External Calls for Proposal

The Stifterverband is once again inviting applications for the Ars legendi Award for Excellence in Higher Education Teaching. Endowed with €30,000, the award highlights the outstanding importance of university teaching in educating the next generation of academics. It also aims to create a strong career incentive for educators to engage in and advance excellent teaching beyond their own institution.

This year's call focuses on the theme "Teaching and Learning Writing in the Age of AI." The award recognizes a teacher at a German higher education institution, regardless of academic status, who has made an exceptional contribution through their teaching and commitment to fostering writing as a core academic competency in the context of generative AI.

Nominations may be submitted by faculties, academic departments, or student representative bodies. Self-nominations are also welcome.

Application deadline: 16 August 2026.

Further information on the application process, the full call for applications including submission guidelines, and background information on previous award recipients can be found hereExternal link.

How can higher education institutions embed Future Skills sustainably into teaching and learning? The Future Scouts fellowship programme, offered by the Stifterverband and the Reinhard Frank Foundation, is aimed at committed master's students and doctoral researchers who want to explore and develop answers to this question.

Over a period of twelve months, the fellows analyse national and international examples of good practice, develop practical recommendations, and actively contribute their insights to the ongoing discourse on higher education development. The programme focuses on the curricular integration of Future Skills, AI literacy, and innovative teaching and assessment formats.

Participants receive a fellowship of €5,000, benefit from a comprehensive support programme, and become part of a strong network spanning academia, industry, and civil society.

Application deadline: 31 July 2026.

Further information on the application process, the full call for applications including submission guidelines, and background information on previous fellows is available hereExternal link.

How can STEM degree programmes be designed to meet future challenges while attracting more young people to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics? Through Future Scouts MINTExternal link, the Stifterverband and the Ernst-Hellmut-Vits FoundationExternal link support committed master's students and doctoral researchers who want to contribute fresh ideas to the future development of STEM higher education.

Over the course of one year, the fellows explore current challenges and international developments in STEM education. They investigate innovative approaches, engage with experts, and develop practical recommendations on topics such as flexible learning pathways, societal trends, and international models for the future of STEM degree programmes.

In addition to a fellowship of €5,000, the programme offers a range of networking and professional development opportunities, as well as the chance to contribute to the higher education policy discourse.

Application deadline: 31 July 2026.

Further information on the application process, the full call for applications including submission guidelines, and background information on previous fellows is available hereExternal link.

Der Stifterverband lobt wieder den Ars legendi-Preis für exzellente Hochschullehre aus. Der mit 30.000 Euro dotierte Preis soll die besondere Bedeutung der Hochschullehre für die Ausbildung des akademischen Nachwuchses sichtbar machen und einen karrierewirksamen Anreiz schaffen, sich in der Hochschullehre zu engagieren und sie über den eigenen Wirkungsbereich hinaus zu fördern.

Die diesjährige Ausschreibung widmet sich dem Thema „Schreiben lehren und lernen in Zeiten von KI“. Der Preis wird an eine Lehrperson einer deutschen Hochschule verliehen, unabhängig von ihrer Statusgruppe, die in oder durch ihre Lehre und ihr Engagement im besonderen Maße dazu beiträgt, Schreiben als zentrale Kompetenz akademischer Bildung unter den Bedingungen generativer KI zu fördern.

Vorschläge können von Fakultäten und Fachbereichen oder den Fachschaften eingereicht werden. Eigenbewerbungen sind zulässig.

Bewerbungsschluss ist der 16. August 2026.

Nähere Informationen zum Bewerbungsverfahren, die vollständigen Ausschreibungsunterlagen inklusive Hinweisen zur Antragstellung sowie Hintergrundinformationen zu den bisherigen Preisträgerinnen und Preisträgern erhalten Sie hierExternal link.

Wie können Hochschulen Future Skills nachhaltig in Studium und Lehre verankern? Das Fellowship-Programm Future Scouts des StifterverbandsExternal link und der Reinhard Frank-StiftungExternal link richtet sich an engagierte Masterstudierende und Promovierende, die Antworten auf diese Frage entwickeln möchten.

Über einen Zeitraum von zwölf Monaten analysieren die Fellows nationale und internationale Praxisbeispiele, entwickeln Handlungsempfehlungen und bringen ihre Erkenntnisse aktiv in den Diskurs zur Hochschulentwicklung ein. Im Fokus stehen die Themen curriculare Verankerung von Future Skills, AI Literacy sowie innovative Lehr- und Prüfungsformate.

Die Teilnehmenden erhalten eine Förderung von 5.000 Euro, profitieren von einem vielfältigen Begleitprogramm und werden Teil eines starken Netzwerks aus Wissenschaft, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft.

Bewerbungsschluss ist der 31. Juli 2026.

Nähere Informationen zum Bewerbungsverfahren, die vollständigen Ausschreibungsunterlagen inklusive Hinweisen zur Antragstellung sowie Hintergrundinformationen zu den bisherigen Preisträgerinnen und Preisträgern erhalten Sie hierExternal link.

Previous tenders were as follows:

• Network Focus 2026 – Strengthening networks as drivers of innovation
• The world is my campus
• 'Freiraum 2026' - Foundation for Innovation in University Teaching
• 'Lehrarchitektur.' Shaping the university of the future
• 'Freiraum 2025' – Foundation for Innovation in University Teaching
• 'Freiraum 2023' – Foundation for Innovation in University Teaching
• 'Fokus Portale/Fokus Netzwerke' – Foundation for Innovation in University Teaching
• 'Freiraum 2022' – Foundation for Innovation in University Teaching
• Empowering University Teaching through Digitalisation

Previous tenders were as follows:

• eTeach free spaces in the eTeaching Network Thuringia
• Cooperative impulse projects in the eTeach network Thuringia 2024
• Cooperative impulse projects in the eTeach network Thuringia 2023
• Cooperative impulse projects in the eTeach network Thuringia 2022

Previous tenders in this area were as follows:

• Ars legendi prize for excellent university teaching 2025
• Ars legendi prize for excellent university teaching 2024
• Ars legendi prize for excellent university teaching 2023
• Ars legendi Faculty prize in Medicine
• Ars legendi Faculty prize in Mathematics and Natural science

Previous tenders in this area were as follows:

• Fellowships for Innovations in digital University Teaching 2025/26
• Fellowships for Innovations in digital University Teaching 2024/25
• Fellowships for Innovations in digital University Teaching 2023/24
• Fellowships for Innovations in digital University Teaching 2022/23
• Fellowships for Innovations in digital University Teaching 2021/22

Previous tenders in this area were as follows:

• MINTchallenge 2026
• MINTchallenge: expertise in sustainable development
• SMART qualifies 2022: MINT for digital world
• SMART qualifies: MINTplus - plusMINT

Previous tenders were as follows:

• Digital Education Area - FMER announcement on the development of a digital education platform
• Promotion of artificial intelligence in higher education (federal-state initiative)

Previous tenders were as follows:

• German Employer Award for Education 2025
• Futureversities: Strengthening universities as drivers of social transformation
• Data Literacy Learning Steps (Stifterverband)
• AI-Campus searches Teaching Fellows 
• Employer award for education 2022
• Room laboratories - Stifterverband and Dieter Schwarz Stiftung (Stifterverband)
• DigitalChangeMaker Fellowships (Stifterverband)
• 'Kolleg Didaktik:digital': Junior Fellwoships of the Joachim Hertz Stiftung
• Curricula of the future