Research Fellowships in Asian-Pacific History

Fellowship program at the German Historical Institute Washington's Pacific Office in Berkeley

The GHI's Pacific Office awards research fellowships in Asian-Pacific history to doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars from Europe, Asia, Oceana, and North America to pursue research projects that draw upon primary sources principally located in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are particularly interested in research projects in the following fields: 

• Asian history, broadly defined

• History of the Pacific Rim, including Western expansion to the Pacific

• History of Trans-Pacific relations

The proposed research projects should make use of historical methods and engage with the relevant historiography. The fellowships are usually granted for periods of three to four months.

The fellows will be based at the Pacific Office of the German Historical Institute Washington, which is located on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The central responsibility of the GHI | PRO is to foster international and interdisciplinary networks of scholars and help researchers take better advantage of the rich research opportunities on the West Coast. Fellows will benefit from an interdisciplinary scholarly community on the Berkeley campus as well as the world class research resources in the Bay area. They will contribute to the intellectual life at the Berkeley office, learn from (and support) other researchers in residence, and help raise the GHI | PRO’s standing and profile.

The fellowship is open to both doctoral and postdoctoral scholars based in North America, Asia, and Europe. While the GHI's Pacific Office will consider applications by exceptional doctoral students, it will prioritize postdoc (“second book”) projects. The GHI will not provide funding for preliminary research, manuscript composition, or the revision of manuscripts. The monthly stipend is €2,000 for doctoral students and €3,600 for postdoctoral scholars. In addition, fellowship recipients will receive travel assistance for their round-trip airfare to the San Francisco Bay Area.

The deadline for the fellowships is May 1 for fellowships starting the following calendar year (in either the spring or the fall semester). Any questions concerning the fellowship, or the application process may be directed to fellowships@ghi-dc.org.

Eligibility Requirements

• Applicants should be based at (or recent graduates of) a North American, Asian, or European university or research institute.

• For doctoral students, ABD status will be required before starting the fellowship.

• For postdoctoral scholars, the preference is for projects that are designed for a “second book” (Habilitation or equivalent).

• The proposed project should require primary research in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Find the call and application form here.

Find the call and application form here.