The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) is an internationally respected research institute of the Max Planck Society (MPG) with currently two research departments, several research groups, and a graduate school. At the MPIWG, around 150 scholars from all over the world investigate the sciences past and present, working together on a collective, collaborative, and transdisciplinary basis. The MPIWG is renowned worldwide as a hub for reflection on the role of the sciences in politics and society. It is located in southwestern Berlin, close to the campus of the Freie Universität Berlin and other research institutions.
Department Artifacts, Action, and Knowledge (Director: Prof. Dagmar Schäfer), and Department Knowledge Systems and Collective Life (Director: Dr. Etienne Benson) seek to appoint
up to three “First Research Article” Fellowships
– for a duration of 6 months –
starting on 01 September 2025 until 28 February 2026.
The fellowships are open to students enrolled in doctoral programs based at Asian, African, or Latin American institutions. Applicants should demonstrate their commitment to a research topic related to the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine, or Science and Technology Studies and a need to work with an international community at the MPIWG, Berlin in order to prepare and publish their first single-authored research paper in the English language. The “First Research Article” Fellows are welcome and encouraged to take part in all non-coursework enrichment activities of the International Max Planck Research School (theme: Knowledge and Its Resources) that take place on our Dahlem campus. Those eligible to apply must remain enrolled in their home institution's doctoral program through the end of the advertised fellowship period.
Candidates are expected to have already completed the archival research for their thesis and be in a position to devote six months to writing and preparing an article in English for journal publication. Regular meetings will be held to support both the writing process and academic development.
We offer:
- a stipend for your period of residence, and reimbursement for a return ticket to and from your place of residence.
- a work space with access to the Institute’s resources (including the MPIWG Library)
- a cooperative style of work with close contact with all research and research-support units, and the opportunity for direct, personal dialogue
- an international setting with staff and guests from more than forty countries
The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunity employer that strives to foster an inclusive workplace. As an institute of the MPG, the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science supports a working community for all free from discrimination and harassment. We explicitly encourage applications from qualified individuals who belong to groups that are often underrepresented in the workplace due to age, disability, ethnicity, family status, gender, nationality, race, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or religion.
Please follow the links to find out more about the MPIWG’s policies on gender equality and hiring practices for people with disabilities, as well as Germany’s anti-discrimination laws as outlined in the General Equal Treatment Act.
Your application:
Applicants should submit the following materials in English through our online application portal:
- A cover letter that clearly outlines how your proposed research aligns with the research themes of either the Department of Artifacts, Action, Knowledge or the Department of Knowledge Systems and Collective Life.
- Official proof of enrollment and proof that the applicant will remain enrolled through end of advertised MPIWG fellowship period in an accredited graduate program from your PhD thesis/or confirmation of your university.
- 500-word description of dissertation (Table of Contents).
- Curriculum vitae and list of publications
- Title, abstract, and outline of intended essay (maximum 750 words)
- English writing sample
- A letter of recommendation from one supervisor
Please submit your application with complete documents, preferably without a photograph, through the application portal:
