Prospective Fellows
Overview
CAPAS is a Centre for Advanced Studies that funds up to 10 scholars each year for a maximum period of twelve months. The CAPAS Fellowships are open to international and local scholars from the humanities, social, natural, and life sciences, who hold the rank of assistant professor or equivalent, or who have at least 5 years of post-doctoral experience. CAPAS has a strong commitment to diversity and specifically encourages women* and BIPoC scholars to apply. Funding and length of the fellowships are determined individually and proportionally to the scholar’s level of professional experience.
Our aim is to provide fellows with an inspiring atmosphere to work on their individual projects while engaging in transdisciplinary dialogue during our weekly academic activities and in the centre's social life. Accordingly, all research activities at CAPAS have been planned to be carried out in-person, and fellows are required to relocate to Germany and reside in Heidelberg during the entire time of their fellowship appointment. Fellows are provided with office space, and access to university resources for international scholars such as: library, canteen, day care, etc. CAPAS further provides support with the administrative formalities of the fellowship (visa application, city registration, etc.). Our aim is to facilitate fellows' research and support them during their time at CAPAS.
The CAPAS Fellowships
According to regulations by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research for the Käte Hamburger programme, the minimum duration of a Fellowship is four (4) months and it may not exceed twelve (12) months. There are only two options for our fellows to be awarded with a CAPAS Fellowship:
- The first option is to award the fellowship in the form of a stipend: Fellows can opt for the stipend as long as they take an unpaid leave from their home institution and do not receive any additional compensation during their time at CAPAS. According to the university's criteria for fellowship compensation, the stipend is calculated individually based on the fellow’s previous salary and expenses related to their stay in Heidelberg. The stipend is capped by the regulations of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
- Alternatively, CAPAS compensates the fellow's home institution with the corresponding salary for a teaching replacement. In this case, the fellows keep their current salary and contract benefits. With a teaching replacement, fellows will not receive any remuneration from CAPAS and should cover their own living expenses in Heidelberg.
In either case, the budget for a stipend or for a teaching replacement will be paid in monthly instalments which must not exceed 8.425 EUR per month. Additional expenses such as visa application fees, travel from the airport to Heidelberg, fees at the Foreign Registration Office, as well as the first month of rent (including deposit), etc., have to be covered by the fellow.
Academic life at the Centre
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are important days in our regular weekly schedule. Our working groups, lecture series, and recap sessions take place on those days. The lecture series provide our fellows the opportunity to present their projects to a larger audience. In addition to the annual conference, at least one in-house workshop takes place each semester (Winter Semester: October-February, Summer Semester: April-July). The rest of the time is for fellows to work on their own projects. Fellows are assigned a shared working space with all the necessary accommodations for their work (computers, printers, access to university libraries, etc.). English is the official language at CAPAS. To a certain degree, the centre can arrange translation of presentations when necessary.
Application Process
Details on the application process will be announced on our website every year in summer according to the corresponding thematic and regional foci. Research proposals should therefore relate to the academic year’s foci, and/or contribute to the centre’s theoretical or methodological framework.
According to the regulations of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany, the Academic Advisory Board of the Käte Hamburger Centre will monitor de selection process and recommend candidates. The criteria for the selection process take into account the originality and relevance of the project proposal as well as the academic merits and other achievements of the applicant. The required application documents include: the application form, a CV, and a list of relevant publications. Applications must be submitted in English only and in a single PDF file to Laura Mendoza, Fellowship Manager: laura.mendoza@capas.uni-heidelberg.de
