Country: Germany
Organization: Einstein Forum and Wittenstein Foundation
Program Name: Einstein Fellowship
Category: Fellowship
Deadline: May 15, 2026
Duration: Five to six months
The Einstein Fellowship is awarded by the Einstein Forum and the Wittenstein Foundation. The official call describes it as a fellowship for outstanding young thinkers who wish to carry out a project in a field different from that of their previous research. Its purpose is to support people who combine excellent work in their own specialization with openness to interdisciplinary thinking.
Location
The fellowship includes accommodation in the garden cottage of Einstein’s summerhouse in Caputh, Brandenburg, Germany. The source adds that Caputh is located a short distance from the universities and academic institutions of Potsdam and Berlin.
Funding
According to the official materials, the fellow receives a stipend of EUR 10,000 and reimbursement of travel expenses. The FAQ also states that the stipend may be used for living expenses and project expenses during the fellowship period.
Who Can Apply
Applicants must be under 35 and hold a university degree in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences. The official information also says that it does not matter whether the applicant has begun working toward a PhD or already holds one.
Project Conditions
The proposed project must be clearly different from the applicant’s previous work and should preferably also differ in field and form. The fellowship is not intended for applicants seeking to complete an academic study they have already started. The FAQ and call further state that the project must not be part of a thesis or dissertation, and no fellowships are awarded for dissertation research. The project does not need to be completed during the fellowship period and may serve as the start of a longer-term project.
What the Application Must Show
A successful application must show the quality, originality, and feasibility of the proposed project together with the applicant’s superior intellectual development. The FAQ also states that there is no fixed formula for the proposal, but applicants should be able to defend the idea as interesting, original, and feasible during the fellowship period.
Documents
For the 2027 fellowship, applicants must submit a CV, a two-page project proposal, and two letters of recommendation. The official application page adds that files should be submitted in PDF format and that a cover letter is optional.
English Requirement
The FAQ states that all application documents must be in English. It also explicitly notes that TOEFL and IELTS are not required.
Submission of References
The official materials state that letters of recommendation can be included in the application or sent separately by the recommenders. The application page confirms that the respective issuers may send them directly to the Einstein Forum.
Dates
The deadline for all documents is May 15, 2026. The FAQ states that review and interviews begin in June, while final decisions are announced by the end of July. The same source says the fellowship period is flexible, but it should preferably run during the summer months and end within the calendar year.
Final Obligation
At the end of the fellowship, the fellow is expected to present the project in a public lecture at both the Einstein Forum and the Wittenstein Foundation. The FAQ also states that residence in Caputh is mandatory during the fellowship.
