Requirements
Applicants must have the following:

• either a university degree (equivalent to a Master's degree or diploma) with a high grade or outstanding artistic aptitude
• demonstrable professional artistic experience of at least three years at the time of application
• an artistic project centred around a dialogue and exchange with other artistic or scientific disciplines that is capable of being completed within two years and nevertheless has sufficient standing as an independent research project

Please note that we use the term "artistic" to describe all disciplines and practices that are at home in the four faculties/departments of the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) - Fine Arts, Design, Music and Performing Arts including the HZT and the JIB.
 

Dates and Deadlines
The next fellowship term (2023-25) is expected to start on 1 October 2023. Postponements due to the ongoing pandemic and resulting shifts in the programme are possible. The application period begins on 1 March 2023.

The application deadline for the first round is 11 April 2023, 23:59 (CET).
Should the jury select your application in the first stage you will be informed and invited to a selection interview by early May 2023.

The application deadline for the second round is 10 May 2023, 23:59 (CET).
Interviews are expected to take place in the second half of May 2023. Invitations to these interviews will be sent out in early May. Please make sure that you are reachable and available. You will be informed about the final result of your application by the beginning of June 2023.

Please note: the time of electronic receipt at the UdK Berlin rather than the time of submission of your application will be decisive for the purposes of meeting the deadline. As experience has shown that the transmission of applications, especially in the last hours before the deadline, takes longer due to overload, we would strongly advise making your application early on. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
 

Selection Procedure
The first round will be completed online. Please apply via the application form and upload the following documents as one PDF file (maximum 10 MB):

• CV
• Cover letter (maximum two A4 pages) addressing the following questions: How would your professional development benefit from a fellowship? What do you expect from the exchange between fellows in the Graduate School? How do you see your contribution to this forum? In which contexts do you situate your practice (artistic, social, historical)?
• Project description, preliminary time, cost, and financing plan (a maximum of four A4 pages in total, minimum font size 11)
• Copy of university degree certificate (equivalent to a Master's degree or diploma) or proof of outstanding artistic aptitude and special skills evidenced by at least three years of successful professional practice in the form of certificates or other documentary evidence
• Up to 3 samples of work from the applicant's own artistic practice (online cross-references are to be inserted as hyperlinks in the PDF).

The second round consists of selection interviews, which are conducted either online or in person. Applicants who are invited to the second round should fill in another form for the second round in advance. There you have the possibility to upload further supporting documents as one PDF file (maximum 10 MB):

• If applicable, a description of a teaching format planned at the UdK Berlin
• Information on possible cooperation partners for the project
• a reference from someone in a discipline relevant to the project (please provide the contact details of the referee)

Please note: Applications not submitted in due time and form cannot be considered.
 

Language of Application Documents
Applications can be made in German and in English. The language can be changed in the application form via the DE/EN button on the website.
However, the interviews will only be conducted in English as this is the working language among the fellows of the Graduate School.
 

File Formats
Please assemble your application documents into a single PDF file and add these to the application form using the field for the uploading of documents. Files sent by other means (e.g. Dropbox or WeTransfer) cannot be considered.
 

Confirmation of Receipt
You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt for the application form with the requested documents. However, this does not constitute a check of the completeness or content of your documents or of their timely receipt by the deadline.
 

Submission of Documents
Submission of individual documents is not permitted.
 

Letters of Recommendation
If you have letters of recommendation relevant to the project, you may submit them in the second round of the application procedure. Irrespective of this, you will be asked in the second round to provide the contact details of a referee from a discipline relevant to the project, who will be contacted by the jury if necessary.
 

Artistic University Degree
Your degree does not have to be in an artistic discipline. The subject of your university degree is not relevant for the scholarship. Nor is a university degree obtained at the UdK Berlin a prerequisite for the scholarship.
 

Professional Practice
Verifiable professional artistic experience of at least three years is a prerequisite for the award of a scholarship. Documents to be submitted for this purpose may include, for example: press articles, statements by curators, proof of participation in artistic projects or residency programmes, exhibition catalogues or other documents attesting to your professional artistic activity.
 

PhD Project
You can also apply with an ongoing PhD or dissertation project. However, the format and character of the two-year research project that you would like to realise within the framework of the graduate school must be clearly defined. Please also note that the graduate school scholarship is not an artistic PhD programme. Upon successful completion of the fellowship, fellows will receive a certificate conferring the title "Fellow of the Graduate School at the Berlin University of the Arts".
 

Applications from Curators/Art Critics
You can also apply with a background as a curator or art critic. However, you must clearly describe the format and character of your research project in your application: What artistic approaches are you pursuing? What will be the intended outcome of your project?
 

Applying as a Team
You can also apply as a team with a joint, collaborative project. To do so, please tick "Application as a team" in the application form. In this case, each person must fill in a separate application form and submit the complete application documents. Please note that when applying as a team, a full scholarship cannot be guaranteed for each of the persons involved.
 

Multiple Applications
Re-applications are also possible after rejection in the course of past selection procedures.
 

Application with Several Projects
Please focus your application on one project.
 

Nationalities
Your nationality is irrelevant when applying for a scholarship. You do not need EU citizenship to apply. Please note that if your application is accepted, the receipt of the scholarship requires you to be enrolled as a student at the UdK Berlin, i.e. from a purely formal point of view you gain student status and therefore need a student visa.
 

Age Limit
There is no age limit for applying for a fellowship from the Graduate School.
 

Location and Compulsory Attendance
From a purely formal point of view, it is possible to be enrolled at the UdK Berlin using an address outside of Berlin. However, scholarship holders are obliged to actively participate in the events of the Berlin Centre for Advanced Studies in Arts and Sciences (BAS) and the study programme of the graduate school, which requires regular attendance in Berlin. The Graduate School also offers studios/offices in the premises of the Graduate School, where the fellows can work on their projects (during the opening hours of the UdK Berlin).
 

Jury
The jury is appointed by the Joint Commission of the Berlin Centre for Advanced Studies in Arts and Sciences (BAS) and consists of representatives from the faculties of the UdK Berlin. The selection committee is interested in promoting the diversity of the group and thus of the Graduate School.

Graduation and Title
Upon successful completion of the fellowship period, fellows will receive a certificate conferring the title "Fellow of the Graduate School at the Berlin University of the Arts".
Please note: The completion of the fellowship is not an artistic PhD or similar.
 

Duration of Fellowship
As a rule, the fellowship is granted for 24 months at a time. The maximum funding period is 24 months. Fellowships cannot be extended beyond this.
 

Accompanying Study Programme
The accompanying study programme consists of several elements:

• Monthly "Jours Fixes" with the entire group, led by the visiting professor
• Individual studio visits by the visiting professor
• Event series "Salon für Ästhetische Experimente"
• Final event "Graduale"
• If applicabe, study trip to Sauen, Brandenburg
• If applicable, regular meetings with the individual supervisor
• Further events held by the Graduate School and the Berlin Centre for Advanced Studies in Arts and Sciences (BAS)
   

Studios
The Graduate School has 4 studio rooms/offices of different sizes at the Einsteinufer location, which are made available to the fellows for the duration of their fellowship.
 

Access to Facilities/Equipment of the UdK Berlin
Due to the large number of students at the UdK Berlin and the consistently high demand, access to the various workshops and laboratories is limited and must be planned in advance. We try to allow our fellows access to facilities outside the Graduate School, but regular teaching activities of the respective departments/faculties will always take priority.
 

Artistic Direction
The study programme is led by a visiting professor assigned to the Graduate School, who moderates the intensive exchange within the group of fellows. Fellows also have the the option of finding their own individual mentor from the UdK Berlin who will provide professional support for the project. The team at the Graduate School will be happy to advise you and assist you in making contact.
 

Remote/Online Participation
On-site activities are important to create and strengthen a sense of community and to promote a comprehensive (artistic) exchange among the fellows. However, the programme will try to respond as far as possible to the needs of the group or individuals in unforeseen circumstances.
 

Enrolment at the UdK Berlin
The payment of the fellowship grant requires that the fellows are enrolled at the Berlin University of the Arts. From a purely formal point of view, they attain student status.
 

Teaching
Fellows of the Graduate School have the opportunity to teach at the UdK Berlin during the fellowship period (subject to sufficient capacities). For example, the "Studium Generale" and the "Kollisionen" offer opportunities to try out different teaching formats. We also welcome jointly developed (interdisciplinary) teaching formats. Due to the payment of the monthly stipend, no additional remuneration can be received for teaching activities.
 

Fellowship Reports
All fellows are required to submit a semi-annual report on the progress of the project. Deadlines are 15 October and 15 April respectively.
 

Interruptions and Extensions
Illness or other serious reasons for absence, such as pregnancy, care or upbringing of a child, etc. of up to six weeks will have no effect on the fellowship payment. The Berlin Centre for Advanced Studies in Arts and Sciences (BAS) must be informed immediately of any longer-term absence. In this case, the fellowship can be interrupted for the duration of the period of unavailability (but without a later extension of the fellowship). The maximum funding period is 24 months.
 

Association
Alternatively, you may apply to become an associate member of the Graduate School. As an associate member, you would participate in the study programme of the Graduate School, belong to the cohort of fellows and can acquire the title "Fellow of the Graduate School". However, you will not receive a monthly stipend, but may apply for project funding and be remunerated for teaching activities at the UdK Berlin. The selection is made according to the same criteria as for the fellows by the jury of the Graduate School.

If you would like to apply as an associate member, please tick the appropriate box on the application form and indicate how you will finance your living expenses as well as the project during the period of association.
 

Accessibility
The Graduate School has a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunities. If you have any concerns about accessibility at the selection stage, please contact us immediately. The Graduate School premises in Einsteinufer are located on the 2nd floor and are accessible via lifts.
 

Languages
The working language among the fellows is English, the office languages are German and English. If your German is not sufficient, the Graduate School can help you find a suitable German course for which a financial contribution can be made.

Extent of Funding
The amount of the fellowship grant is 1,365€ per month plus 103€ for material costs.
 

Project Funding
For each fellowship year, the fellows have a sum of up to approximately €4,000 at their disposal for the realisation of their project.
Please note: Technical equipment purchased from the project fund remains the property of the Berlin Centre for Advanced Studies in Arts and Sciences (BAS) after the completion of the fellowship.
 

Access to Available Funds
Both the fellowship and the project budget are public funds and are therefore subject to strict conditions. Expenditure that has been incurred can only be reimbursed if previously applied for and supported by receipts.
 

Tax Liability
The stipend as well as the monthly material costs are tax-exempt under the provisions to § 3(44) EStG (German Income Tax Law).
 

Freelance Work
The fellowship is a full-time programme. Other employment is possible, but must be reported to the Chairperson of the Joint Commission of the Berlin Centre for Advanced Studies in Arts and Sciences (BAS). If necessary, the Joint Commission may decide on a reduction of the fellowship grant. As a rule, enrolled full-time students may not undertake paid work for more than 20 hours per week.

Housing
The team of the Graduate School/BAS is happy to support you with tips on how to cope with the practical challenges of daily life and work in Berlin. However, the fellows are generally responsible for themselves.

Unfortunately, the UdK Berlin does not have its own student dormitory. The student residences are managed for all Berlin universities by the Studierendenwerk.  

Please note that the housing situation in Berlin has worsened in recent years; affordable housing is becoming increasingly scarce. The Graduate School tries to support fellows as much as possible in their search for accommodation, for example by activating networks and (personal) contacts. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the success of this assistance as it depends on a number of different factors.

You can find a collection of useful links here.

Visa/Residence Permit for Non-EU Nationals
Please apply for a valid entry visa on your own responsibility and in due time. The International Office can help you with questions about the residence permit.

Child Allowance
For underage children or children still in education, a childcare allowance can be claimed. This amounts to 154€ per month for one child, 205€ for two children and 256€ for three or more children.

Pregnancies
In the event of pregnancy, the fellowship will continue to be paid during the protection periods specified by the Maternity Protection Act. Unfortunately, an extension of the fellowship beyond the period of 24 months is not possible.