective candidate.

Applications must be written in English and submitted to the Volkswagen Foundation electronically via the application system. The deadline for application is October 15, 2012. The personal presentations of shortlisted candidates and the final decision of the selection committee are scheduled for February/March 2013.

More information about the post-doctoral fellowship can be found at www.volkswagenstiftung.de/fileadmin/downloads/merkblaetter/MB_97.pdf.