LMU-UCB Research in the Humanities

Visiting professors at LMU will be given the opportunity to dedicate their time largely to their own research projects and to collaborative projects with LMU faculty. They will be asked to present their research at LMU in a public lecture. In addition, depending on the length of stay, visiting professors are encouraged to contribute to teaching by co-teaching a seminar for graduate or postgraduate students or a lecture series.

Lectures by visiting professors from UCB can be given at the Center for Advanced Studies at LMU.

Visits may vary from three to nine months depending on individual needs and interests. Visiting professors are hosted by LMU faculty.

Visiting professorships are open to tenured and tenure-track UCB faculty in the humanities and humanistic social sciences.

• For the duration of the visit, LMU offers funding for accommodation and living expenses in Munich. LMU will also provide assistance with accommodation. In addition, funding for research expenses and research assistance (student workers only) may also be available.
• Travel expenses up to 1,500 USD provided by UCB.

The following documents must be submitted with the application:

• Research project description with preference with regard to presentation of research of three to five pages
• Curriculum vitae and list of publications
• Invitation letter from a research partner at LMU with whom the applicant has established contact (LMU host)
• Preferred period of stay in 2026
• Please also fill out and upload the following questionnaire (PDF, 45 KB)

Applications for the visiting professorship must be submitted by the LMU host through the application portal.

Preference will be given to Berkeley faculty who can demonstrate that Munich is a relevant location for their research and who have research partners at LMU.

For further information, please refer to the Q&A with UCB Professor Ian Duncan and Professor Sophie Volpp who participated in the program as visiting professors at LMU.

Visiting professors at UCB will be given the opportunity to dedicate their time largely to their own research projects and to collaborative projects with UCB faculty. They will be asked to present their research at UCB in the form of a public lecture. Depending on the length of stay, visiting professors are encouraged to contribute to teaching by co-teaching a seminar for graduate or postgraduate students or a lecture series.

Visits may vary from two weeks to six months depending on individual needs and interests. Visiting professors are hosted by UCB faculty.

Visiting professorships are open to tenured LMU faculty in the participating LMU departments. LMU applicants may apply to UCB departments, programs, and centers in the arts and humanities and humanistic social sciences within the College of Letters and Science.

• For the duration of the visit, UCB offers funding for accommodation and living expenses in Berkeley.
• LMU provides funding for travel expenses up to 1,500 euros. Visitors are also provided funding for university and visa fees processed by UCB.

The following documents must be submitted with the application:

• Research project description of three to five pages
• Curriculum vitae and list of publications
• Invitation letter from a research partner at UCB with whom the applicant has established contact (UCB host)
• Preferred period of stay in 2026
• Please also fill out and upload the following questionnaire (PDF, 45 KB)

Preference will be given to LMU faculty who can demonstrate that Berkeley is a relevant location for their research and/or who have research partners at UCB.

Visiting professors at UCB are appointed as visiting scholars in the academic department corresponding to the UCB faculty host. Please refer to the following information regarding health insurance requirements applicable to visiting scholars: https://vspa.berkeley.edu/resources/be-well/vsvsr-benefits.

Doctoral candidates and postdocs at LMU can apply for funding of a research stay at UCB. Researchers will have the opportunity to present their projects to the relevant reading groups/colloquia at UCB.

A fundamental funding criterion is that the applicant is supervised at LMU (“Erstbetreuung an der LMU”). The research project must be at an advanced stage. The applicant must have LMU doctoral candidate or postdoc status at the time of application or during the research stay at UCB.

• Doctoral candidates are funded for up to three months: daily allowance and accommodation up to 2,700 euros per month.
• Postdocs are funded for up to six months: daily allowance and accommodation up to 3,500 euros per month.
• Travel expenses (flight plus airport transfer) up to 1,100 euros
• Visa and university fees at UCB, limited to a maximum of 2,500 euros

Travel costs will be reimbursed by LMU in accordance with the Bavarian Travel Expenses Act (Bayerisches Reisekostengesetz).

• Research project description of three to five pages, as well as previous studies and research work relevant to the proposed project. Detailed information about the research context at UCB in which the project will be presented
• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of recommendation from a professor at LMU
• Invitation letter from a tenured professor at UCB who agrees to serve as the faculty host.
• Signed declaration of consent (please fill out and upload the following document (PDF, 108 KB)).

In addition to the qualifications of the applicant and their research project, it is important that the project be received with interest at UCB. Contact with faculty at UCB is therefore essential.

Doctoral candidates and postdocs at UCB are appointed in a visiting academic title (visiting student researcher, scholar, or postdoc) in the academic department corresponding to the UCB faculty host. Please refer to the following information regarding health insurance requirements applicable to visiting scholars: https://vspa.berkeley.edu/resources/be-well/vsvsr-benefits.

Academic contact for this program component at LMU

Prof. Dr. Martin Schulze Wessel
Professor of Eastern European History
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Doctoral candidates and postdoctoral fellows at UCB can apply for a research stay of up to three months at LMU. Researchers will have the opportunity to present their projects to the relevant reading groups/colloquia at LMU.

Applicants must be UCB graduate students who have advanced to candidacy or be postdoctoral fellows appointed at UCB at the time of application or during the research stay at LMU. The research project must be at an advanced stage.

• The LMU-UCB Research in the Humanities program may provide modest funds for accommodation and living expenses to supplement existing doctoral candidate stipend if not fully funded in the home department at UCB.
• For postdoctoral fellows, no additional funding is awarded for accommodation and living expenses in excess of fellowship salary from UCB.
• Travel expenses (flight plus airport transfer) up to 1,500 USD provided by UCB.

• Research project description of three to five pages, as well as previous studies and research work relevant to the proposed project. Detailed information about the research context at LMU in which the project will be presented.
• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of recommendation from a professor at UCB
• Invitation letter from a tenured professor at LMU who agrees to serve as the faculty host.

In addition to the qualifications of the applicant and their research project, it is important that the project be received with interest at LMU. Contact with faculty at LMU is therefore essential.

Academic contact for this program component at UCB

Prof. Dr. Debarati Sanyal
Professor French; Zaffaroni Family Chair
UC Berkeley

To promote new and innovative research areas within the humanities, LMU and UCB researchers are invited to submit joint proposals for workshops and/or conferences. Applicants can also request funding for a series of workshops that take place over a period of up to two years.

Eligible applicants from LMU are postdocs or professors employed at LMU on a fixed-hour basis. Applications from doctoral students are also welcome. Applicants must establish a collaboration with research partners at UCB. Therefore, existing contact with UCB researchers is a prerequisite.

Eligible applicants from UCB are faculty members in the arts and humanities and humanistic social sciences. Existing contact with LMU researchers is a prerequisite.

LMU can support conferences and workshops conducted jointly by researchers from LMU and UCB with funding of up to 20,000 euros.

UCB can support conferences and workshops conducted jointly by researchers from LMU and UCB with grants of up to 8,000 USD.

Applicants can apply to either institution for funding workshops/conferences.

Please note that with regard to travel expenses and accommodation, in general, the sending institution covers the cost of travel and accommodation of its employees and the host institution covers the cost of catering. Therefore, please bear in mind that travel expenses and accommodation of UCB researchers traveling to LMU need to be claimed at UCB. Likewise, travel expenses and accommodation of LMU researchers traveling to UCB need to be claimed at LMU.

Conferences at UCB:

• Travel and accommodation for LMU researchers is funded by LMU. Please note that daily allowance cannot be claimed under this funding line.
• Conference catering is funded by UCB.

Conferences at LMU:

• Travel and accommodation for UCB researchers is funded by UCB.
• Conference catering is funded by LMU. Select expenses in Munich (e.g., student assistance) fundable upon request.

Please refer to the budget template provided in the application portal for guidance on institutional rates and format.

A single application should be submitted by the LMU research partner, to include the following documents:

• Description of the conference or workshop (maximum 3 pages), including the expected outcome and planned timeline.
• Curricula vitae of the cooperating partners at LMU and UCB
• List of planned project participants (in particular, name and position/rank of persons for whom travel expenses are to be reimbursed). The application must indicate at least one faculty member from Berkeley and one from LMU.
• Budget plan, justifying the funds required and indicating other sources of funding (if applicable)
• For doctoral candidates: letter of recommendation from the LMU or UCB supervisor

Funding is available for so-called “short-term research workshops” (small-scale, bilateral research workshops) conducted by researchers from LMU and UCB. This offers LMU scholars the opportunity to expand existing research contacts and/or investigate the potential for future collaboration with UCB. It is meant to serve as seed funding for joint research projects. One proposal can provide funding for up to two short-term research workshops with up to three researchers per workshop.

Eligible applicants are postdocs or professors employed at LMU on a fixed-hour basis. Applications from doctoral students are also welcome.

• Funding of up to 3,000 euros per person includes reimbursement for a stay of up to three weeks by LMU researchers at UCB (minimum length of 7 days).
• Reimbursement of flight up to 1,100 euros (economy class) as well as transfer to/from the airport, hotel costs up to 182 euros/night and daily allowance.

• Description of the short-term research workshop(s) (maximum 3 pages), including the expected outcome and planned timeline.
• Curricula vitae of the cooperating partners at LMU and UCB
• List of planned project participants (in particular, name and position/rank of persons for whom travel expenses are to be reimbursed). The application must indicate at least one faculty member from Berkeley and one from LMU.
• Budget plan, justifying the funds required and including other sources of funding (if applicable)
• For doctoral candidates: letter of recommendation from the LMU or UCB supervisor