Herder Fellowships at the Herder Institute, Germany

The Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe is pleased to offer annual fellowships-in-residence to scholars to support significant research and writing about the history of East Central Europe.

About Herder Fellowship:

The Herder Institute’s annual competition for fellowships opens every April. Applications must be received no later than on August 15. Applicants will be notified of the competition outcome by October 15. You can check out more Internships, BS, MS, PhD and postdoc positions here.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Ability to stay in Marburg for the full duration of the fellowship.
• Researchers at all qualification levels (doctoral students, postdocs, and established scholars).
• Academic background in disciplines relevant to the history and collections of East Central Europe.
• Current or planned research project that can benefit from the institute’s unique materials.
• No residency in Germany required (priority for candidates from Central and Eastern Europe and other Western Europe).

Benefits:

• The fellowship allows a one-month research stay in the collections of the Herder Institute and is endowed with € 1,900.
• Fellows can stay in the guest apartment in the Behring Villa for the duration of their stay. The monthly rent is € 360, which is deducted directly from the fellowship. This fee covers all utilities
• The guest apartment is not barrier-free and is not suitable for families with children. Fellows bringing family members are kindly asked to arrange private accommodation nearby
• If you are accompanied by children up to the age of 14, you can apply for a lump sum of € 500 to support childcare expenses. The following options are available:
  • Funding for larger rooms and/or accommodation costs for an additional caregiver.
  • Assistance in securing a nanny (“Tagesmutter”) or daycare placement for children aged 2–9 (kindergarten or elementary school age) for the duration of the fellowship.
  • Support for additional accommodation costs and/or vacation care (e.g., holiday programs offered by the City of Marburg) for children aged 10–14 in the guest apartment.
• To apply for childcare, submit an informal request to the Herder Institute’s Equal Opportunities Officer, specifying the chosen model (1, 2, or 3) and providing a justification.

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Conditions:

• The purpose of the fellowship program is the support of your stay at the Herder Institute in Marburg for academic purposes and therefore it also covers your travel expenses.
• A fellowship does not constitute an employer-employee relationship of any kind. Fellows are self-employed for tax purposes.
• We cannot cover any social security expenses. Fellowships are exempt from tax and are normally not subject to the tax progression clause.
• When you accept the fellowship, you automatically agree to the conditions that you will not take up any other work for the duration of the fellowship, to focus all your efforts on the research project, and to inform us immediately if you recognize that your project cannot be completed as planned. You must also stay in Marburg for the duration of the fellowship.
• As part of the fellowship program you are required to submit a report (up to two pages) on your results and your experiences within one month after completing your stay at the Herder Institute.
• You may be asked to give a presentation on your research project at an internal or public event at the Herder Institute.

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Selection Process:

• The applications are reviewed by a selection committee consisting of the Director of the Institute, the Deputy Director, the Research Coordinator, and the Head of Division Research- and Career Development.
• Fellowships are awarded by the board of the Herder Institute on a competitive basis based on the reviews of the selection committee.
• Reasons for the award or rejection are not communicated to applicants. There is no legal claim to a fellowship.

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Final Reports and Publications:

• Within our fellowship programme you are granted a stipend from the Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe Institute of the Leibniz Association to pursue a specific research project.
• You were selected by a selection committee among numerous applicants by the criteria of excellence to work with the collections and material of the institute.
• The programme is publicly funded by taxes, therefore we are required to continuously document the results of your research and furthermore to evaluate them quantitatively and qualitatively.

For that purpose we ask you to:

• Write a final report
  • In your final report (Deutsch or English) you should respond to the following questions:
    • Which research project did you work on during your stay?
    • To which field of research is this project tied?
    • With what kind of material and sources did you work at the institute?
    • Which lectures and publications (or further research projects) will emerge from your stay?
    • Where do you see room for improvement? Other points of criticism and positive feedback?
  • Please send your report not later than 4 weeks after the end of your fellowship by email to [email protected].
• Mention the Herder Institute as institution of funding in your publications which are based on the works that you wrote within the framework of the fellowship programme. A phrase to express that could be: This article is based on a research project that was possible due to the financial support of the Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe – Institute of the Leibniz Association within the framework of the fellowship programme.
• Inform the Herder Institute about your publication of research results that are based on your works within the framework of the fellowship programme by email to [email protected].

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How to Apply:

• Submit all required documents in individual PDF files via email to [email protected].
• Documents must be named as: APP_YourName_Type of Document (for example: APP_Doe_Application Form; APP_Doe_CV; APP_Doe_List of Publications; APP_Doe_Project Description; APP_Doe_Letter of Recommendation; APP_Doe_Diplomas).
• Required documents:
  • Completed application form
  • Academic CV (resumé)
  • List of publications
  • Letter of recommendation from an academic supervisor (required only for PhD students)
  • Scans of your diplomas and certificates
  • Short project description (maximum three pages) describing objectives and methods
• The project description should highlight how the Herder Institute’s resources will support your research and, if desired, name a staff member for consultation.
• For childcare requests (if applicable), contact the Equal Opportunities Officer at [email protected] with details and justification.

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