The Berlin Program offers up to one year of dissertation or postdoctoral research support at the Freie Universität Berlin, one of Germany’s leading research universities. 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, eligibility, forms and more, check Fellowships Overview, Guidelines, and Application.

Located in one of the densest and most innovative academic regions in Europe, a Berlin Program Fellowship offers extraordinary research opportunities. Each semester, our research colloquium led by distinguished scholars, serves as the central meeting point to share, discuss and support each other’s work. Fellows are supported by program staff to assist them before and during the research stay.

The Berlin Program is administered in close cooperation with our North American partner and co-sponsor, the German Studies Association (GSA), the largest organization of scholars, professionals, and students who focus on the study of German-speaking Europe from all periods of history and all relevant disciplines.

https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/bprogram

The Kerstin Leitner Berlin Fellowships offer a year (12 months) of research funding for Ph.D. candidates and recent postdocs from Africa and China. It is open to scholars in all social science and humanities disciplines working on Germany and/or Europe. Under the umbrella of Freie Universität’s, Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies, the fellowship offers extraordinary research opportunities in one of the most innovative academic regions in Europe.

Fellowships provide EUR 1550 per month for dissertation and EUR 1800 per month for postdoctoral research and carry a travel reimbursement of EUR 1200 as well as financial support for language classes. A key feature of the program is our research colloquium which is led by distinguished scholars and provides the benefit of being part of an multidisciplinary, multinational group of researchers. Fellows are supported by program staff to assist them before and during the research stay.

Initiated by, and named after Dr. Kerstin Leitner, an FU alumna who has spent her professional career at the United Nations, the fellowships seeks to provide research opportunities which will make a significant difference in the careers of young academics from Africa and China.