First Research Article Fellowship Program

The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) is offering six-month fellowships for outstanding graduate 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 in order to prepare and publish their first single-authored research paper in English.

First Research Article Fellows will be hosted in one of the following departments:

• Artefacts, Action, Knowledge (AAK – Director: Prof. Dr. Dagmar Schäfer)
• Knowledge Systems and Collective Life (KSCL – Director: Prof. Dr. Etienne Benson)
  Regular meetings will be held to support both the writing process and academic development. Fellows are welcome and encouraged to take part in activities offered by the Institute and by the International Max Planck Research School “Knowledge and Its Resources” that take place on our campus.

Candidates are expected to have already completed the relevant research for their thesis and be in a position to devote six months to writing and preparing an article in English for journal publication. Fellows must remain enrolled in their home institution’s doctoral program through the end of the advertised fellowship period.

Fellowships are endowed with a monthly stipend according to the guidelines of the Max Planck Society (https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/research/projects/first-research-article-fellowship).

Applicants should submit the following materials in English through our online application portal:

1. Cover letter explaining how the applicant’s proposed research fits the research themes of one
   specific department
2. Official enrollment certificate and confirmation that the applicant will remain enrolled in an
   accredited graduate program (PhD) through the end of the fellowship
3. 500-word description of the dissertation written by the applicant
4. Curriculum vitae (preferably without a photograph) including any publications if applicable
5. Title, abstract, and outline of article to be completed during the fellowship (maximum 750 words)
6. English-language writing sample (maximum 8000 words including notes and bibliography) written
   by the applicant
7. A letter of recommendation from one supervisor

This program is intended to support scholars who wish to improve their academic English. We encourage you to write your application without the use of AI.

The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science encourages 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 note that only electronic submissions will be accepted. Applications must be uploaded to the following link on or before 15 January 2027 (23:59 CET):
https://recruitment.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/position/36470793

Finalists may expect a decision by 1 April 2027.

Descriptions of the research projects undertaken by the departments can be found here:

Artifacts, Action, Knowledge (AAK):
https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/research/department/artifacts-action-knowledge

Knowledge Systems and Collective Life (KSCL):
https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/research/department/knowledge-systems-collective-life

For further information, please consult the Frequently Asked Questions at the program’s website: https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/research/projects/first-research-article-fellowship. For all other questions, contact the Publications Manager for this program, Lindy Divarci .

Max Planck Institute for the History of Science
Boltzmannstr. 22, 14195 Berlin
Germany