Germany Herzog August Bibliothek Fellowships 2028 Application Submission Method
International applicants such as experienced researchers can now prepare for the Herzog August Bibliothek (HAB) Research Fellowships 2028 in Germany.
Hosted at the historic Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel, the programme supports scholars whose projects require intensive use of its medieval, early-modern and historical collections. Two funding routes are available: a 6–10 month Postdoctoral Fellowship paying €2,200 per month and a 1–3 month Short-term Fellowship paying €1,800 per month.
HAB Germany Fellowships 2028 — Applicant Answer Box
| Host | Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel |
| Country | Germany |
| Funding Year | 2028 |
| Postdoc Funding | €2,200/month |
| Short-term Funding | €1,800/month |
| Duration | 1–3 months or 6–10 months |
| Travel Support | Up to €650 short-term; up to €2,000 postdoc |
| Family Support | Up to €500/month for qualifying postdoc fellows with children |
| International Applicants | Eligible |
| Application Deadline | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding Starts | From January 1, 2028 |
Which HAB Fellowship Should You Apply For?
Your PhD date and the amount of time you need inside the library determine the better route.
| Fellowship | Who Should Target It? | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Post-doc Fellowship | Researchers within 6 years of PhD | €2,200/month for 6–10 months |
| Short-term Fellowship | Postdocs through emeriti needing focused source research | €1,800/month for 1–3 months |
For applications submitted in January 2027, Post-doc Fellowship applicants must normally have received their PhD in 2021 or later.
The Short-term Fellowship is much broader: researchers ranging from recently completed postdocs to emeritus scholars can apply, provided their proposed research genuinely depends on HAB’s historical holdings.
What Research Fields Are Eligible?
The programme is not restricted to one academic department, but your project must be built around the library’s collections.
Researchers across historically oriented disciplines may qualify, particularly projects involving medieval and early-modern sources, manuscripts, rare books, cultural history, intellectual history, literature, religion, art, law or related humanities fields.
This is an important selection point: simply proposing to spend several months conducting generic research in Germany is unlikely to be persuasive. Your proposal should explain which HAB holdings you need and why they are essential to answering your research question.
Funding Available for 2028
Postdoctoral fellows receive €2,200 per month plus reimbursement of travel costs up to €2,000. And the researchers bringing children may also request monthly supplements:
- One child: €300/month;
- two children: €400/month;
- three or more children: €500/month.
Short-term fellows receive €1,800 per month plus a travel contribution ranging from €150 to €650, depending on country of origin. These awards should therefore be described as funded research fellowships rather than automatically “fully funded” scholarships, since the published package does not promise separate full reimbursement of every living expense.
How to Apply for HAB Fellowship 2028?
The application starts by requesting the appropriate application documents directly from Herzog August Bibliothek.
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
In your request, state your research focus and include either the keyword:
- “Post-doc” for the 6–10 month fellowship; or
- “Short-term” for the 1–3 month fellowship.
Applicants then complete the requested documents. External reviewers evaluate applications before the Scientific Advisory Board selects fellowship recipients.
My advice is to study HAB’s catalogue before writing the research proposal. Naming relevant manuscripts, collections or source groups provides a much stronger case for why physical residence in Wolfenbüttel is academically necessary.
3 Questions Researchers Are Likely to Ask!
1. Is the Herzog August Fellowship a DAAD Scholarship?
No. It appears in the DAAD scholarship database, but the 2028 research fellowships are funded by the State of Lower Saxony and administered through Herzog August Bibliothek.
DAAD is therefore an information source for the opportunity, not the funder of this particular fellowship.
2. Can Current PhD Students Apply for the €1,800 Short-term Fellowship?
Not under the published Short-term Fellowship criteria, which require a doctoral degree or academic equivalent.
Doctoral candidates should instead examine HAB’s separate doctoral fellowship schemes rather than assuming this postdoctoral short-stay programme covers them.
3. Can Researchers Outside Germany Apply?
Yes. International scholars are explicitly eligible.
The programme welcomes researchers from Germany and abroad, but nationality alone does not create eligibility—the proposed project must require research using HAB’s historical holdings.
Application Deadline
The last date to apply for the Herzog August Bibliothek Research Fellowships 2028 is January 31, 2027. Successful research stays can begin from January 1, 2028.