DAAD/AGI Research Fellowship Program

The Call for Applications for calendar year 2024 is closed.

The DAAD/AGI Research Fellowship Program, funded by a generous grant from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), is designed to bring both senior and junior scholars and specialists working on key issues of central importance to the German-American relationship to AGI for research stays of between two to four consecutive months each. AGI offers several fellowships, which include a monthly stipend of up to €3,204 (depending on the seniority of the applicant); transportation to and from Washington, DC; financial support for research-related travel to institutions within the DAAD center network (Centers for German and European Studies) in North America; and office space at the Institute.

Please note that the DAAD/AGI Research Fellowship supports fellows conducting research at the American-German Institute in Washington, DC. We are unable to support research in Germany/Europe.

During their tenure, DAAD/AGI Research Fellows will be expected to present their research results at a workshop to the broader Washington, DC, policy community and produce a short analytical essay that will be published on the AGI website and distributed via the Institute’s targeted analysis newsletter, The AGI Advisor. AGI welcomes applications from individuals at academic institutions, think tanks, and public policy and research organizations who focus on subject areas dealing with transatlantic relations, primarily policy, politics, economics, law, education, social sciences, and humanities. The fellowship is open to individuals with German and other nationalities as follows:

  • German nationals who are doctoral candidates, junior academics, and academics;
  • Foreign (non-German) doctoral candidates, junior academics, and academics permanently living in Germany;
  • German and foreign doctoral candidates, junior academics, and academics at the network centers of currently or formerly supported DAAD Centers for German and European Studies outside of the United States.

AGI provides an exceptional platform bringing together academics, experts, and practitioners. I deeply enjoyed the supportive, highly productive, and pleasant working atmosphere. I am incredibly thankful for the access to the vast AGI network and the high-value contacts for interviews and background talks. AGI: transatlantic cooperation at its best.
– Axel Heck, Summer 2019

The overarching goal of the research fellowship program is to create a common basis for transatlantic dialogue that is characterized by mutual understanding of the unique historical, cultural, political, and economic factors that shape perspectives and policies. The program thus promotes the relations between the United States of America and Germany, particularly in the context of the developments and changes at the European and global levels. Project proposals should address a topic closely related to one or more of AGI’s three research and program areas:

  1. Foreign and Security Policy
  2. Society, Culture & Politics
  3. Geoeconomics

Projects should be compatible with and supportive of the AGI mission, which is to anticipate challenges, propose solutions, and bolster the German-American partnership. The Institute produces objective and original analysis of developments and trends in Germany, Europe, and the United States; creates new transatlantic networks; and collaborates with policymakers, corporate leaders, and scholars to deliver in-depth, actionable analysis and fresh ideas that help anticipate trends, manage risk, and shape policy choices.

Accepted fellows will be able to expand and strengthen their networks and contacts to scholars, policy experts, practitioners, and officials, not only in Washington, DC, but also beyond the DC metropolitan area. Mentoring during the fellowship will be provided by AGI senior staff and in-residence fellows as appropriate, depending on the seniority of the fellows. Collaboration and exchange with AGI experts and fellows will be encouraged.

The DAAD/AGI Research Fellowship offers the unique opportunity to connect both with the policy community in Washington, DC, and with other inspiring researchers and personalities at the Institute. It also gave me the chance to do research on a pressing policy issue in the surprisingly open research environment that DC offered.
– Mariam Salehi, Summer 2019

Qualifications and Application Procedure

Qualifications

  1. Applicants must be German; or must be non-German and working permanently in Germany or currently at one of the DAAD Centers for German and European Studies outside of the United States.
  2. Applicants should be of junior or senior status. Junior applicants must have completed or currently be working on a PhD.
  3. All application materials MUST be submitted in English and received by AGI by the deadline in order to be considered for fellowships in the specified period.
  4. Individuals who have received a grant or other support from the DAAD within three years of the starting date of the fellowship are not eligible to apply. This does not apply for applicants affiliated with DAAD Centers for German and European Studies.

Application Procedure

There is no formal application form. To apply for the DAAD/AGI fellowship program, please submit the following materials (in English) electronically, combined in one PDF file:

  • A brief cover letter; please indicate your citizenship/eligibility in the cover letter and how you have heard about the fellowship;
  • A curriculum vitae, with a list of publications (if relevant);
  • A project proposal (5-7 pages, double-spaced) outlining in clear, concise terms the substantive thrust of the research and its relevance to the AGI mission; the reasons for carrying it out at AGI and in Washington, DC; the timeframe of the fellowship at AGI, including dates and length (two or four months). Since the fellowship provides funds to travel to DAAD centers in North America, an outline about the reasons why the applicant wants to travel to a particular DAAD center should be included as well.
  • Two recent letters of reference (only for PhD students and recent PhDs, i.e., those received in the last five years).
  • Successful applicants must be proficient in the English language.

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee and AGI will conduct interviews (in person or via video conference) with select applicants.

Application Deadline

  • November 19, 2023

Visa Requirements

If selected as DAAD/AGI fellows, applicants must be eligible for and obtain a J-1 visa from a U.S. consulate or embassy (unless they have work authorization for the U.S.). Applicants should be aware that, due to U.S. immigration regulations, J-1 visas may be subject to the two-year rule, which prohibits individuals from returning to the United States on certain types of visa for a period of two years upon completion of their fellowship at AGI. AGI will provide detailed information about the visa process once a fellow has been selected.

Please send your application via e-mail to:

Susanne Dieper, Director of Programs and Grants