Call for Applications

Fellowship application

Deadlines

Applications for the	spring semester 2026
Deadline:	30 April 2025
Begin of the fellowship:	2 February 2026
Duration:	1 Semester (standard)

Documents and selection process

Please note: Applications are always submitted individually. If you have already joined a team or a group in advance to work on a joint or interdisciplinary idea, please explain your own contribution to the joint work in the outline of the research idea and please name the fellowship applicants you will be working with.

Please submit the following documents in English using the CAS Fellowship application form below:

a two- to three-page outline of the planned research project you would like to work on at the CAS.
The outline should answer these questions: What do I want to work on? What would I like to achieve in the CAS semester? The following options are available:
- outline of a joint research idea of a team from different schools/departments or outline of a joint research idea of a team from a school/department (two to five researchers each)
- outline of an individual research idea in line with the university's research profile, preferably with interdisciplinary potential
an overview of your most important research achievements to date (up to a total of ten publications, externally funded projects, etc.)
a half-page presentation of the societal relevance of the idea.

After submitting the form, it will be forwarded directly to the CAS office.

We are looking forward to receiving your application!

CAS fellowship application form

* Mandatory fields

First name*

Last name*

Professor of*

E-mail address*

Title of the planned research project*

Do you want to apply for a second fellowship semester?*

Yes

Are you planning to take an academic leave of absence (Forschungssemester) during the fellowship period?

Yes

Do you need a work space at the CAS that goes beyond a shared desk concept?**

Yes

What research output do you have in mind for your fellowship (e.g. third-party funding application, paper, conference, proposal)?**

Which support do you need for your research project?

Your suggestions for visiting researchers (up to four weeks) with name, website, topic; if already known: invitation for which time period and duration of the stay

If a teaching replacement is not an option for you, what kind of support to ease your burden or to reduce the workload of your institution/institute could be helpful?**

Two- to three-page outline of the planned research project you would like to work on at the CAS*

PDF-Format, max. 2 MB

Overview of up to ten previous research achievements (publications, externally funded projects, etc.)*

PDF-Format, max. 2 MB

Half-page presentation of the societal relevance of the idea*

PDF-Format, max. 2 MB

The University of Mannheim processes your personal data as part of your application for a fellowship at the Center for Advanced Studies. Your data is processed in accordance with the relevant data protection regulations, namely the data protection act of the Land of Baden-Württemberg (LDSG) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can find more information in the data protection policy.

Next steps in the selection process

Information event

8 April, 4.30 p.m.

We offer an information event on how to apply and how to find interdisciplinary research partners on 8 April 2025 at 4.30 p.m. in B 6, 30–32, room 145. Ideally, you have a first research idea in mind which you would like to pursue at the CAS and which you can present at the meeting.

For any questions as well as for collecting and discussing research ideas outside of this meeting, please feel free to contact the CAS office (Dr. Markus Sommer).

Selection process

The Scientific Advisory Board of the CAS, which is made up of external professors, pre-selects the fellows for a given semester based on the following criteria:

potential of the submitted idea for joint interdisciplinary research,
innovative character of the research idea,
excellent research performance of the applicants,
societal relevance of the research idea.

The CAS Board of Directors makes the final selection, taking additionally into account:

compatibility with the research profile of the University of Mannheim,
compatibility with the research ideas of other fellows for a possible collaboration,
aspects of equal opportunity and diversity (e.g. gender, age, etc.).

The selection will be made by mid-June at the latest after the application deadline has ended. The future fellows will be notified directly.

Data protection policy

Please note the data protection policy defined for and applicable to the CAS fellowship selection process.
go to the data protection policy (PDF)