Individual Fellowships

In each “class”, the Wissenschaftskolleg strives to put together a group of Fellows that is greater than the sum of its individual members. To this end, the Wissenschaftskolleg invites outstanding researchers from all disciplines and from all over the world for a research year in Berlin.

There are two paths to candidacies for fellowships: Candidates for fellowships can either apply on their own behalf or they can be nominated. Applications and nominations can be submitted at any time. We operate an electronic application platform for researchers applying on their own behalf.

Ideally, a fellowship gives the invited Fellow the opportunity to make discoveries and be inspired to new ideas and insights through his or her contact with the other Fellows and their projects. This goal guides the selection.

Fellows are free to choose their projects for their stay at the Wissenschaftskolleg; there are no thematic specifications. The research projects proposed with the application do not have to have any relationship to Berlin, but it must be possible to carry them out in residence.

The Wissenschaftskolleg also invites a few artists (musicians, authors, film-makers, etc.); they are suggested by Senior Advisors whom the Rector has charged with this task. Prominent persons of public life can also be invited; the initiative for this lies with the Rector of the Wissenschaftskolleg.