Rifs Fellow Programme: Call for Applications for 2026

The Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) at GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam conducts research with the aim of investigating, identifying, and advancing development pathways for transformations towards sustainability. Its research approach is transdisciplinary, transformative, and co-creative. The Institute cooperates with partners in science, political and administrative institutions, the business community, and civil society to develop solutions for sustainability challenges.

**RIFS Fellow Programme: Call for Applications for 2026 (f_m_x)**:
**Reference Number 10404**:
The Fellow Programme is among our defining features: each year, up to 20 people are invited from across the world to join the Institute. Working closely with our research groups, projects and other fellows, they pursue innovative ideas and topics to advance sustainability transformations. Supported by the Institute in their work and aspirations, fellows are invited to develop their ideas in a supportive international community drawn from all sectors of society. RIFS helps fellows to extend their networks at the national and international levels and provides organizational and financial support for their activities. Fellows will join an ever-growing network of over 300 former fellows from over 50 countries.

Fellowships are granted for between six and twelve months. In exceptional and well justified cases, they may be extended for up to 24 months. This decision will be made during the fellowship.

Fellows are granted a stipend during their time at RIFS. The exact amount is determined by the Fellow’s relative seniority and family circumstances. Please see our **FAQ section** for further details. Fellows may also be reimbursed for relocation and travel expenses (in

**Have we piqued your interest?**:

- **Letter of motivation (max. 2 pages)**:Please explain your motivation for undertaking a fellowship at RIFS, your expectations regarding our research, and how we can support your work. Please also specify the Research Theme and Groups that your proposed project would engage with.
- **CV and achievements (max. 3 pages combined)**: Your CV (max. two pages) should identify the key stations of your career. Please outline the key achievements of your professional life on a third page. Please refrain from providing personal information such as your age, marital status, number of children, nationality, photos or similar information.
- **Project proposal (max. 5 pages)**:Please describe your planned project, including specific activities and outputs. Proposals should be structured as follows: (1) title, (2) abstract (max. 300 words), (3) description of work, including intended outputs/results, (4) time plan and estimated budget. Please do not include your name or any other personal information in this document, as your proposal will be submitted for external review (see further below).

**All documents must be submitted in English.**

**Applications not conforming to the above may be rejected.**

RIFS holds two **webinars**to provide additional guidance for applicants. These will take place on **12th May 2025**and **26th May 2025** and will also be announced on our website. Please check our **FAQ and our overview video on the FAQ** site before joining the webinars, as they may provide most answers already.

‘Diversity in perspectives’ is a high value for us. As an integral part of supporting diversity at our centre, we actively promote women in science and in leadership positions. We among others do this through our gender equality plan and the cascade model measures which we actively implement to enable sustainable equal opportunities in academic career paths. We are thus committedly strives for gender equality in science, including in leadership positions, and strongly encourages women to apply.

The Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ (RIFS) conducts research with the aim of investigating, identifying, and advancing development pathways for transformation processes towards sustainability in Germany and abroad. The institute was founded in 2009 as the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) and has been affiliated with the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences under its new name since the 1st of January 2023 and is thus part of the Helmholtz Association.