The Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK) considers arts and science as different approaches to knowledge acquisition. Both approaches can benefit from a deeper mutual understanding. With the program “art in progress”, the HWK strives to foster dialogue between the arts and sciences. To this aim, artists, who engage with science and research in the context of their work, be it in an artistic, practical or a methodological-analytical way, are supported. Through the program “art in progress”, the HWK aspires to encourage science practitioners to reassess their scientific activities from the perspective of the arts on the one hand, and to provide inspiration to artists by exposing them to the methodological and thematic diversity of scientific research, on the other hand.

Since the dialogue between arts and sciences is a central goal of the fellowship, a substantial part of the practical artistic work must be done during the stay at the HWK. The HWK provides the working spaces (e.g., studio) for this purpose. Analogous to the Fellow Lectures of the scientific fellows, each artistic fellow should present their project or working method to the other fellows at least once. In addition, the HWK may ask the fellow for additional contributions, e.g., the presentation of the work to an invited public or to cooperation partners. A project may either be artistic research, or it may be an artistic exploration of a scientific topic.

Application method: Please apply yourself. Nominations by third parties will not be accepted.

Application deadline: July 15, 2026

Application documents: Please download the application form here . Further required documents are listed on page 3 of the application form. Applications shall be submitted in English or German. Good knowledge of English is essential for successful and productive interaction with the HWK community.

Funding consists of individual support for artists in the form of fellowships endowed with stipends. The remuneration of the fellowships is subject to individual agreement between the HWK and the artist; the maximum amount for fellowships usually is 2,500 €/month. Alternative forms of remuneration (e.g., through salary compensation) are possible and also require individual agreement. Fellowships include rent-free housing on the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg campus for the duration of the fellowship. In addition to individual support, the HWK may provide funding for e.g., costs of material or a public presentation (exhibition, concert, etc.) on a by-case basis. Furthermore, the HWK offers its Fellows support to establish contacts with museums, galleries, and other cooperation partners in the region. A fellowship lasts up to 4 months. Residency on the HWK campus in Delmenhorst is mandatory.

For the advertised fellowships, the HWK targets artists with the ability to engage in dialogue with scientists. The HWK supports practical artistic projects in the visual arts as well as in musical composition. Ideally, the artists will already have experience in addressing scientific research topics or methods in their artistic work, or in collaborating with scientists. Team projects are also eligible for funding.

• The applicant's previous artistic work is of outstanding quality,
• the proposed fellowship project is of outstanding quality,
• the project proposes to examine a scientific issue in an innovative artistic way,
• the application documents knowledge of the elements of scientific work.
   

Application Material

Applications are accepted by e-mail only; complete applications consist of the following documents (all documents individually as PDF):

• Completed application form, including an abstract describing the project (abstract maximum 1500 characters including spaces).
• Motivation letter - why is a Fellowship at the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg applied for? (signed)
• Project proposal incl. work schedule and references (max. 5 A4 pages)
• Curriculum vitae incl. list of publications, exhibitions, or performances (up to 10 examples)
• Most important examples of work
• If applicable: written confirmation from regional cooperation partners that the project is supported and that access to the necessary (research) infrastructure exists
• Two reference letters to be sent directly to artshanse-ias [dot] de (arts[at]hanse-ias[dot]de) directly, not by the applicant.

The Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK) in Delmenhorst is an Institute for Advanced Study in the Northwest of Germany. Its fellowship programme offers outstanding researchers the opportunity to focus on research without the distraction of everyday routines in academia, to interact with colleagues from other disciplines, and to benefit from a diverse and vibrant fellowship community. The HWK awards fellowships to highly qualified researchers of all career levels from postdoctoral to senior researchers. With these fellowships, the HWK supports interdisciplinary and international collaboration both, between its fellows and research institutions in Germany's northwest region, and within the community of fellows residing on the HWK campus.

Applications are accepted in the following thematic areas (choice of one minimum, two maximum):

• BRAIN & MIND
• EARTH
• SOCIETY
• TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE

The HWK awards fellowships to highly qualified researchers of all career levels from postdoctoral to senior researchers. Regular fellowships are available for researchers whose PhD (or equivalent) has been awarded more than 5 years ago and who have already gained substantial professional experience in academia and research. Junior fellowships are available for early career researchers whose PhD has been awarded less than 5 years ago and who have gained first professional experience in academia and research.

Both, a continuation of previous research activities, or starting a new strand of research by using the expertise in the northwest region, are welcome, this includes crossing disciplinary boundaries. We also accept applications involving experimental and lab research; in these cases confirmation of access to research infrastructure at a nearby institution is required.

Residence at the HWK is obligatory.

Outstanding scientists from almost all scientific disciplines and career levels (postgraduate level and above) from all parts of the world (except northwest Germany)

PhD or equivalent

Up to 10 months

HWK fellowships consist of funded scholarships in conjunction with free accommodation on the HWK campus in Delmenhorst. The conditions of the financial compensation are subject to individual agreement.

Applications must be made through the central application form available at the link on the left of this screen. For more details, see the "Annual Call" document and the "Application Guidelines" published therein.