HIAS Fellowships 2027-2028

The fellowship program is aimed at outstanding scholars and scientists (minimum requirement: doctorate) as well as artists and cultural professionals of all career levels and nationalities. Important prerequisites for a research fellowship at HIAS are substantial academic or artistic achievements, intellectual curiosity and an above-average interest in other disciplines. Ideal candidates are individuals who reflect the basic assumptions of their discipline and are open to engage inter- and transdisciplinarily with topics and ways of inquiry beyond the confines of their own discipline. They should also be willing to cooperate with scholars or cultural professionals in Hamburg. Ideally, applicants enrich both the fellow group and the city of Hamburg as a hub of research and culture with innovative impulses and strengthen HIAS’ internationality with their own networks. In addition, applicants are expected to take into consideration means of conveying the topics of their planned projects to a broader public. 

As HIAS is firmly committed to equal opportunities, it particularly welcomes applications by early career researchers and emerging artists and cultural professionals as well as by individuals from usually underrepresented regions of the world. 

During their fellowship, the fellows live and work in Hamburg. Therefore, only projects that can be carried out on site at HIAS or in laboratories of local cooperation partners are suitable.  

To ensure that the fellows enrich Hamburg as a location of research and culture with their external perspective and expertise, applicants from within the metropolitan region of Hamburg are not eligible for a HIAS fellowship. For the same reason, all fellows coming to HIAS collaborate with a tandem partner from Hamburg (see below). 

Possible financial contributions from the (home institution of the) applicant, i.e. by integrating a sabbatical or paid leave into the fellowship at HIAS, are highly welcome und should be mentioned in the application. 

The academic year at HIAS usually begins on September 1 and ends on June 30 of the following year. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred period, which must be at least three months. July and August are not fellowship months. 

Utmost freedom and flexibility

The fellows can pursue their own research projects unimpeded by their usual professional obligations while enjoying interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary impulses and making many and diverse new contacts. For this, HIAS either pays a stipend to the fellow or reimburses the home institution’s costs of a teaching replacement. 

Excellent working conditions

The fellows are offered a fully equipped workspace in the center of Hamburg and continuous assistance by the HIAS staff, for example regarding literature procurement or the organization of workshops. However, HIAS can neither provide an artist studio nor finance one. In order to be fully integrated into the academic or cultural landscape of Hamburg, each fellow will be accompanied by a scholar/cultural professional based at one of HIAS’ nine member institutions, their so-called tandem partner. This also allows direct access to the research infrastructure required by the fellows. 

Academic and cultural program

Fellows are expected to attend the weekly lunches (Tuesdays) and colloquia/ dinners (Thursdays) and are offered participation in additional cultural and scientific excursions. Participation in the academic program is mandatory. 

Excellent and family friendly living conditions

Fellows have the opportunity to be housed in the centrally located guesthouse of the University of Hamburg, which offers fully furnished apartments with cooking facilities. HIAS welcomes accompanying life partners and children and assists in finding suitable accommodation, schools and day care facilities. 

Applications can be uploaded in English as a single PDF file via the application form by March 2, 2026. 

We look forward to receiving your application for a fellowship 2027-2028. Please fill out the application form and upload your file there.