The Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen (KWI), the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities, hosts international postdoctoral researchers in Essen, Germany, for six months of residence on a project of their own. Two calls run side by side under the same programme: the KWI International Fellowship, for researchers up to six years past their doctorate, and the Thyssen@KWI Fellowship, financed by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, for scholars with an established profile and several years of post-doctoral work. Fellows work in the institute’s fields: science studies, visual literacy, aesthetic practices, constellations of historical impact, and dialogue between the cultural and social sciences.
They join the institute’s colloquium, lectures and reading groups. Project formats are open, from finishing a book or a special issue to preparing a research proposal, setting up a research group, or building collaborations with Ruhr Alliance universities.
Cohorts start twice a year, in October and in April. The open call is for the cohort running 1 April to 30 September 2027.
Benefits & funding
- KWI International Fellowship: monthly allowance of €3,000 before tax, for six months.
- Thyssen@KWI Fellowship: monthly allowance of €4,000 before tax, for six months, financed by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.
- Partial reimbursement of travel to and from Essen (stated in the KWI International call).
- Office space, modern infrastructure, technical support, library service, event and research management, and administrative support.
- Membership of the institute’s academic community: colloquium, lectures, conferences and reading groups.
- Families are welcome, though no family allowance is paid; a parent-child office can be booked.
Eligibility
- A completed doctorate in the humanities, cultural studies or the social sciences.
- KWI International Fellowship: up to six years of post-doctoral experience, with the doctorate awarded in 2021 or later for this call.
- Thyssen@KWI Fellowship: several years of post-doctoral research and an established research profile; no upper limit is stated.
- Open to researchers of any nationality. Applicants of German nationality qualify for the KWI International Fellowship only if currently employed at an institution outside Germany, and for the Thyssen@KWI Fellowship only with substantial international experience, such as extended research stays or collaborations abroad.
- Applications are written in English; German-language ability is not required.
- Fellows are expected on site in Essen at least three days a week.
Can you apply?
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PhD
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Application process
- 1Choose the call that matches your career stage: KWI International or Thyssen@KWI.
- 2Assemble one PDF of no more than 20 MB containing a CV, a list of publications, the doctoral certificate, and a project proposal of up to 5,000 characters, all in English.
- 3Email the file to international.fellowship@uni-due.de by 17 August 2026 (CET), using the subject line Thyssen@KWI-Fellowship for the Thyssen call.
- 4Wait for the outcome, normally communicated about four months before the fellowship starts.
- 5Take up the fellowship on 1 April 2027, and attend the entry and exit interviews.
Program timeline
Application deadline, both calls (CET)
Aug 17, 2026
Outcome normally communicated, about four months before the start
2026-12
Fellowship begins
Apr 1, 2027
Fellowship ends
Sep 30, 2027