A Fellowship at the Wissenschaftskolleg
Free time and unexpected encounters inspire new ideas. For more than forty years, the Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin's Grunewald has provided a forum for this. Every year, about 45 Fellows from all over the world conduct research and live here. Their families are welcome as well. Most Fellows work in the humanities, or the social or natural sciences; but composers, writers, journalists, film and theatre directors, and diplomats have also spent time at the Kolleg. All are free to work on a project of their own for ten months. They are not bound by any program, not even their own, nor are they required to undergo any retrospective evaluation, as the invitation is based on a thorough assessment of their academic excellence. In short: The Wissenschaftskolleg offers a maximum of intellectual freedom, and the Fellows return the favor by making the very best of it.
The Institute
The scholarly direction of the Kolleg lies in the hand of the Rector. He is supported in this work by the Permanent Fellows. The direction of the administration and its services is the task of the Secretary. The staff provide optimal working conditions for all Fellows, in particular an outstanding library service and common meals. Accompanying family members receive comprehensive support in organizing their stay in Berlin.
The Kolleg’s small campus is in Grunewald district in the south-west of Berlin with its many lakes and extensive forest.
The Wissenschaftskolleg is borne by the Ernst Reuter Science Foundation for Advanced Study, which receives its basic funding in equal parts from the State of Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany and which has also been institutionally supported by Switzerland since 1998.
Academic Life
Individual freedom and diverse intellectual stimulation through living alongside the 45 or so Fellows from all manner of disciplines and backgrounds are the two fundamental principles of the Kolleg. To put these into practice, there are just a few rules: the obligation to live at the Kolleg and to take part in common meals, as well as to present one’s own work at the Colloquium once. Otherwise, the Fellows shape academic life themselves. To this end, the Kolleg provides facilities and a wide range of support in organising seminars, establishing academic contacts in Berlin and inviting guests. The Fellows’ partners are welcome to attend all events and common meals. If they are engaged in academic work and require support, they too may make use of the services offered by the Wissenschaftskolleg.
Becoming a Fellow
The Wissenschaftskolleg seeks to compose a Fellow class that is greater than the sum of its individual members. To this end it invites outstanding researchers from all disciplines and all parts of the world to spend a research year in Berlin. Ideally, a fellowship increases the probability of serendipitous discoveries through informal encounters with the other scholars and their projects. This goal is the guiding principle of the selection process.
Each candidate is judged on the grounds of individual achievements. The assessment of the individual application takes furthermore prior research accomplishments, the promise of the proposed project, and the ability for multidisciplinary dialogue into account.
We would be happy to have you consider a fellowship!
All relevant information on the admission process can be found here
wiko-berlin.de/en/becoming-a-fellow
