The Fedor Stepun Fellowship
For four years, the Fedor Stepun Fellowship has been successfully supporting postdoctoral researchers who are unable to continue their scientific work in their countries of origin as a result of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine or political persecution in authoritarian contexts. The programme is funded by the Zimin Foundation and implemented at Ruhr University Bochum in close cooperation with the RUB Research School.
The Research School is responsible for implementing the programme, supervising the fellows and integrating them into the research environment of the university and the University Alliance Ruhr.
The fellowship is strategically supported by the liaison office of the University Alliance Ruhr for Eastern Europe/Central Asia (OEZA).
The fellowship is aimed at postdoctoral researchers from all disciplines who are unable to continue their academic work in their countries of origin due to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine or as a result of political repression. This includes, in particular, Ukrainian scientists whose academic work has been interrupted by war and displacement, as well as researchers from Russia and Belarus who are subject to repression or persecution due to their scientific activities, public positioning or political stance. The programme offers them the opportunity to continue their research in an international and interdisciplinary environment at Ruhr University Bochum and within the University Alliance Ruhr.
Aim of the program
The fellowship offers a protected academic framework in which fellows can
- further develop their own research ideas,
- prepare funding and third-party funding applications for longer-term research projects,
- connect to the European academic system,
- stabilize their academic career in the long term.
During the funding phase, fellows receive support from the RUB Research School as well as from university advisory and support structures.
Fellowship at a glance
- Duration: 6 months
- Funding amount: 1,800 € per month
- Number of fellowships per year: up to 8
- Possible hosts: Professors / Principal Investigators of the UA Ruhr
- Ruhr University Bochum
- TU Dortmund University
- University of Duisburg-Essen
Applicants should indicate their desired host in the application form.
Direct contact with potential hosts is not intended.
Current call for applications 2026
The new application round for the Fedor Stepun Fellowship starts on March 1, 2026.
Application period
- March 1, 2026 - Opening of the call for applications
- April 19, 2026 - Application deadline
Start of the fellowship
- Online onboarding: July 2026
- Earliest possible start: August 2026
A later start (e.g. October) is possible, provided this is agreed with the respective host
Comments on the Fedor Stepun Fellowship
„In my view, the Fedor Stepun Fellowship has been one of the most important scholarship programmes in Germany for endangered academics from Central and Eastern Europe since 2022. Not only is it excellently funded and open to a relatively large number of academics per call for applications, but it also strikes the right balance and bridges the gap between the highly competitive requirements of the European higher education landscape and sustainable and substantial individual academic support.“
„The Fedor Stepun Fellowship enables exiled academics to contribute their expertise to the independent analysis of authoritarian knowledge systems and social developments in Eastern Europe. In times of war and repression, it strengthens critical engagement with Russian culture, history and the present day – beyond state censorship. In this way, academic freedom is not only protected, but also becomes effective as a contribution to European self-understanding.“
„The fellowship allowed me, first, to develop my own project on the study of reading practices, which existed only in draft form. Second, I got to know the German academic system and the system for funding science. And thirdly, the fellowship helped me to make many new connections with my colleagues and expanded my opportunities for collaboration, both in academia and as a volunteer.“
„The Fedor Stepun Scholarship was very important to me importance for me, as it not only provided financial support but also integration into the academic structures structures of the Ruhr University Bochum, intensive networking and the and the benefits of university affiliation. university affiliation. Especially against the background of the growing threat situation in Russia, the scholarship gave me the opportunity opportunity to anchor myself in the German academic landscape German academic landscape, to gain academic freedom of action and to find new colleagues“
„The scholarship makes a key contribution to the protection of academic freedom in Europe by enabling researchers from from Eastern Europe to continue their academic work in exile. continue their academic work in exile. It ensures their integration into academic contexts and thus keeps open the prospect of returning to the academic to return to the academic milieus of their their home countries“
„Our cooperation with the UA Ruhr universities is built on trust, shared values, and a clear common understanding of the program9s purpose. We are aligned in our commitment to academic freedom and to providing meaningful, not merely symbolic, support to scholars at risk. In practice, the collaboration is efficient and thoughtful, combining strong institutional expertise with flexibility and close attention to the fellows' needs.“