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IZEA fellowships "Multiple Enlightenments: 18th century to today" at MLU Halle-Wittenberg

Call for applications: 2 fellowships for doctoral candidates (postdoc) and 2 fellowships for doctoral students in the summer semester 2026 for 3 months each

Researching the diversity, complexity and contradictory nature of the processes that have led to ever new contours and interpretations of the concept of the Enlightenment in Europe and worldwide since the 18th century is one of the fundamental concerns of the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of the European Enlightenment (IZEA) in Halle. It not only determines the Centre's main areas of research, which include the ‘Cultural Patterns of the Enlightenment’, the ‘Enlightenment in the Conflicting Fields of Critique and Power’ and the ‘Enlightenment in Global Networking’, but is also the explicit object of investigation of the DFG Research Training Group ‘Politics of Enlightenment’, which is based at the IZEA.

Institutionally anchored at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, one of the most important universities of the Enlightenment period, and located on the grounds of the Francke Foundations, a research stay at the IZEA provides access to numerous resources that are important for Enlightenment research. In addition to the historical holdings of the University and State Library of Saxony-Anhalt, the library of the Franckesche Stiftungen and the Marienbibliothek, this also includes the university collections dating back to the 18th century. Opportunities for academic exchange are also offered by the graduate programme ‘Politics of Enlightenment’ and the humanities and cultural studies research focus ‘Enlightenment - Religion - Knowledge’.

With the new fellowship programme, the IZEA intends to specifically promote research into the diversity of the Enlightenment from a regional, national and global perspective in the period from the 18th to the 21st century. In view of a present in which the Enlightenment is once again the subject of heated political debate, the programme aims to promote research contributions of both academic and socio-political relevance.

For the winter semester 2025/2026, two fellowships for doctoral candidates for three months amounting to € 2,000 p.m. + child allowance if applicable and two fellowships for doctoral candidates for three months amounting to € 1,468 p.m. + child allowance if applicable will be awarded.

The fellowship holders work for three months at the IZEA and take part in the research programme of the IZEA and the Research Training Group ‘Politics of Enlightenment’. The planned time frame for the stay in the coming summer semester is April - July 2026.

Please send your application by 15th December 2025 to: izea(at)izea.uni-halle.de

Your application should include the following documents:

  • Letter of motivation
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Publication list and copy of your own (article) publication (for non-doctoral applicants: if available)
  • Title and outline of the research project to be carried out during the stay at IZEA (maximum five pages)
  • For doctoral candidates: a letter of recommendation

If you have any questions, please contact the research coordinator of the IZEA, Dr. Andrea Thiele: andrea.thiele(at)izea.uni-halle.de