At the heart of the Wissenschaftskolleg is the idea that Fellows must have the freedom to choose their own research project. The Fellows' only obligations are to reside at the Wissenschaftskolleg for 10 months (September to the end of June), and to meet once a day for a meal and each Tuesday for the weekly Colloquium.

Such an intellectually heterogeneous atmosphere often creates a productive friction that leads Fellows to reconsider their approaches, and may lead to unexpected innovation.  

The Wissenschaftskolleg invites applications from researchers in an early career stage in the humanities and social sciences for fellowships starting in the following academic year.

The current call closed on September 1. The next call will be published in spring 2026.