Prof. Thorsten Wübbena
Head of Digital Historical Research Unit | DH Lab
IEG Fellowship Programme
Fellowships in Digital Humanities
Once a year, usually in February, the IEG announces the call for application for doctoral students and postdocs in the field of digital humanities. The application deadline is April 15 for a stay beginning in September. The next call for applications will take place in 2027.
Interested candidates with DH projects can also apply for the general fellowship programmes of the IEG.
The Fellowship
The Leibniz Institute of European History (IEG) in Mainz offers a 6- to 12-month fellowship for doctoral students or postdocs from Germany and abroad in the field of digital humanities.
The funding provides candidates to design or continue a research project using digital humanities methods on questions related to European history since 1500.
There is particular interest in projects that tie in with ongoing research at the IEG, including current research projects in the field of Digitality in Historical Research | DH Lab. At the IEG, you will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and collaborate with researchers in this field.
We particularly welcome applications from women.
What we offer
- A grant and stay of 6-12 months
- A monthly stipend of €1.650 for doctoral students and €2.100 for postdocs.
- A family allowance (€250 for partner, €400 first child, €100 every other child). Please contact the fellowship office for any questions regarding your family situation and how to apply for the allowance
- An affordable room in our residency with shared kitchen and bathroom. Option for a partner room.
- Workspace in our open-plan offices or the library
- Mentoring by the Institute’s academic staff
- involvement in the IEG’s research group “Digitality in Historical Research” and the “DH Lab” (including exchange on various digital methods, weekly participation in the Jour Fixe, presentation and discussion of individual research projects with a digital focus)
Requirements
Please also read our FAQ.
The working languages at the IEG are German and English. Good English language skills are therefore required to participate productively in all academic activities.
The fellowship comes with a residence requirement in Mainz for the entire duration of the award period. Depending on availability, fellows with partners can expect to be accommodated in one of the double rooms in the residency. 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 research community and to participate in the weekly colloquia and scholarly activities. Fellows will present their work in progress at least once during their stay and are welcome to participate at all other academic events, such as workshops or conferences.
By accepting the fellowship, fellows commit to providing the Institute’s library with a copy of their academic publications that have benefitted from the IEG research scholarship.
IEG fellowships are financed by federal and state funds. The research fellowships are intended solely for the purpose of working on the research project applied for at the IEG. During the funding period, therefore, gainful employment or other financial support is not permitted.
- Field of study: History, religious history, historical theology, or another historically oriented discipline; minimum degree requirement: MA, state examination, diploma, ecclesiastical examination.
- When to apply: By the application deadline, candidates should have worked on their dissertation for a maximum of three years; justified exceptions are possible.
- Funding of completion: At the time of application, the dissertation should be conceptually mature, and the source research should be sufficiently advanced to ensure that a 6-12 month research stay at the IEG in Mainz is conducive to completing the dissertation.
- Doctoral supervision: As a non-university research institution, the Institute does not conduct examinations or award academic degrees. Dissertations are completed under the responsibility of the respective supervisor at the home university.
- Completed dissertation: Your dissertation must be completed (submitted, accepted, and defended) by the application deadline. It is part of the application documents. Publication is not required.
- Degree obtained no more than three years prior: The PhD should have been completed and obtained no more than three years prior to the date of application. The date of completion corresponds to the last academic achievement required within the doctoral programme (e.g., viva, or oral final examination) or the date stated on the PhD certificate. The application deadline for the call for applications is used as the cut-off date for the calculation.
- Research project: A research project on European history from the beginning of the early modern period to contemporary history. We especially welcome projects with a comparative or cross-border approach, on European history, including its global connections, or on topics related to the history of religion and ideas. There are no specific thematic requirements.
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.
Application documents PhD students: 1. CV and, if applicable, list of publications 2. Table of contents of the dissertation project 3. Project description of the dissertation 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. Language certificates, if applicable
Application documents Postdocs: 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. Electronic copy of the PhD manuscript 7. Language certificates, if applicable
Applications can be submitted in either English or German. We recommend choosing the language you are most proficient in.
Reference letters
Applications should be supported by two reference letters in German or English, the first by the main academic supervisor of the dissertation, the second by an external referee (other university or related discipline). It is the candidate’s responsibility to obtain the reference letters which should be written by academics who are authorized to supervise doctoral theses at a university.
Please inform the referees of your application well in advance.
The referees should send their reference letter in PDF format directly by email to application@ieg-mainz.de by the application deadline.
The reference letter should contain information about the research question, methodology, structure, and results of the 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.
Date of notification
The selection process may take up to three months due to the thorough review. We kindly ask for your patience. The selection meeting will take place in June and candidates will be informed of the outcome by email. Please refrain from making inquiries in the meantime.
The earliest possible start date for the fellowship is September.
In the event of rejection, you are welcome to reapply if your project has developed significantly and differs substantially from the initial application.
FAQs
We have summarized important information and frequently asked questions in our FAQs.
Please direct research related questions to the head of the research group, Thorsten Wübbena: wuebbena@ieg-mainz.de.
General questions will be answered by the Fellowship Office: fellowship@ieg-mainz.de.
