Heinz Heinen Fellowship Program 2027-2028 (Funded)

Overview

The Heinz Heinen Fellowship Program 2027-2028 brings together international scholars whose research focuses on different forms of Strong Asymmetrical Dependency and on slavery, across all historical periods and cultural contexts. It is part of the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS), a Cluster of Excellence funded by the German Excellence Strategy.

The centre values the expertise and active involvement of fellows and gives each of them the time and freedom to pursue their own research. The programme is meant to be a space for discussion, exchange and networking, and all fellows and guests are invited to present their projects and results in the Research Seminar.

What you get

Monthly stipends are €1,700 for doctoral fellows, €2,600 for junior postdocs, €3,100 for postdocs and €3,600 for senior fellows. Fellows who do not live in Bonn or the surrounding area also receive a travel allowance and a lump sum for accommodation. Other benefits include a working space with a desktop computer at the centre, the chance to organise a workshop in Bonn and apply for funding for it, support with organisational matters before and after arrival, and help finding daycare for children.

Who can apply

The programme is open to candidates about to finish their PhD, those who completed a PhD up to four years ago, those who completed it more than four years ago, full professors, and Alternative Knowledge Producers such as journalists, artists, creatives, museum professionals, curators and intellectuals.

How to apply

All documents must be in English and combined into a single PDF. Doctoral fellows submit a personal statement of up to 9,000 characters excluding spaces, covering the dissertation structure and status, a working plan, the project's relevance to the centre's research areas and the preferred time in Bonn, plus a CV of up to two pages, a publication list if applicable, degree certificates, proof of doctoral enrolment and two recommendation letters, one from the supervisor. Postdoctoral, senior and Alternative Knowledge Producer applicants submit a personal statement of up to 6,000 characters on their interest in the field, project and methodology, relevance to the centre and preferred stay, with a list of principal publications or work samples. Postdocs add a PhD certificate and two recommendation letters.

Key dates

The application deadline is January 10, 2027.