Bridge Scholarships

The Cluster of Excellence “Imaginamics: Practices and Dynamics of Social Imagining” is awarding three bridge scholarships in the 2026/2027 academic year to support outstanding Master’s graduates in their transition to doctoral studies.
The bridge scholarships are designed to support early-career researchers in their transition from Master’s to doctoral studies by providing them with financial resources to refine research proposals, gain research experience and bridge funding gaps.
Eligibility for funding requires above-average academic performance with a Master’s degree from the University of Jena (FSU Jena) or from universities participating in the Cluster of Excellence, as well as a keen interest in the research questions within the Cluster of Excellence’s field. The proposed PhD topic should have a clear thematic connection. A willingness to actively participate in interdisciplinary cluster activities is expected.
The “Imaginamics” Cluster of Excellence is an externally funded, cross-faculty research initiative at Friedrich Schiller University Jena that examines the phenomenon of social imagining from an interdisciplinary perspective. Unlike previous approaches, which have mostly been content-oriented, the cluster focuses on the process of social imagination and the associated practices and dynamics. Further information on the Cluster of Excellence can be found at www.uni-jena.de/imaginamics de.

What we expect

• The cluster awards grants to bridge the gap between the completion of a Master’s degree and the start of a PhD. These grants enable outstanding graduates to develop ideas for dissertation projects. The following is expected of scholarship holders: 1) Literature review (4 pages) by the 3rd month of funding, 2) Research proposal (6–12 pages) by the 7th month of funding, 3) Presentation of the dissertation project as part of the cluster’s activities by the 12th month of funding (for a funding period of 12 months).
• Regular attendance (usually Tue–Thu) in Jena and active participation in research seminars and working groups are required.
• The basis for the application is an excellent Master’s degree (grade 1.0–1.9), obtained no more than 15 months prior to the application deadline. If a degree certificate is not yet available, a suitable provisional document and a statement from the supervisor are required. The Master’s thesis must have been submitted by the end of the application deadline. A prerequisite for the start of the scholarship is the availability of the degree certificate upon signing the scholarship contract.
• A good command of German and English is regarded as essential for active collaboration within the working contexts of the Cluster of Excellence.

What we offer

• The Bridge Scholarships provide a monthly grant of €1,500 for a period of 6 to a maximum of 12 months. A funding period of 12 months is recommended. The scholarship holders are scheduled to join the cluster on 1 October 2026.
• Fellows will be admitted to the “Imaginamics“ Research School and will benefit from all the training and further education opportunities offered by the graduate school.
• At the start of the funding period, all fellows will be offered the opportunity for an individual introductory consultation.
• Peer feedback on the literature review and research proposal is provided as part of the Research School’s fortnightly research seminar.
• In the 10th month of the funding period, scholarship holders may attend an evaluation and consultation meeting with the Research School’s management to discuss perspectives within the Cluster of Excellence.

To apply, please submit the standard documents (cover letter, CV, certificates, transcripts) in a single, searchable PDF file.
Please also attach a writing sample as a separate (searchable) PDF file (term paper, BA thesis, MA thesis, etc.) and a description of your doctoral research proposal (topic, research question, disciplinary background, max. 2 pages) in German or English.

Please send your application by 11 June 2026 to researchschool-imaginamics@uni-jena.de.
If you have any questions about the application process, please don’t hesitat to contact us at lena.dallywater@uni-jena.de.  

Selection will be made by a selection committee. Interviews are expected to take place in early July 2026 (calendar weeks 27/28).

Download Call for Applicationspdf, 218 kb · de