About this opportunity
The joint fellowship of the Hamburg Institute for Advanced Study and the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy is built for researchers who need uninterrupted time and a demanding room of colleagues, rather than another project grant. You propose your own project, work on it on site in Hamburg, and are expected to take part in the intellectual life of the institute while you are there.
The call covers four clusters of work: societal perspectives on peace and security, including political violence, fascism, polarisation, radicalisation and counterterrorism; great power conflict, arms dynamics, deterrence, emerging technologies and cybersecurity; European security architecture and regional security organisations; and climate change and security, polycrisis, disaster response and preparedness, crisis resilience and civil protection. Projects that cross disciplines are especially welcome, and applications from artists, policymakers and other professionals are considered when the work speaks directly to those questions.
A doctorate is the minimum requirement for applicants working in academia, in the humanities, the social sciences or the natural and life sciences. The panel looks at publications, the interdisciplinary and international shape of your profile, relevant research experience, prizes and awards, and a very good command of English, with career stage taken into account and particular attention to the future potential of early career researchers.
Two practical rules decide many applications before the proposal is read. The stay must run between three and nine months, start no earlier than October 2027, and avoid July, August and September, which are not fellowship months. And because fellows live and work in Hamburg, only projects that can be carried out on site qualify, while applicants already inside the Hamburg metropolitan region are not eligible. IFSH funds the fellowship either as a stipend to the fellow or by reimbursing your home institution for the cost of a teaching replacement, and the call publishes no figure.
What you receive
- Funding from IFSH as either a stipend to the fellow or reimbursement of the home institution's teaching replacement costs
- A fully equipped workspace in central Hamburg with continuous support from the HIAS and IFSH teams
- An IFSH based academic tandem partner who opens local research networks and infrastructure to you
- Help from HIAS in connecting with potential cooperation partners at one of its ten member institutions
- A place in a cohort of internationally renowned fellows from a broad range of disciplines, with weekly lunches and colloquia and dinners at HIAS
- Possible accommodation in the University of Hamburg guesthouse, in fully furnished apartments with cooking facilities
- A welcome for accompanying life partners and children, with assistance finding accommodation, schools and day care
- Time and freedom to pursue independent research, with the option to join additional excursions
Who can apply
- A doctorate is the minimum requirement for applicants working in academia, in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences or life sciences
- Publications in relevant academic journals or comparable publication outlets
- An interdisciplinary and international research profile
- Relevant experience researching the fellowship's core topics in peace and security
- A very good command of English
- Applications from artists, policymakers and other professionals are considered when their work is closely connected to the research focus and engages substantively with scholarly inquiry
- You must be able to live and work in Hamburg for the whole stay and take part in the academic programme
- The call particularly welcomes female and non-binary scholars, early career researchers and applicants from regions usually underrepresented in research and academia
Who should not apply
- Applicants from within the metropolitan region of Hamburg are not eligible
- Projects that cannot be carried out on site at HIAS and IFSH are not suitable, because the fellowship requires physical presence in Hamburg
- A stay shorter than three months or longer than nine months is not possible
- July, August and September are not fellowship months
- A fellowship starting before October 2027 is not available in this round
Documents to prepare
- A cover letter stating your desired period of stay, a possible academic tandem partner or partners at IFSH, any partial financing through sabbatical or paid leave, and how your research profile would enrich the fellow group, IFSH and the Hamburg research environment
- A list of your most important publications, maximum two pages
- A CV that includes your prizes and awards
- A description of the planned project, maximum three pages
- A separate project description written for a non specialist audience, maximum one page
- A one page letter of intent from your prospective tandem partner, only if the two of you already know each other and intend to collaborate
- Optionally a link to an online video, talk or lecture
- All of it combined into one PDF file, submitted in English
How to apply
- Read the full call on the IFSH listing at https://www.ifsh.de/en/career/details/job/joint-fellowship-program-of-hias-and-ifsh-call-for-applications-2799257
- Choose your preferred period. It must last between three and nine months, begin no earlier than October 2027, and fall outside July, August and September
- Identify a likely academic tandem partner at IFSH and name them in your cover letter. Prior contact is not required
- Write the project description for specialists in no more than three pages, and a separate one page version for a non specialist reader
- Prepare the cover letter, publication list of no more than two pages, and a CV that lists prizes and awards
- Combine every document into a single PDF in English
- Upload it through the official application form at https://ifsh.jobs.personio.de/job/2799257?language=en#apply before 16 November 2026
- Send questions about the application or the required documents to Dr Kerstin Bischl at bischl@ifsh.de
Selection process
- Applicants are assessed on the doctorate, publications, an interdisciplinary and international research profile, relevant experience with the core research topics, prestigious prizes and awards, and a very good command of English
- Career stage is taken into account, with particular attention paid to the future potential of early career researchers
- Each project is judged on whether it opens up new questions and ways of thinking, benefits from interaction with other disciplines, addresses the programme's core topics, fits an Institute for Advanced Study environment, can be matched with a suitable IFSH tandem partner, and is feasible within the research environment of HIAS, IFSH and Hamburg
- Diversity across disciplines, countries of origin, gender and career stage is considered when the group of scholars at IFSH and the cohort of fellows at HIAS are formed
- By submitting an application you consent to your data being processed for the selection, and it is shared with the HIAS and IFSH committees and, where necessary, with external reviewers
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
Questions applicants ask
How much is the fellowship worth?
The call does not publish a figure. IFSH funds the fellowship either as a stipend paid to the fellow or by reimbursing your home institution for the cost of a teaching replacement. Institutions are also encouraged to contribute through a sabbatical or paid research leave, and any such support should be mentioned in the application.
Can a Nigerian or other African applicant apply?
Yes. The call is open internationally and specifically welcomes applicants from regions that are usually underrepresented in research and academia. The only geographic restriction is that people living inside the Hamburg metropolitan region cannot apply.
Is there an age limit?
No age is stated. Career stage is considered, and the panel pays particular attention to the future potential of early career researchers.
Do I have to contact a tandem partner before I apply?
No. Naming a potential academic tandem partner at IFSH in your cover letter is enough, and the institute confirms that no prior contact is required. A one page letter of intent is only asked for if you and that person already know each other and intend to collaborate.
Can I do the fellowship remotely?
No. Fellows live and work in Hamburg, and only projects that can be carried out on site at HIAS and IFSH are considered suitable. Active participation in the academic programme, including the weekly lunches and colloquia, is mandatory.
What time does the deadline close on 16 November 2026?
The listing says applications must be uploaded by 16 November 2026 and does not publish a cut-off time, so treat the German working day as the practical limit and submit well before the date. Everything goes in as one English PDF through the online form.
What is the earliest I can start?
October 2027. The academic year usually runs from 1 October to 30 June, and July, August and September are not fellowship months, so your chosen window has to sit inside that pattern.
Can I bring my family?
Yes. HIAS and IFSH welcome accompanying life partners and children, fellows may be housed in the centrally located University of Hamburg guesthouse in fully furnished apartments, and the teams assist with finding accommodation, schools and day care.
I am not an academic. Should I still apply?
You can. Applications from artists, policymakers and other professionals may be considered, provided the work is closely connected to the fellowship's research focus and engages substantively with scholarly inquiry. A doctorate remains the stated minimum for applicants working in academia.
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