HIAS Fellowship Program

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. 

HIAS offers: 

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. 

Application 

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

An application should comprise the following documents: 

• cover letter containing information about:  
  • the desired period of stay  
  • possible academic or artistic tandem partner(s) from Hamburg 
  • if applicable: possible (partial) financing through e.g. sabbatical or paid leave  
  • a statement on the extent to which your own research or personal qualities would enrich the fellow group or Hamburg as a hub of research and culture 
• if your prospective tandem partner already agreed to work with you: a letter of intent from that person confirming and describing the collaboration (1 page)* 
• list of your most important publications (highlighting the most relevant contributions for the intended research project) (max. 2 pages)  
• CV including prizes and other awards 
• description of the planned project (max. 3 pages) 
• description of the planned project for an audience outside of the field (max. 1 page) 
• link to a video/talk/lecture that is online (optional) 

* A letter of intent is only requested in cases where applicant and prospective tandem partner are already acquainted with one another and where there is an intent to collaborate. However, the naming of a potential tandem partner is sufficient for applying to HIAS; no prior contact is required. 

Evaluation Criteria

Prerequisites and evaluation criteria for selection are: 

• For applicants working in the humanities, social sciences and natural/life sciences: doctorate (minimum) 
• Publications (articles in first authorship, monographs, publications or reviews in relevant academic journals or arts pages and art journals)** 
• Exhibitions in renowned museums or art institutions, concerts or performances at renowned stages 
• Interdisciplinary and international research profile 
• Interest in a dialogue between the arts and research 
• Prestigious prizes and awards 
• Very good command of English (working language at HIAS is English) 

** HIAS takes into account the respective career stage and particularly examines the future potential of early career researchers. Early career researchers are expected to have an above-average track record according to the standards of their discipline; the publication of a monograph is not obligatory. However, a doctorate is required for fellows working in academia. 

Evaluation criteria for the intended HIAS project are:

• Is the research project suitable for opening up new questions and ways of thinking? 
• Is the research project designed to benefit from interaction with other disciplines, including the arts? 
• For applications from the field of the arts and culture: Does the project seek an exchange with scholarly research and does it combine artistic and academic questions and methods? 
• Is it obvious that the project can be realized particularly well at an Institute for Advanced Study?  
• Can a suitable Hamburg tandem partner from academia or the arts be identified for this project?  
• Is the research project feasible within the framework of HIAS and in the research environment of Hamburg? 

In addition, diversity in terms of disciplines, countries of origin, gender and career level is taken into account in the composition of the fellow group. 

If you have any questions about your application and the required documents, please contact the office by phone or email at geschaeftsstelle@hias-hamburg.de. 

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

By submitting an application, you consent to the purpose-related processing of your personal data contained therein. This data will be passed on to the HIAS committees and, if necessary, to external reviewers.