A scholarship that honours the life and work of an outstanding legal scholar who spent decades contributing to the field without ever receiving the recognition her work deserved. The Barbara Huber Scholarship Program invites exceptional academics from around the world to carry that spirit of rigorous, independent research forward — at one of Germany's most prestigious research institutions.
Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law is now accepting applications for the Barbara Huber Scholarship Program 2027 — awarding research fellowships for stays of two to six months in the fields of Criminology, Public Law, and Criminal Law.
About Barbara Huber
Barbara Huber was an outstanding legal scholar and recognised specialist in English law and the common law legal system. After studying in Freiburg, Munich, and Berlin, she completed her doctoral thesis on the criminalisation of attempt in German and American law — and immediately commenced employment at the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law in 1962. In today's academic landscape, a professorship or directorship at a Max Planck Institute would have been a natural path. In 1962, the situation for female scholars was different. This scholarship honours both her intellectual legacy and the barriers she navigated.
What Is This Fellowship?
The scholarship supports a research stay at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law for academics working on particularly innovative projects that contribute significantly to scientific progress in one of three subject areas:
📚 Criminology
⚖️ Public Law
🔒 Criminal Law
Each department may award one Barbara Huber Scholarship per calendar year.
Scholarship Amounts
💶 Doctoral candidates: €1,650 per month
💶 Postdocs: €2,700 per month
💶 Professors and experienced researchers: €3,200 per month
🎓 In addition to the monthly scholarship, a grant can also be awarded for expenses related to participation in academic events or further research activities in Germany or other European countries
🛡️ All scholarship holders must have health insurance and provide proof of adequate coverage.
Who Can Apply?
🔹 Outstanding academics from foreign research institutions
🔹 Working on particularly innovative research projects that contribute meaningfully to scientific progress
🔹 Through new perspectives, questions, or findings in Criminology, Public Law, or Criminal Law
🔹 From outside Germany — the programme is open to international researchers
Required Application Documents
📄 CV
📋 List of academic publications
📑 Up to three German or English publications (PDF)
📝 Description of the research project — 5 to 10 pages
Fellowship Duration
📅 2 to 6 months — research stay at the Max Planck Institute
Deadline
⏰ 31 May 2026 (Applications for the 2027 fellowship year must be submitted by 31 May of the previous year)
Apply & More Information
🌐 Official programme page: https://csl.mpg.de/en/barbara-huber-scholarship-program
📋 Application: https://safran.csl.mpg.de/job-postings/barbara-huber-forschungsstipendium
