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Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies
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Call for Nominations: Freiburg Research Collaboration Programme (FRESCO) 2026

The Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) is the University of Freiburg’s international research college with a very active research community. Since its creation in 2008, it acquired an international reputation for academic excellence. The Institute supports innovative research projects through individual and group fellowships.

FRESCO is the Freiburg Research Collaboration Programme via which the University of Freiburg intends to establish long-lasting, sustainable links between excellent researchers from Freiburg and leading researchers from outside Freiburg thereby strengthening the University’s overall research profile.

The Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies offers:

Contact

For further details please contact

johanna.bichlmaier@frias.uni-freiburg.de

Up to 8 fellowship months

awarded within the University of Freiburg’s key research areas

Nomination Deadline: 16 January 2026

Fellowship Period: 1 May until 31 Ocotber 2026

  • Fellowships are available to internationally renowned top scientists with at least four years of research experience after PhD
  • Candidates must be nominated by one of the University’s three key research areas via the respective speakers
  • Fellowships must last at least 1 month and no more than 2 months
  • Nomination and selection criteria:
    • Relevance for further development of the key research area
    • Academic excellence

Successful applicants will become FRIAS Fellows with all the corresponding rights and obligations for the requested funding period.
Since one of the aims of FRIAS is to foster cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary communication, presence at FRIAS is mandatory.

Application & Contact

It is strongly recommended that Freiburg researchers interested in nominating a candidate for a FRESCO Fellowship contact the FRIAS Executive Director Prof. Dr. Ralf von den Hoff (+49. 761. 203–973 17), the Managing Director Dr. Annette Doll (–973 50) or Dr. Johanna Bichlmaier in advance to prepare a nomination.

Application Documents:

  • Nomination letter by the key research area’s speaker (max. 2 pages): This letter should include information on:
    • research field,
    • topic,
    • short abstract of the planned collaboration,
    • academic excellence of the nominee,
    • added value of the cooperation for the key research area.
  • Commitment letter of the nominee (max. 2 pages) including envisaged schedule of the fellowship
  • CV and publication list of the nominee (max. 2 pages, most important publications)

Please note: Failure to adhere to the application document guidelines may result in the rejection of the application.

The FRESCO nomination has to be submitted in the form of one single PDF file to Dr. Johanna Bichlmaier by 16 January 2026.

About FRIAS

The Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) is the international research college of the University of Freiburg. It offers fellowships to outstanding scholars from all disciplines, providing them with the freedom and support to pursue their research in an inspiring, interdisciplinary environment.

FRIAS fosters intellectual exchange between international fellows and Freiburg researchers, strengthening the university’s global research network. As part of one of Germany’s leading research universities, FRIAS combines academic excellence with modern infrastructure, the freedom to focus fully on individual research, and supportive administrative assistance within a vibrant and collaborative scholarly community.