Are you an MA graduate planning to do or already pursuing a PhD in linguistics or a related field? Would you like to spend a few months doing linguistic research with us in Berlin? Do you have an idea for a project, a study or an interesting collaboration related to the CRC? Apply for a short-term grant of up to 12 months in 2026!
The Collaborative Research Center (CRC or in German SFB) 1412 'Register: Language Users’ Knowledge of Situational-Functional Variation’ is a joint research project of the Humboldt-University Berlin (HU) and the Leibniz-Centre General Linguistics (ZAS). Eighteen sub-projects investigate intra-speaker variation driven by situational and functional factors at all language levels: https://sfb1412.hu-berlin.de/.
The integrated Graduate Project of the CRC (MGK) offers a number of short-term fellowships for the year 2026. Please read the conditions and information about the scholarship carefully before you apply.

Requirements
- Enrollment in a PhD program or MA degree or equivalent (not yet a doctorate)
- The earliest entry date for the scholarship is January 1, 2026; the maximum duration of the scholarship is 12 months.
- The fellowship can be used to carry out a self-contained research project on the topic of the CRC. However, proposed projects should be carried out within one of the 18 CRC sub-projects. Before submitting the application, the PI(s) of the selected project must be contacted to confirm their involvement. We recommend sending the prepared project proposal to the relevant PI(s) in good time to allow sufficient time for an assessment.
- Previous recipients of CRC-1412 fellowships are not eligible for this stipend.

Please understand that applications that do not fulfill these conditions cannot be considered. A committee of nine CRC researchers will select the scholarship holders. The quality and feasibility of the planned project, the applicant's research profile, and how well they fit with the CRC's research topic will be decisive factors.

Your application
Applications must be submitted via e-mail and include the following items:
- A letter of intent stating the following
-- A project description of max. 3 pages including: title of the project, nature of your interest in the scholarship, your work plan and research goals for the time of the scholarship, the CRC sub-project and name of the PI(s) who have confirmed the affiliation, requested start date and duration of the fellowship (max. 12 months);
-- your contribution to the diversity goal of the CRC, if any;
-- the names and e-mail addresses of at least two scholars to be contacted for letters of recommendation.
- a CV including a complete list of qualifications and publications;
- the MA certificate or/and a letter of enrollment in a PhD program, any other relevant transcripts and degree certificates in electronic form;
- electronic copies of up to two representative writing samples.

Please send the application as a single PDF file to [email protected].

Important information about the scholarship
- The scholarship is tax-free and amounts to €1,468 per month. Scholarship holders must either take out health insurance or provide proof of existing insurance cover.
- There is the possibility of receiving a child allowance as well as additional funds for soft skills workshops, travel and experiments.
- The fellows are expected to participate in the training opportunities of the CRC, in particular the colloquium, methods schools, retreats, and peer-to-peer networking events.
- Please note that we cannot cover travel costs or provide university accommodation.
- During this time, the scholarship holders are members of the HU or ZAS. The place of work is Berlin.
- Additional income / further scholarships must be declared. Any income will be deducted from the scholarship.

The Integrated Graduate Project aims to strengthen the diversity of the CRC, so members of groups traditionally underrepresented in German academic leadership positions are especially encouraged to apply.

Application Deadline: 1 October 2025
Email address for questions and applications: [email protected]

Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics