Scholarship Programme

The BBF Scholarship Programme offers twice-a-year opportunities for research stays at the BBF to conduct on-site research with the library and archival collections.

As an institute for historical research, the BBF is dedicated to research German educational history in its international context. In particular, the BBF focuses on social and cultural historical aspects concerning the history of schools and other educational institutions in the 19th and 20th centuries and on the history of pedagogical and educational discourses and their epistemological conditions.

With its library and archival collections, the BBF provides a comprehensive academic infrastructure for research projects in the history of education. In doing so, it sees itself as a forum for internationally oriented academic discussion and aims to serve as a platform for exchange and networking.

One of BBF's major goals is to promote research with its outstanding library and/or archive holdings. Therefore, it awards scholarships, especially to young academics, for research stays in Berlin to conduct research with these collections on site.

What We Offer

At our institute, you will have the opportunity to benefit from our comprehensive library and archive collections on the history of German education in a pleasant working atmosphere with your own workspace in the science city of Berlin. At the same time, you will be personally supervised by BBF staff and supported in your academic matters. We are also happy to help you with organizational questions. In addition, the cooperation between the BBF and the Humboldt University of Berlin gives you the opportunity to present your work in this context.

In order to flexibly adapt the scholarship to your needs, the duration and endowment of the scholarschip depends on the scope and nature of your scientific project. Please suggest a period of up to three months that seems appropriate to you. If you do not require a full scholarship, it is also possible to apply for a partial scholarship for a maximum period of three months.

Alternatively, you can apply for travel expenses only for a certain period of time if you plan to travel to Berlin more frequently but do not want to stay there.

You may apply for a period of up to three month. The maximum amount of financial support is:

  • Scholarship: 1000 €/month
  • Material means: 50 €/month

Who May Apply?

To be eligible to apply for a BBF scholarship, you must have a scientific qualification and, ideally, have already made scientific contirbutions. More precisely, the scholarship is primarily aimed at doctoral students and postdocs. In exceptional cases, funding will be granted for graduate students in the final stages of their studies if they wish use our comprehensive collections to complete their thesis. Part of the scholarship is a written report and a public lecture that you submit or give at the end of your stay at the BBF.

The decision on the award is made by a committee, which also includes external academics. Reasons for the award or rejection will not be given. There is no legal claim to be granted a scholarship.

Application Deadlines

To apply for a scholarship between July and December complete documents need to be submitted by March 31st. Submission for a scholarship between January and June of the following year terminates on September 30th.

Application Form

Are you interested? Please find the application form for download here:

Please attach the following documents to the completed application form:

  • a curriclum vitae
  • an appraisal by your research supervisor
  • a list of your (academic) publications
  • photocopies of university certifications proving your qualifications/degrees
  • a detailed presentation of your project, either in German or English (three or four pages) giving reasons and objectives for your project, explanation of procedure and method, presentation of required sources from the BBF, description of work that has already been achieved, possible opportunities for cooperation with other researchers.

Please send your application via e-mail (summarized in a single PDF document) to:

Professor Dr. Sabine Reh (YmJmc3RpcGVuZGl1bUBkaXBmLmRl), Director of the BBF | Bibliothek für Bildungsgeschichtliche Forschung at the DIPF, Warschauer Straße 34–38, 10243 Berlin, Germany. Please contact Dr. Tilman Drope, if you require any further information.