Munich International Youth Fellowships 2027 With €1,300 Monthly Stipend
Researchers working on children’s books, young adult literature, illustration, reading culture, or international literary exchange have a rare Munich-based opportunity now on the table. The International Youth Library in Germany has opened applications for its Fellowship Programme, a long-running research initiative that brings international scholars into one of the world’s most important collections of children’s and youth literature.
This is not a general study scholarship. It is a focused research stay for applicants who already have a serious project in children’s or young adult literature and need direct access to a major international archive. Successful fellows will spend between six weeks and three months at the International Youth Library in Blutenburg Castle, Munich, working with a collection of around 650,000 books in approximately 260 languages.
Why This Fellowship Should Interest Literature Researchers?
The real attraction of this fellowship is access. For scholars studying children’s and youth literature across countries, languages, cultures, images, publishing histories, or readerships, the International Youth Library offers something ordinary university libraries usually cannot: a deeply international children’s literature collection supported by specialist librarians and children’s book experts.
Selected fellows receive a monthly scholarship instalment of €1,300 to support living expenses in Munich during the research stay. They also receive a workplace in the scientific reading room, access to the library’s extensive children’s, youth, and specialist literature holdings, expert support from library staff, help in finding suitable accommodation, and the chance to present their research progress in a poster session.
The fellowship is funded by the Bavarian Ministry for Science and Arts and is designed to support academic exchange, young researchers, international cooperation, and intercultural research in children’s and youth literature.
Research Areas and Academic Focus
Applicants should apply only if their project is clearly connected to children’s or young adult literature, illustration, or related international research fields. Suitable themes may include comparative children’s literature, picture books, young adult fiction, literary translation, illustration studies, reading cultures, publishing histories, intercultural storytelling, historical children’s books, or international representations of childhood.
The programme is especially relevant for applicants who need to consult books, archival material, or specialist literature held by the International Youth Library. The selection committee expects applicants to explain why the library’s collection is necessary for their project, not merely useful in a general way.
Who Can Apply?
This fellowship is open to international researchers with non-German citizenship. Eligible applicants include graduates, doctoral candidates, PhD students, PhD holders, young academics, and authors who need to consult international works for a publication on a specific children’s or youth literature topic.
Applicants must have sufficient fluency in German and/or English, since the research stay requires academic communication, use of library resources, and interaction with library specialists.
A strong applicant will normally have already done preliminary work on the proposed research topic. This matters because the fellowship is not meant for a vague idea or first-stage exploration. It supports a defined research project that can realistically benefit from a six-week to three-month stay in Munich.
What the Fellowship Covers — and What It Does Not?
The fellowship provides a monthly stipend of €1,300 for living expenses in Munich and supports an in-person research stay at the International Youth Library. Fellows receive access to the library’s research environment, collection, specialist support, and assistance in finding accommodation.
Applicants should also note the limits. Travel expenses are not covered, and fellows must arrange their own health insurance. This means shortlisted applicants should calculate travel, insurance, and any additional personal costs before accepting the fellowship.
Documents Required for Application
Applicants must submit the completed online application form along with a cover letter introducing themselves and presenting the research project. The cover letter may include a photograph if possible and should explain the importance of conducting the research stay at the International Youth Library.
The application also requires a selected list of relevant academic publications, projects, or activities in children’s literature; a list of relevant conferences, seminars, or academic events where the applicant has spoken or contributed; and a detailed research project description of up to three pages. This project description should clearly explain the relevance of the International Youth Library’s material and should include examples of titles available in the library’s collection that the applicant plans to use.
Applications are reviewed by a jury of librarians and children’s book specialists at the International Youth Library.
Application Deadline
The last date to apply for the International Youth Library Fellowship Programme is September 30, 2026. The deadline applies to research stays taking place in the following year, so applicants interested in conducting research in Munich in 2027 should prepare their project proposal, publication list, and collection-based justification before the deadline.