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John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellowship

 
Pascal D. König, Alexander Reisenbichler, Christoph Nitschke, Charlotte Bartels, and Moritz von Brescius (2021-2022)

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellowship was established in 1967 as an endowment with funds from the Federal Republic of Germany and German industry as a lasting legacy to the memory of the slain U.S. president. Each year, the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES) grants fellowships on a competitive basis to post-doctoral scholars who are citizens of Germany and are in the process of writing the habilitation or an equivalent work.

Tobias Wille, John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellow 2024-2025

Overview

CES provides a generous stipend of $70,000 for 10 months of continuous residential research at CES from September to June. Accepted candidates will join fellow Europe-focused scholars from around the world as part of the Center's Visiting Scholars Program.

The application process for this fellowship is administered by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Final selections are made by the CES Steering Committee.

Accepted fellows are expected to be in residence at CES from September 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. As a member of the Center’s Visiting Scholars Program, fellows are required to attend the weekly New Research on Europe Seminar  and give one presentation on their research for feedback from their peers.

Fellowship applications for the 2026-2027 academic year will open on Monday, October 13, 2025 and close on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at 11:59pm. Applications must be submitted directly to the DAAD.

Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted or reviewed.

Apply Here

Application Details

Prospective applicants for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellowship must:

  • Hold German citizenship.
  • Have fulfilled all doctoral requirements and must have a Ph.D. degree at the time of the application. (Please note that applications from students in a degree program at the time of application submission will not be considered).
  • Have completed their doctorate no more than eight years prior to the application and may not hold a full professorship (W3 in the German case).
  • Be a graduate of a German university or have an equivalent diploma.
  • Work on topics focusing on Europe and/or the United States in the fields of political science, contemporary history, economics, sociology, political economy, anthropology, or international relations.
  • Be fluent in English.

Note: Preference is given to applicants who intend to have academic careers in Germany.

Alberto Lopez Ortega, Ramón Areces Fellow, 2024-2025

Scholars who are citizens of an EU member state, a European country, or Spain may be eligible to apply for other fellowships offered by the Center:

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