

- Fellowship
The fellowship program is aimed at both outstanding established scholars and promising emergent early career researchers (minimum requirement: doctorate) as well as artists and cultural professionals. One of the most important prerequisites for a fellowship at HIAS are intellectual curiosity, an interest in other disciplines as well as openness to engage with topics and ways of inquiry beyond the confines of one’s own discipline. Ideal candidates are researchers as well as artists and cultural professionals who reflect the basic assumptions of their discipline and who work theoretically or conceptually. HIAS emphatically welcomes applications by early career researchers and emerging artists and cultural professionals. Since HIAS attaches great importance to diversity, applications from people who are located in usually rather underrepresented regions of the world are particularly welcome.
During their fellowship, the fellows live and work in Hamburg. Therefore, only research that can be carried out on site at HIAS or in laboratories of local cooperation partners is suitable as a project.
To ensure that the fellows enrich the Hamburg science location with their external perspective and expertise, researchers from within the metropolitan region of Hamburg are not eligible for a HIAS fellowship.
The fellowship call for the academic year 2025/26 will be published in the fall of 2023.
The application deadline is April 15, 2024
Calls for all previous academic years are already closed.
The academic year at HIAS starts on 1 September at the earliest and ends on 30 June at the latest of the following year.
Applicants should be internationally visible in their respective fields, give evidence of creativity and originality as well as willingness to participate in a community of scholars, scientists, artists and cultural professionals and, in the form of lectures and other types of events, to engage with the broader public in the city of Hamburg.
A candidate’s suitability is assessed by taking into account their previous individual academic or artistic performance, the quality of the submitted project proposal as well as the expectable contribution to the international and diverse cohort of fellows.
Outstanding Level of Previous Academic or Artistic Performance
Relevant evaluation criteria are:
- Significant monographs
- Articles in first authorship
- Publications or reviews in relevant academic journals or arts pages and art journals
- Prestigious prizes and awards
- Memberships
- Exhibitions in renowned museums or art institutions
- Concerts or performances at renowned stages
- Influencing or shaping of public discourses etc.
- For applicants working in the humanities, social sciences and natural/life sciences: doctorate (minimum)
The evaluation should take into consideration the applicant’s respective career level and – in the case of early career researchers – their future potential. Early career researchers are expected to have already published a sum of articles corresponding to their discipline in renowned journals. The doctorate is usually required for fellows working in the humanities, social sciences and natural/life sciences. Very good knowledge of English is required.
Assessment of the Research Project
Relevant evaluation criteria: The proposed project establishes new perspectives/ways of thinking and shows potential for connections with other disciplines. A suitable cooperation partner in Hamburg can be identified (this is the responsibility of the Board of Members) and the project can be pursued in-residence at HIAS.
Internationality and Diversity of the Group
Relevant evaluation criteria: The applicant enriches the group intellectually as well as by way of her or his individual background and perspective.
In cooperation with HIAS, the Research Center for Contemporary History in Hamburg (FZH) invites applications for 2 or 3 fellowships on urbanity and urban history in a contemporary historical perspective.
We offer scholars with a track record of relevant research the opportunity to work on their own project in this field in Hamburg. The call is primarily aimed at scholars (PostDoc / Professor) working at universities or research institutions outside of Germany. The duration of the fellowships is up to four months.
During this period the fellows work on their individual research projects and actively engage with the scholarly community at FZH, HIAS, and other academic institutions in Hamburg. They participate in public events and colloquia at FZH and HIAS and benefit from various opportunities for transdisciplinary exchange and networking. FZH encourages the use of its research library and its archive as well as other libraries, archives, and research institutions in Hamburg. There are no teaching obligations.
Currently there is no call published.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Christoph Strupp (Email: strupp@zeitgeschichte-hamburg.de; Tel.: ++49 40 43139732).
*** Currently this call is paused until further notice ***
HIAS supports the initiative Science Bridge for Ukraine of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and awards with immediate effect
up to 3 Fellowships for
Ukrainian Scholars / Cultural Professionals at Risk
€ 2,000 / month I Duration 3 – 10 months
As a Fellow, the academic or cultural professional will join the ongoing interdisciplinary and international fellowship programme, which includes the following services:
- an office space in the centre of Hamburg
- technical equipment
- support in research or other tasks
- participation in interdisciplinary colloquia and events
- integration into Hamburg’s scientific or cultural community through a cooperation with Hamburg based colleagues
- advice and support regarding accommodation, childcare and administrative tasks.
In addition, HIAS pays a monthly stipend of about € 2,000 (depending on family status).
The following conditions must be met:
- the applicant is a scientist (from postdoc onwards) or a cultural professional (with a Master’s degree) and can speak English (level B)
- the applicant lives in Ukraine at risk due to the political situation (and has no other residence in Hamburg)
- the applicant has already fled Ukraine or will have to flee Ukraine
- the applicant does not have any employer in Hamburg
- the applicant is willing to continue his/her work in a safe environment and in active exchange with international colleagues.
In order to react as quickly as possible to the political situation, the applicant is not required to submit a detailed application.
Please send the following documents and information informally and in English by e-mail with reference “Ukraine” to application@hias-hamburg.de:
- CV incl. proof of academic degree (scientists from postdoc onwards; cultural professionals from Master’s degree onwards)
- information on a planned scientific or cultural project/ topic at HIAS (maximum one page)
- name of a desired cooperation partner in Hamburg (a scientist or cultural worker from one of Hamburg’s institutions, possible institutions here)
- information about accompanying family members
- information about the current stay
- indication of the desired fellowship period
If you have any questions or require advice, please contact us at geschaeftsstelle@hias-hamburg.de.
- Fellowship