Deadline: March 2, 2026
Applications are open for the Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) Fellowship 2026-2027. The Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) invites applications for eight residential fellowships for postdoctoral and advanced researchers in the humanities and social sciences for the period from September 2026 to April 2027.
Under the overall theme “Imagining Futures: Dealing with Disparity” MECAM is dedicated to a research agenda framed by five interrelated ‘Interdisciplinary Research Fields’ (IRFs): Aesthetics & Cultural Practice, Inequality & Mobility, Memory & Justice, Resources & Sustainability, and Identities & Beliefs. Applications should be related to the main theme and at least one of the IRFs. This call for applications is open to researchers from all countries, including Tunisia.
Benefits
- Travel and relocation costs will be compensated according to a “no gain/no loss” principle. A monthly stipend will be awarded for the duration of the fellowship according to the “no gain/no loss” principle.
Eligibility
Applications are welcome from postdoc and advanced researchers of all fields in the social sciences and humanities if:
- You are interested in discussing your research in the framework of MECAM’s main theme “Imagining futures: Dealing with disparity” with colleagues from the Maghreb, the Middle East, Europe, and other regions of the world.
- You want to engage in collaborative work, in debate and exchange with other researches working on topics related to the five IRFs.
- You are interested in revisiting your research from a different vantage point.
- You want to become part of a network of interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and transregional exchange and debate on disparity and the competing models for the future that co- exist in the societies of the contemporary Maghreb, Europe, and other parts of the world.
- This call for applications is open to researchers of all ages and genders from all countries, including Tunisia.
- Independent scholars and researchers without a current institutional affiliation are eligible to apply
- Please note that current PhD candidates (doctoral students) are not eligible to apply. The call is open to postdoctoral and advanced researchers only.
Application
As part of your application, you will be asked to prepare and upload:
- Curriculum vitae including publications (2-3 pages),
- Research proposal: Short abstract of your project (max. 1000 words),,
- One recent writing sample: journal article (published or forthcoming), book or thesis chapter.
In addition, during the application process you will be asked to write:
- A detailed explanation of how your research proposal is connected to the Maghreb region and aligns with MECAM’s guiding theme “Imagining Futures Dealing with Disparity” and at least one of its IRFs (1 2 pages), including a clear statement of how you intend to engage with MECAM during your fellowship, highlighting its significance for your academic career development, and what specific goals you aim to acco mplish during your fellowship,
- Names and contact details of two referees (university faculty members or practitioners in a field relevant to the applicant’s project; no letters of recommendation required)
MECAM assigns its partner institution, Forum Transregionale Studien in Berlin, with the processing of personal application data. Therefore, they kindly ask you to submit your application in English or French via the secure online application platform of the Forum Transregionale Studien by 2 March 2026, 12.30h CEST.
For more information, visit MECAM Fellowship.
