A research fellowship beginning 1 september 2020 will be awarded at the Nordost-Institut (IKGN e. V.) in Lüneburg, an affiliated institute of the University of Hamburg and sponsored by the Federal Commissioner for Culture and Media (BKM) under § 96 of the Federal Expellees Act [Bundesvertriebenengesetz]. The institute is a research facility for regional connections in East European and German culture and disseminates the results by way of teaching and in professional publications.
The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. In Europe the memories of the event are divided. Whereas in the West it is the victory over Hitler's Third Reich and thus the end of the National Socialist dictatorship which dominate, for the states of Northern and Eastern Central Europe, however, the end of the war brought only a short phase of hope in expectancy of new freedoms that was soon followed by a Stalinist-style Pax Sovietica.
The Nordost-Institut is awarding a fellowship in support of historical research work addressing the changes which occurred in the history of Northern and Eastern Central Europe between 1944 and 1946.
The research fellowship will be granted based on merits and is primarily intended for young academics (PhD students, postdoctoral scholars), but can also be awarded to habilitated scholars and professors. It is granted for a period between one and three months. The monthly amount of the stipend ranges from 1,800 to 2,500 euros and is meant to cover the additional costs of the awardee due to the (compulsory) requirement of having to reside in Lüneburg for the duration of the fellowship.
The fellowship will be granted according to criteria of scholarly excellence. Only research projects for which suitable preparatory work has already been completed will be considered for support.
Comprehensive applications (including a brief description of the research project, a work schedule for the duration of the research stay, and a Curriculum Vitae with details of the academic career together with a list of publications) must be submitted by 15 July 2020.
The visiting Fellow will be involved in the Nordost-Institut on several levels throughout the duration of their stay. On the one hand a member of the scholarly staff will support the research work of the visitor throughout their stay and the fellow academics will be available for scholarly discussion. On the other hand the visiting Fellow is expected to contribute to the multiple engagements of the Institute, for example, by offering to give a presentation, a lecture or a talk to the general public (cultural outreach).
The institute will provide a workplace on its premises for the duration of the fellowship. The extensive Nordost Library can be accessed for use as a specialised library. Moreover, due to its manifold research projects, work groups, workshops and conferences, the institute offers first-hand insight into academic research engagement and a discourse culture on a regional, national and international level.
Corona-Instruction: Applications will be accepted, decision will be done on the basis of written documents. Funding commitment and practical implementation of the fellowship programme are subject to further development of the corona crises.
The Nordost-Institut guarantees gender equality at work. In cases of equivalent aptitude, skill and professional achievement, women and severely disabled persons will be given special consideration, the former as required by the Federal Equality Act [Bundesgleichstellungsgesetz], the latter in accordance with the German Social Code Book IX [Sozialgesetzbuch IX]. Only a minimal degree of physical capacity is required in cases of severely disabled persons.