Germany Opens Funded Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 on Empire, War, and Global Power Dynamics

A new international research opportunity has just opened for postdoctoral scholars from the Global South. The University of Potsdam in Germany, in collaboration with the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung’s International Research Group on Authoritarianism and Counter-Strategies (IRGAC), has announced up to three fully funded postdoctoral fellowships under the theme “Rethinking Empire: War, Coloniality, and New Internationalism.”

The 20-month fellowship will run from May 2026 to December 2027, offering researchers a chance to collaborate globally on critical issues related to imperialism, authoritarianism, and emerging global power structures.

Funding Benefits for Selected Fellows

Successful applicants will receive comprehensive financial support designed to enable full-time research and international collaboration in Germany:

• Tax-free monthly scholarship: €2,650
• Monthly travel allowance: €100
• Health insurance support in Germany
• Additional funding possible for fellows traveling with spouse or children
• Access to workshops, global research networks, and collaborative publishing opportunities
• Research base at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Potsdam

Who Can Apply?

This opportunity is tailored for academically strong and socially engaged researchers from the Global South. Applicants must:

• Be citizens of Africa, Asia, Latin America, or Eastern Europe (non-EU countries)
• Hold a PhD completed within the last eight years
• Demonstrate research and publication experience related to imperialism, coloniality, authoritarianism, or global political transformations
• Possess strong English proficiency (working language is English)
• Submit a research proposal aligned with the fellowship’s critical and interdisciplinary themes

The fellowship particularly encourages scholar-activists and interdisciplinary researchers from political science, sociology, history, cultural studies, geography, and related fields.

Apply: https://irgac.org/calls/rethinking-empire/

Timeline and Key Dates

Applications for the Rethinking Empire Postdoctoral Fellowships must be submitted by March 10, 2026 (latest by March 14, 2026, 10:45 PM UTC depending on portal timing).

Selected fellows will be notified by late March 2026. Funding officially begins May 1, 2026, with fellows expected to be present in Potsdam from October 2026 onward for in-person collaboration and research activities.