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Colorful graphic of a cloud with various scientific symbols, e.g., cells and chemical elements, dark background © UA Ruhr

Fully Funded Research Sabbaticals at CAIS in Bochum

The letters CAIS as if on a window sill with light from behind © CAIS
A fellowship at the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) provides the freedom to dedicate yourself to your research and the opportunity to join a vibrant interdisciplinary community. Step away from daily work routines to gain new perspectives and build lasting connections. CAIS College funds innovative projects that deal with the social opportunities and challenges of digital transformation, and develop perspectives for practice.

About CAIS 

CAIS was founded in November 2016 as an independent research college and has since April 2021 been expanded into an institute for digitization research that conducts its own research programs with an interdisciplinary team of scientists. Through its research, the center aims to understand the fascinating dynamics of the digital age and help shape it. Its sponsors include the Ruhr University Bochum, the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, the University Münster, the Bergische University Wuppertal, the TU Dortmund University, the GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Grimme Institute (Marl). CAIS is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Fellowships

Applicants must hold at least a Master’s degree or equivalent qualification and have a very good command of English. Fellows spend either six or three months in Bochum. During this period, CAIS finances their leave from work through compensation or grants. Individual offices and meeting rooms with modern facilities provide optimal working conditions. Comfortable apartments are provided free of charge. Fellows are members of the vibrant interdisciplinary research community at CAIS and of an international network of alumni, working groups, and affiliates. Regular joint activities foster academic and social exchange at the Center. These activities include breakfast on Tuesdays, colloquium and dinner on Wednesdays, as well as occasional workshops on Thursdays. Fellows can invite guests for collaboration and receive financial support for their research expenses. Fellowships of six months usually start in October or April. Fellowships of three months can start in October, January, April, or July. Exceptions are possible after consultation.

Funding and Facilities

The funding program is open to excellent scholars and practitioners, to all career stages, disciplines and areas of investigation, as well as to pure research and to projects that are more applied in orientation. Fellows should ideally be on sabbatical leave with a full salary. In that case, they will receive an additional grant of €600 per month. Alternatively, reimbursement for the costs of their salary or of a substitute can be paid within reasonable limits. Fellows with no regular income will receive a grant of €2,000 per month. Fellows with a regular income below €1,400 will be given a grant that covers the difference to the full grant. Fellows with a full or compensatory grant receive an additional payment of €100 per month for each child under the age of 18. Fellows are provided with private offices at CAIS and rent-free, fully furnished apartments. In addition, CAIS will cover travel expenses for one return-trip to Bochum. Alternatively, the center can cover the costs of a daily commute if the fellow lives close to Bochum.

Application process

You can apply for the regular open call, or for the special call "Futures of Work". The next deadline for applications is August 31, 2026. Results will be communicated until the end of January 2027. The earliest possible starting date for new fellowships is October 2027. For further details on the fellowships and application process, please see this link.

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