Digital Humanism Fellowship 2026–2027: €3,300 Monthly Stipend for Researchers in Vienna

The Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna has opened applications for the Digital Humanism Fellowship for the 2026–2027 academic year. The program offers an opportunity for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers from a wide range of academic disciplines to spend three months in Vienna developing research on the relationship between technology, society and human values.

The fellowship is part of the IWM’s Digital Humanism Program, which examines how digitalization is transforming society and how technological development can remain aligned with universal human rights and social well-being.

What is Digital Humanism?

Digital Humanism focuses on the complex interaction between technology and humankind. The program seeks research that not only analyzes technological change but also explores ways to influence it in order to build a better society.

The fellowship is open to researchers from all academic disciplines, provided that their projects address relevant questions surrounding digitalization.

Potential research areas may include the societal, economic and geopolitical consequences of digital technologies, as well as other topics connected to the humanities and social sciences.

Importantly, the program is not the same as Digital Humanities. Applications that simply use digital tools or new technologies to conduct research in the humanities will not be considered. Applicants are expected to study the broader relationship between digitalization and society.

Three-Month Fellowship in Vienna

Selected candidates will spend three consecutive months at the IWM in Vienna between February and June 2027 as Digital Humanism Junior Visiting Fellows.

The fellowship period will coincide with the presence of the Senior Digital Humanism Visiting Fellow, allowing participants to become part of an international community of scholars.

During their stay, fellows will have access to:

• Office space at the IWM;
• Internet access;
• In-house research facilities;
• Administrative services;
• The IWM community of scholars;
• Academic and institutional activities organized by the Institute.

These facilities and services are provided free of charge.

Fellowship Stipend

The monthly financial support depends on the applicant's academic status:

Postdoctoral researchers:
€3,300 per month

Researchers currently pursuing a doctoral degree:
€2,750 per month

The stipend is intended to cover the fellow's expenses during the research stay. Fellows are responsible for paying for accommodation, travel to and from Vienna, health insurance, utilities, local transportation, telecommunications and research-related expenses such as books and conference fees.

Who Can Apply?

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Be currently enrolled in a doctoral program; or
• Have obtained a PhD no more than four years before the application deadline.

For the 2026 call, postdoctoral applicants must have received their PhD on or after 21 September 2022.

Applicants should also note that:

• Only one fellowship application may be submitted by the same candidate during the academic year.
• Applicants who have previously received an IWM fellowship must wait three academic years before applying again.

Application Requirements

Applications must be submitted through the online application form. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Candidates must provide:

1. Letter of motivation explaining how the fellowship at the IWM would benefit the project, how the project relates to the IWM's mission and research, and what concrete research or writing goals the applicant plans to achieve during the fellowship.
2. Project description of no more than 550 characters, including spaces.
3. Project proposal of no more than 7,500 characters, including spaces, covering:
   • Project objectives;
   • Current state of research;
   • Research methods;
   • Work plan.
4. Curriculum vitae, including a list of publications.
5. Two letters of recommendation from scholars familiar with the applicant's academic work.

The recommendation letters must be submitted directly by the recommenders before the application deadline. After the applicant submits the application, the recommenders will automatically receive an email containing a link to an online form.

All application materials must be prepared in English.

Important PDF Requirement

All attached application documents must be combined into a single PDF file, as the online application form allows only one attachment.

Applicants should also make sure that file names contain Latin characters only.

Application Deadline

The deadline to apply is:

21 September 2026 at 23:59 CEST

Applicants interested in the fellowship should therefore begin preparing their research proposal and contacting potential referees well before the deadline.

Selection Process

Applications that satisfy both the formal requirements and the thematic criteria will be evaluated by a jury of experts.

Finalists will be selected by the jury, and applicants will be informed of the decision by email by:

30 November 2026

The jury is not required to publicly explain its decisions or provide individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Cooperation Partner

The Digital Humanism Fellowship is funded by the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure of the Republic of Austria.

The fellowship provides an excellent opportunity for early-career researchers interested in questions surrounding digitalization, technology, human rights, society, economics and geopolitics to develop their research within an international academic environment in Vienna.

Key Facts

Program: Digital Humanism Junior Visiting Fellowship
Academic year: 2026–2027
Location: Vienna, Austria
Fellowship duration: 3 consecutive months
Fellowship period: February–June 2027
Postdoctoral stipend: €3,300/month
Doctoral stipend: €2,750/month
Eligible disciplines: All academic disciplines, provided the research fits the Digital Humanism focus
Application language: English
Deadline: 21 September 2026, 23:59 CEST
Decision: By 30 November 2026

Researchers interested in the intersection of technology and society should carefully review the eligibility requirements and prepare their application before the deadline.

Official information and applications: Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) – Digital Humanism Program.

https://www.iwm.at/calls/digital-humanism-fellowship