CATS Fellowships 2026/2027

The Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS) at Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), the Berlin-based German Institute for International and Security Affairs, is offering fellowships to post-doctoral researchers, think tank members, and practitioners working on Turkey-related issues. Researchers who have not yet completed their PhD but have a solid track record in Turkey-related research may apply, too.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineApril 30, 2026
• Study LevelPostdoctoral Fellowships
• SponsorThe Centre for Applied Turkey Studies
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• Fellowships will be granted for a period of six to twelve months, starting in September 2026 at the earliest.
• Fellows are expected to reside in Berlin for the duration of their fellowship (except during planned research trips) and will receive a monthly grant of €3,000 as well as a budget for research trips.
• Travel costs to and from Berlin at the beginning and end of the fellowship will be covered separately by CATS.
• If a Fellow is accompanied by children for the duration of the fellowship period, additional support will be available.

Requirements

Applications will be evaluated by a committee consisting of CATS team members and selected experts from the SWP and the partner institutions of the CATS Network. The committee will place particular emphasis on the following criteria:

• Academic and professional merit based on the applicant’s publications and work experience;
• Academic and political relevance to the research fields identified above;
• Coherence and feasibility; and
• Value of the project’s public outreach dimension. 

In the case of applications of equal merit, preference will be given to applicants who have not previously received CATS funding.

Application Documents

Applications must be submitted in the form of a single PDF document containing the following (in the specified order) in English or German:

•  A cover letter;
• A written proposal describing the applicant’s research topic (five pages maximum, 2 cm margin, 1.5 spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font). This proposal must include:
  • A discussion of the research/project topic, relevant research questions/project objectives, and an explanation of the academic and policy relevance of the project
    • An overview of the state of research in the field
    • An overview of the theoretical and methodological approaches
    • A bibliography
• A CV that includes a list of academic publications; and
• Copies of relevant academic transcripts and/or diplomas (no translations required). 

Check also:
2026 Fully Funded Humboldt Research Fellowship
2026 Konrad Adenauer Foundation Scholarship

Application Deadline

How To Apply

• Please email your application as a single PDF document to [email protected] (CATS Fellowship applications only). Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

For more information, kindly visit the CATS webpage.