FAQ: Quick answers to common questions

Applications may be submitted by scholars in the humanities, cultural studies, and social sciences who have completed a PhD (submitted and defended) by the application deadline.

Artists who hold a doctorate and have experience in academic collaboration are also encouraged to apply for a fellowship.

The following groups of persons are not eligible to apply for a fellowship:

• retired individuals, including professors emeriti
• scholars and artists who have not completed a doctorate
• members of Saarland University

No, only candidates who have submitted and successfully defended their doctorate may apply for a fellowship at the Käte Hamburger Centre for Cultural Practices of Reparation (CURE).

Application materials may be submitted in German, French, or English.

The project outline should contain a clearly formulated research question and objective engaging with the annual theme indicated in the call for applications; it should also clearly explicate a connection to issues of reparation and the relevance of the topic.

It should briefly situate the project theoretically within existing scholarship and, if necessary, define key terms, as well as outline a methodology that clearly describes the steps that will be taken to address the research question. The choice of corpus or material, together with the specific object of investigation, should also be explained in convincing terms.

Overall, the project description should present a coherent argument in precise language. It should also convey your individual style of expression and scholarly approach. We expressly request that applicants do not submit texts generated by AI.

The project description may be submitted in German, French, or English.

Please use a minimum font size of 11 and line spacing of 1.15. All sources cited are to be included in the description as a bibliography. The description, including the bibliography, must not exceed a length of five pages (A4).

Applicants are advised to read the centre’s website carefully to learn more about its aims and research programme.

Calls for applications are typically published in early September. The deadline for the current round of applications is 30 November 2026.

Applications are reviewed together with the centre’s Academic Advisory Board. We will notify applicants by the end of April 2027. Until then, please avoid inquiries about the status of your application.

The number of applications we receive far exceeds the number of available fellowships. Fellowships are therefore awarded through a highly competitive process, decided by our Academic Advisory Board. In selecting fellows, the board emphasises the proposed project’s academic quality and originality, as well its conceptual alignment with the centre’s shared research agenda. The board also considers applicants’ qualifications, motivation, and career stage. The final selection aims to ensure a well-balanced cohort, ensuring a diversity of academic cultures.

KHK CURE is expressly committed to diversity and welcomes applications regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion/worldview, disability, age, or sexual orientation and identity.

Yes. Applicants based in Germany or at German research institutions are eligible to apply, provided they meet the criteria set out in the call for applications.

The only exception is employees of Saarland University, who are not eligible because of funding guidelines from the German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

Yes. Employment or institutional affiliation is not required to apply.

However, if you are employed, you must be granted leave or exemption from duties for the full duration of the fellowship. It is not possible to receive a salary or stipend from another source while holding the fellowship.

Artists are welcome to apply, provided they meet the formal requirements: You must hold a doctorate and have experience collaborating with academic scholars. Your application must include a research-based independent project that engages with the core questions taken up by KHK CURE.

Yes, as long as your new application still meets the requirements of the current call, you are welcome to reapply.

Fellowships are usually awarded for six to twelve months, starting on 1 October of each year.

Up to twelve fellowships are awarded annually.

One fellowship is funded by the University of the Greater Region (UniGR) and is open exclusively to scholars employed at the time of application in an academic position at one of its partner universities (except for Saarland University). These partner institutions are the University of Trier, the University of Liège, the University of Luxembourg, the University of Lorraine, and RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau. Candidates for this fellowship are selected separately from applicants for the other fellowships. The selection, however, is likewise decided by the Academic Advisory Board following its assessment standards.

Another fellowship is funded by Saarland University.

All remaining fellowships are supported by the German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

You will need a research visa under Section 18d of the German Residence Act (§18d Aufenthaltsgesetz) for the duration of your stay. You can check here whether you need a visa to enter Germany.

Once you have been awarded a fellowship at KHK CURE, we will advise and support you throughout the visa application process for your stay at the centre.

Expenses for travelling to and from Saarbrücken will be reimbursed once pursuant to the Saarland Travel Expense Act (SRKG). Fellows will be provided with a fully equipped individual office at the centre.

Modern apartment accommodation at Saarland University can be arranged on request for a monthly rent of approximately 1,250 euros. The fellows also benefit from access to Saarland University’s interdisciplinary research environment.

There are two funding models. Fellows on unpaid leave from their home institution receive a monthly scholarship of at least 6,100 euros before taxes, based on experience and qualifications. Candidates without institutional affiliation are also eligible for a scholarship. Fellows who continue to draw a salary from their home institution may request that KHK CURE cover the cost of teaching replacement. All financial arrangements are negotiated individually with the fellow’s home institution.

Fellows must pay rent for accommodations. Modern apartment accommodation at Saarland University can be arranged on request for a monthly rent of approximately 1,250 euros.

Fellows are themselves responsible for ensuring that they have adequate insurance cover (health insurance, public liability insurance, and personal accident insurance), taking into account any pre-existing medical conditions. Fellows must provide proof of insurance cover to KHK CURE before commencing their research activities. In the case of scholarships and payments for allowances, fellows are also directly responsible for verifying any tax-exempt status with their responsible tax office or paying any applicable taxes.

Yes – fellows are expected to take an active part in the centre’s research programme and to be regularly present throughout the fellowship period.

No – KHK CURE does not fund research or business travel during the fellowship. However, travel to and from Saarbrücken at the beginning and conclusion of the fellowship is reimbursed pursuant to the Saarland Travel Expenses Act.

Yes. Partners and children are welcome to join fellows for the duration of the fellowship. Suitable family accommodation is provided free of charge. KHK CURE and Saarland University also offer support in finding childcare or school placements. Fellows with family members residing with them full-time in Saarbrücken receive an additional monthly family allowance of 100 euros for the partner and 400 euros for the first child under eighteen years old, and 100 euros for each additional child under eighteen years old. Travel costs for family members to and from Saarbrücken must be covered by the fellows themselves.

Modern apartment accommodation at Saarland University can be arranged on request for a monthly rent of approximately 1,250 euros. Monthly food costs in Germany typically range between 400 and 800 euros, depending on household size and personal needs. This figure is a general guideline. Fellows are eligible for a subsidised Deutschlandticket(known as a Jobticket when purchased through an employer), allowing unlimited travel across almost all regional and local public transport in Germany for around 44 euros per month.

Fellows are not covered by KHK CURE or Saarland University for liability, health, or accidents. You must arrange and pay for these insurances yourself. Health insurance is legally required in Germany and must be in place before visa application or the start of the fellowship.

While not mandatory, accident and liability insurance are strongly recommended. You should check with your current insurer whether your policy covers overseas stays and take out additional cover if needed.

Personal data of applicants is collected and processed for the purpose of managing applications and identifying the most suitable candidates for the fellowship. Data is processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).