IEG Germany Mainz PhD Fellowship 2027 Preparation Guide – €1,650 Monthly Stipend Fellowship

If you are already completing a history-related PhD and need dedicated time in Germany to write your dissertation, you should begin preparing for the IEG Mainz Doctoral Fellowship 2027. The next call is expected around December 2026, with an anticipated deadline of February 15, 2027 for research stays beginning from September 2027.

This is not a new PhD admission or degree scholarship. You must remain enrolled and supervised at your home university while spending between six and 12 months at the Leibniz Institute of European History in Mainz.

Is Your PhD Project Suitable for This Fellowship?

Your project should examine European history from the early modern period to contemporary history. IEG is particularly interested in comparative or cross-border research, Europe’s relationship with the wider world, intellectual and religious history, environmental history, and projects using digital methods.

The fellowship primarily supports the writing and completion stage of a dissertation. It does not fund initial preparatory research, language courses or the revision of a completed dissertation into a book.

You should normally have worked on your dissertation for no more than three years by the deadline. Justified exceptions may be considered. Your source research must already be sufficiently advanced, and your dissertation should have a mature concept that can benefit from a six-to-12-month writing period in Mainz.

What Funding and Support Will You Receive?

Selected doctoral fellows receive €1,650 per month, mentoring from IEG researchers, and access to the institute’s library and workspace. Fellows may apply for family allowances and, subject to availability, rent an affordable room in the institute’s residence. Accommodation should not be described as completely free.

You must live in Mainz throughout the fellowship, participate in weekly colloquia and academic activities, and present your work at least once. Paid employment or simultaneous financial support is not permitted during the funded period.

Documents You Should Start Preparing Now

• Academic CV and publication list, if applicable;
• Dissertation table of contents;
• Project description limited to 15,000 characters, excluding spaces and footnotes;
• Detailed work plan and timeline for your stay;
• University degree certificates; and
• Language certificates, where applicable.

Your proposal should clearly identify the research question, methodology, existing progress and chapters you will complete in Mainz. A general PhD proposal that still focuses mainly on future data collection may appear too early for this completion-oriented fellowship.

Arrange Two Reference Letters Early

You need one letter from your principal PhD supervisor and another from an external academic at a different university or in a related discipline. Both referees must be authorized to supervise doctoral dissertations.

The referees—not the applicant—must email their signed PDF letters directly to [email protected] by the deadline. Contact them several weeks early and provide your proposal, chapter structure and work schedule so their assessments directly support your application.

How to Apply for the 2027 Round?

1. Confirm that your dissertation fits the IEG’s European-history research profile.
2. Prepare the application in English or German, choosing your strongest language.
3. Develop a realistic six-to-12-month writing schedule.
4. Arrange both academic references before the portal opens.
5. Submit the IEG Mainz Phd fellowship online form through the portal linked in the official call.

Application Deadline: The expected last date to apply for the IEG Mainz Doctoral Fellowship is February 15, 2027, for a fellowship beginning from September 2027. Applicants should confirm the date when the official 2027 call is published.