Internet and Society Fellowship — Fellowship

The Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) in Berlin runs a fellowship that brings outside researchers into the institute for a fixed block of weeks each year. The 2026 round ran in person from 1 June to 18 July 2026 and was built around the institute’s focus area Democratic Change and Knowledge, which asks how expertise and scientific knowledge can still inform public debate when facts are contested.

Fellows work on their own project alongside HIIG researchers and the rest of the cohort. They can present in internal talks or workshops and contribute to open access publications or the institute’s Digital Society Blog. One week of the stay is a sprint tied to the focus area, and taking part in it is required.

The fellowship is unpaid. HIIG covers the office desk fee and supports the collaborative workshops and exchange formats fellows join. Fellows arrange their own funding for the stay, but can apply for a travel allowance of up to € 700 and, in certain cases, a visa subsidy of up to € 200.

Benefits & funding

Six weeks in residence at HIIG in Berlin (2026 round: 1 June to 18 July 2026)
Office desk fee covered by the institute
Support for collaborative workshops and exchange formats
Work alongside HIIG researchers and the other fellows of the cohort
Opportunity to present research in internal talks and workshops
Route into open access publications and the Digital Society Blog
Travel allowance of up to € 700 on application, and a visa subsidy of up to € 200 in certain cases; both are reimbursed against original receipts and are meant for applicants whose home institution cannot cover the cost
No stipend and no salary — the fellowship is unpaid, and fellows arrange the rest of their funding for the stay

Eligibility

Junior Fellow route: a Master’s degree, with a PhD in progress or planned
Senior Fellow route: an advanced PhD or a postdoctoral researcher
Demonstrated research experience
A research focus that connects to Democratic Change and Knowledge
Fluency in English
An initial research idea to work on during the fellowship
Open to researchers of any nationality; the institute invites applications from around the world
Presence in Berlin for the whole period — the fellowship is in person and the sprint week is mandatory

Can you apply?

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Education required
Master · PhD Enrolled · PhD

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Application process

1
Check the HIIG calls page for the current round’s dates and deadline.
2
Prepare a current curriculum vitae.
3
Write a motivation letter of one page covering interest in the fellowship and research background.
4
Write a research idea outline of at most one page: the research interest, how it connects to the focus area, and the intended outcome.
5
Optionally add one writing or work sample in English or German related to that area.
6
Send the documents to the contact named in the call before the deadline.
7
A group of HIIG researchers, including the heads of the research programmes and the fellowship coordinator, reviews the applications; interviews and decisions normally follow within a month of the deadline.

Program timeline

Call for the 2026 round published
Dec 18, 2025
Application deadline for the 2026 round
Jan 31, 2026
Within about one month of the deadline
interviews and decisions
Fellowship begins in Berlin
Jun 1, 2026
Fellowship ends
Jul 18, 2026
Next round
HIIG has not published dates; the 2026 call appeared in December of the preceding year