Berkeley-Viadrina Research Fellowship

Logo of European University Viadrina

The European University Viadrina, a partner university of IES, is pleased to offer two grants for short-term (max. 5 months) research stays for UC Berkeley graduate students in all fields.

European University Viadrina is located on the German-Polish border in Frankfurt (Oder), near Berlin. The university stands out in Germany for its multidisciplinary research focus on the political, economic, social and cultural aspects of the transformation processes in Central and Eastern Europe, history and literature in the region, international migration, and the changing role of borders and orders -  all within the framework of an international research network covering both the EU and the US.

The scholarship has a duration of up to five months maximum. Students are encouraged to register for the full semester (5 months) in order to take advantage of the semester ticket and taking part in courses. Berkeley students can enroll at no cost in courses at Viadrina, as long as they fulfill the language requirements. However, shorter stays that focus exclusively on research are also possible. 

Students will need to make their own travel and housing arrangements. 

PLEASE NOTE: Grant recipients are expected to complete their research stay in residence at the designated partner university during the calendar year they applied for (not the end of the school year).

Award amount: The fellowship offered by the European University Viadrina is EUR 360/month that will be paid to each of the two selected Berkeley students upon arrival in Frankfurt/Oder. 

Eligibility: Open to UC Berkeley graduate students in all fields. Preference will be given to Berkeley candidates who can add to their application package written evidence (e-mail or letter by a Viadrina professor) that they have a faculty contact at Viadrina University. Interested applicants may contact international program coordinator Prof. Timm Beichelt (Beichelt@europa-uni.de) for help in identifying a faculty supervisor.

Application Instructions

Applicants must submit the following materials:

  1. A one-page application letter, including a 100-word (maximum) abstract of your research
  2. A research statement of approximately 1,500 words
  3. One letter of recommendation from a UC Berkeley faculty member; this letter should be sent to ies@berkeley.edu
  4. One short confirmation letter (or e-mail) from your research supervisor at European University Viadrina, indicating the duration of your stay
  5. A short CV (max 2 pages)

Deadline: March 1

For more information about the European University Viadrina, please contact the Department of International Affairs, Ms. Claudia Casiano-Perez and her team at Casiano@europa-uni.de

For additional information on this fellowship opportunity, please contact ies@berkeley.edu