Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Fellowships 2026

📖 About the Fellowships

The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) offers a limited number of fellowships with stipends to guest scholars from around the world. These fellowships allow scholars to contribute to one of the Institute’s departments or research groups and utilize the Institute’s Library. The program aims to:

• Enrich scholarly dialogue.
• Establish and consolidate international collaboration.

Note: Unlike positions with employment contracts, stipends are not subject to social insurance contributions. The stipend amount follows the rules of the Max Planck Society.

🎁 Benefits

The fellowship provides the following stipends:

• Postdoctoral Fellows: €2,500/month (€2,700 from January 2026).
• Research Fellows: €3,000/month (€3,200 from January 2026).
• Predoctoral Fellows: €1,365/month (€1,650 from January 2026).
• Senior Research Fellows: €3,600/month.

Additional Notes:

• Stipends are not subject to social insurance contributions.
• Fellows cannot receive other significant income during the fellowship.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the fellowship, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Hold a PhD (except for predoctoral fellows).
• Reside outside Germany for postdoctoral, research, and senior fellowships.
• Projects must align with the Institute’s thematic focal points.
• Health insurance is mandatory, and proof must be provided within 14 days of the fellowship start.
• For stays longer than 6 months, insurance must be equivalent to German statutory health insurance.

📝 Application Process

Applicants must first select the department or research group they wish to apply to:

1. Dept 2: "Knowledge Systems and Collective Life" (Apply here).
2. Dept 3: "Artifacts, Action, Knowledge" (Apply here).
3. Max Planck Research Group: "Astral Sciences in Trans-Regional Asia" (Apply here).
4. Lise Meitner Research Group: "China in the Global System of Science" (Apply here).

Note: Applications are no longer accepted for the Research Group of Katja Krause.

📅 Application Deadline

• 15 January 2026

🌐 Application Portal

For more details, visit the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Fellowships page.

To apply, visit the Application Start Page.

Take advantage of this prestigious opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science!

• Postdoctoral Fellows: €2,500/month (€2,700 from Jan 2026).
• Research Fellows: €3,000/month (€3,200 from Jan 2026).
• Predoctoral Fellows: €1,365/month (€1,650 from Jan 2026).
• Senior Research Fellows: €3,600/month.
• Stipends are not subject to social insurance contributions. Fellows cannot receive other significant income during the fellowship.