The Berlin Program offers up to one year of dissertation or postdoctoral research support at the Freie Universität Berlin. It is open to scholars in all social science and humanities disciplines, including historians working on German and European history since the mid-18th century. We offer five different fellowships: Berlin Program Dissertation Fellowship, Berlin Program Postdoc Fellowship, Max Kade Berlin Postdoc Fellowship, Kerstin Leitner Berlin Dissertation Fellowship and Kerstin Leitner Berlin Postdoc Fellowship. For key features and eligibility, check our Fellowships Overview.

Berlin Program Dissertation Fellowships: Fellowships for dissertation research are EUR 1550 per month (as of October 1, 2023) for 10 to 12 months and carries a travel reimbursement of EUR 1200. Applicants for a dissertation fellowship must be full-time graduate students at a North American university, must have completed all coursework required for a Ph.D. and must have achieved ABD (all but dissertation) status by the time the proposed research stay in Berlin begins.

Berlin Program Postdoctoral Fellowships:  Fellowships for postdoctoral research are EUR 1800 per month (as of October 1, 2023) for 10 to 12 months and carries a travel reimbursement of EUR 1200. We support recent postdocs, i.e. applicants who have received their doctorates in the last two calendar years from a North American university or applicants who are in the process of receiving their Ph.D. from a North American university and will have defended their thesis by the time the proposed research in Berlin begins.

Max Kade Berlin Fellowships (Postdoc): The fellowship offers a stipend of $25,000 for a research stay in Berlin for 10 to 12 months. The support covers living and travel expenses. Eligible are U.S. citizens who have received their doctorates in the last two calendar years from a North American university or applicants who are in the process of receiving their Ph.D. from a North American university and will have defended their thesis by the time the proposed research in Berlin begins. Learn more...

Kerstin Leitner Berlin Dissertation Fellowships: This opportunity is a year-long fellowship (12 months), has a value of EUR 1550 per month (as of October 1, 2023) and carries a travel reimbursement of EUR 1200. Eligible are Ph.D. candidates from China and Africa. Scholars from China’s central provinces (e.g. Gansu, Hubei, Shaanxi) or Southern Africa (e.g. Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe) are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must be enrolled as a full-time graduate student in a Ph.D. program in a humanities or social science discipline at a university in Africa or China. Learn more...

Kerstin Leitner Berlin Postdoc Fellowships: Fellowships for postdoctoral research are EUR 1800 per month (as of October 1, 2023) for 12 months and carry a travel reimbursement of EUR 1200. We support recent postdocs, i.e. applicants who have received their doctorates in the last two calendar years from a Chinese or African university or applicants who are in the process of receiving their Ph.D. and will have defended their thesis by the time the proposed research in Berlin begins. Learn more...

All applicants must submit an application to the Berlin Program and will be considered in the same applicant pool.

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