Pia Schöngarth M.A.
Manager Fellowship Programme, Alumni officer
IEG Fellowship Programme
Fellowships for Postdocs
The IEG announces calls for applications for postdocs once a year, usually in August. The application deadline is October 15 for a stay beginning in April of the following year.
The fellowship
The Leibniz Institute of European History (IEG) awards fellowships to postdocs conducting research in European history, the history of religion, and other historical disciplines (including Digital Humanities).
The IEG funds research projects on European history from the early modern period to contemporary history. We are particularly interested in projects
- with a comparative or cross-border approach,
- on Europe in its relation to the wider world,
- on topics of intellectual and religious history,
- with digital tools and methods, or
- on environmental history.
The fellowship is intended to help you develop your own research project in close collaboration with researchers working at the IEG and to contribute to its ongoing research activities. This offers the opportunity to develop prospects for further cooperation with the IEG.
We particularly welcome applications from women.
What we offer
- Funding and accommodation for a minimum of 6 to 12 months
- A monthly stipend of €1,800
- A possible family allowance that can be applied for (250 Euro for partner, 400 Euro first child, 100 Euro every other child). Please contact the fellowship office for any questions regarding your family situation
- The earliest possible start date for the fellowship is April of each year
- An affordable room in our dormitory with shared kitchen and bathroom. Option for a partner room.
- Work space in our open-plan offices or library
- Scientific and international exchange
Requirements
Please also read our FAQ.
Your dissertation must be completed (submitted, accepted, and defended) by the application deadline. It is part of the application documents. Publication is not required.
The doctoral degree should have been obtained no more than three years prior to the application. The date of completion of the last academic achievement required for the doctoral program (e.g., defense of the dissertation, oral final examination) applies. As a rule, this date is stated next to the date of issue on the doctoral certificate. The application deadline for the call for applications is used as the cut-off date for the calculation.
A research project on European history from the beginning of the modern era to contemporary history. We are particularly interested in projects with a comparative or cross-border approach to European history, including its global networks, or topics related to the history of religion and ideas. There are no specific thematic requirements.
The working languages at the IEG are German and English. Good English skills are important for participating in the discussions at the institute.
Fellows must live and work at the IEG in Mainz for the entire duration of the fellowship period. Fellows with partners may also live together in the institute’s dormitory, depending on the availability of double rooms. Special arrangements, subject to negotiation, are possible for fellows with children. For family-friendly arrangements, please contact the fellowship office.
Fellows are expected to be active members of the IEG’s research community and to participate in the weekly colloquia and scholarly activities. Attendance at the remaining academic events, such as workshops or conferences, is approved of but not mandatory. Moreover, they will present their work in progress at least once during their stay.
By accepting the fellowship, fellows undertake to provide the institute’s library with a copy of their academic publications made possible by the IEG research fellowship without being asked to do so.
IEG fellowships are financed by federal and state funds. The research fellowships are intended solely for the purpose of working on the proposed research project at the IEG. Therefore, no other gainful employment or financial support is permitted during the funding period.
Application
Applications must be submitted online via our application portal. To apply, please fill out the online application form linked in the call for applications.
You will also need: 1. CV and list of publications 2. Table of contents/structure of the research project 3. project description of the research project (max. 15,000 characters, excluding footnotes and spaces) 4. Detailed work and time schedule for the research stay at the IEG 5. Copies of university certificates 6. full dissertation script 7. Language certificates, if applicable
You can write your application in either English or German. We recommend choosing the language you are most proficient in.
References
For your application, you will need two references for your research project in German or English, which you are responsible for obtaining yourself. The first reference should be from your primary academic supervisor for your dissertation, and the second from an external referee (from another university or a related discipline). Both should be authorized to supervise doctoral theses at a university.
Please inform the reviewers of your application well in advance.
The reviewers should send the current reference in PDF format directly by email to application@ieg-mainz.de by the application deadline.
The reviews should contain information about the research question, methodology, results, and presentation of your research project and provide an assessment with regard to the current state of research on the topic. They should address the applicant’s academic qualifications as well as the exposé and the work and time schedule for the fellowship stay in Mainz.
Awarding
The selection process may take some time due to the thorough review of applications. We kindly ask for your patience. Selection meetings for the awarding of fellowships for postdocs take place in January. We will inform you of the selection committee’s decision by email after the selection meeting. Please refrain from making inquiries in the meantime.
In the event of rejection, you are welcome to reapply if your project has developed significantly and differs substantially from your initial application.
FAQs
We have summarized important information and frequently asked questions in our FAQs.
Please direct further questions to the Fellowship Office: fellowship@ieg-mainz.de
