Uni-Tübingen

Fellowship Program

The DFG Center for Advanced Studies in Tübingen aims to help establish the theoretical foundations for a new cross-disciplinary field of bio-cultural coevolution by pushing the limits of cooperation between traditional disciplines. It seeks to bring together scholars from the fields of linguistics, paleoanthropology, genetics and genomics, and archaeology to exchange ideas and develop common methodological approaches to the study of the human past. The fellowship program allows visiting scholars to pursue a multi-disciplinary academic endeavor in a stimulating environment at the University of Tübingen.

Please note that the application period for the fellowship program is now closed. 

Although the fellowship was offered for the years 2021 to 2025, with a stay in Tübingen lasting between 1-6 months, we are no longer accepting new applications. 

We encourage interested scholars to explore future opportunities and to take advantage of the many resources available at the University of Tübingen. 

The university hosts an extensive collection of cultural and biological remains in its museum, including over 8,000 individuals represented in the human osteology collection and more than 4,000 artefacts and records in the ethnography collection.

Application and Selection

Applications are accepted continuously and will be reviewed as they are received. Candidates should submit a curriculum vitae and a fellowship proposal. The proposal should describe the activities anticipated for the requested duration of the fellowship and can include research, project collaborations, and didactic pursuits. Proposals should be between 500 - 1000 words. Research proposals should state the scientific objective and expected outcome, as well as foreseen use of university laboratory time and the names of Tübingen member collaborators, if applicable.

Selection of fellows is based on merit of the proposal, in conjunction with demonstrated academic excellence corresponding to the career stage of the candidate. Proposals that bring a new perspective or skill set to the DFG Center will receive strong consideration. Likewise, preference will be given to proposals that align with the research conducted by the DFG Center members.

Fellowship Benefits

Fellows will be granted a stipend commensurate with experience, corresponding to the German public service salary scale. In addition, fellows will receive a financial contribution toward costs associated with travel to Tübingen.

Additional fund can be made available under the Center’s Equal Opportunities Measures initiative (to support, for example, child-care, professional development opportunities for female researchers, etc.). Other funds might be available through other DFG programs, such as the U.S.-German Cooperation on Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER).

Fellows will be provided office space at the Institute of Archaeological Sciences, centrally located in Tübingen. Offices are equipped with a desktop computer, university network access to scientific journals, and a telephone landline connection. Fellows will also have access to university facilities (e.g. libraries, cafeterias, etc.) and can request access to laboratories as necessary. The Institute of Archaeological Sciences hosts several state-of-the-art laboratories, including the Paleoanthropology High Resolution Computed Tomography Laboratory and an Imaging Laboratory equipped with modern workstations, a confocal microscope, desktop digitizers, and surface scanners.

Fellows’ Contributions

All fellows are expected to participate in the DFG Center’s academic activities, including bi-weekly colloquia. In addition, fellows will be asked to deliver a public university lecture or participate in the academic activities of the university’s College of Fellows - Center for Interdisciplinary and Intercultural Studies, a central institution promoting the dialogue between the sciences and humanities in research and teaching. Senior fellows are encouraged to provide counsel on the scientific prospectus of the DFG Center, as well as to engage in collaborations with doctoral and post-doctoral members.

Publications resulting from work undertaken during the fellowship will reflect affiliation with the DFG Center (DFG Center for Advanced Studies “Words, Bones, Genes, Tools,” University of Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 23, D-72070 Tübingen, Germany) and/or acknowledgement of fellowship support German Research Foundation (DFG FOR 2237: Project “Words, Bones, Genes, Tools: Tracking Linguistic, Cultural, and Biological Trajectories of the Human Past”).

Support and Logistics

Upon notification of acceptance, prospective fellows will register with the University of Tübingen’s Welcome Center. The Welcome Center provides German and English-language support in completing formalities associated with your stay, including visas and registration with the city of Tübingen. The Welcome Center can assist fellows with housing accommodations, including apartment options at the university’s Heuberger-Tor-Weg Residence for visiting scholars or rooms at the university’s Lessingweg Guest House. In addition, the Welcome Center can assist with logistical coordination associated with accompanying family members. The Welcome Center organizes English-language social activities throughout the year for visiting scholars and their families.

Contact

General inquiries regarding the fellowship program can be addressed to Nadine Balbach, scientific & administrative coordinator for the DFG Center for Advanced Studies. Interested scholars may also contact the center’s scientific staff to discuss potential research projects. Inquiries on the university museum collections can be directed to the curators and managers responsible, listed in the museum website.

Application documents may be submitted by electronic or postal mail. Response to applications will be provided within 3 months.

Nadine Balbach, M.A.
Scientific & Administrative Coordinator

DFG Center for Advanced Studies
Keplerstr. 2 · 72074 Tübingen · Germany
 +49-(0)7071-29-75665
nadine.balbachspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de