American Academy in Berlin Prize
The American Academy in Berlin is a nonprofit institute for advanced study in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and public policy. Its primary mission is to enhance the cultural and intellectual ties between the United States and Germany. Each year, following a rigorous selection process, the Academy awards roughly two dozen semester-long fellowships to outstanding US-based scholars, writers, visual artists, composers, and policy experts.
The Academy welcomes applications from a broad range of disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, law, journalism, and various areas of public policy. We also generally encourage projects that concern the future of democracy, technology and society (especially Artificial Intelligence), contemporary China, as well as climate change and sustainability. The Academy maintains dedicated fellowships for projects in American political economy, Jewish studies, and public health and biotechnology. Finally, while project proposals need not focus on topics related to Germany, candidates should explain how their projects would benefit from a residency in Berlin.
Please note that we do not accept project proposals in mathematics or the natural sciences, and that we select artists, composers, and poets through invitation-only competitions.
Berlin Prize fellows receive roundtrip airfare, accommodation at or near the Hans Arnhold Center, partial board, and the time and resources to pursue independent projects in a dynamic residential setting. Fellows present their work to audiences in and around Berlin via lectures, readings, public discussions, performances, and film screenings. Moreover, since part of the Academy’s mission concerns American-German public outreach, fellows should be willing to engage with pertinent German institutions and the press when requested. This combination of presentations and engagement form the core of the Academy’s public programming.
All candidates will receive notification of the competition outcome via email in late March 2025.
