Friedrich Schiedel Fellowship for Technology in Society

Beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, we seek fellows from diverse backgrounds who are dedicated to address societal challenges by developing approaches to advance the  public good. Together with our fellows, we want to explore how we can employ emerging technologies for the benefit of society, and ensure that emerging technologies are developed responsibly, human-centered, and democratically.

With their translational research at the intersection of technology and society, accepted fellows will be agents of interdisciplinary collaboration, building new and bolstering existing bridges between social sciences and natural sciences, engineering, life sciences, economics, health sciences, and medicine at TUM.

Core Objectives of the Fellowship Program

• Empowering Innovators:We provide a platform for creative, forward-thinking researchers who are dedicated to creating positive social impact through innovative projects.
• Fostering Collaboration: By enabling active collaboration across disciplines, we support our fellows in finding interdisciplinary solutions to today’s complex societal challenges.
• Creating Public Interest Technology: Our fellows are committed to developing technologies that enhance the public good, working within a community dedicated to collective impact.

Designed to echo Friedrich Schiedel's commitment as a visionary entrepreneur who left an indelible mark on corporate social responsibility, the Friedrich Schiedel Fellowship for Technology in Society aims to fortify translational and actionable research in the ethical, social, political, economic, and legal realms of science and technology.

Who We Are Looking For

We welcome applications from fellows committed to translational, action-oriented research that harnesses the potential of technology for public interest while actively engaging with the ethical, social, political, and economic dimensions of science and technology. Our fellowship program seeks transdisciplinary innovators who combine insights from the social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, health sciences, and economics to collaboratively shape a sustainable, responsible, and socially impactful technological future. Selected fellows will become bridge-builders across disciplines at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), serving as catalysts for interdisciplinary collaboration across TUM’s diverse schools and departments.

What we offer

• Funding: Fellows can apply for funding of up to €20,000 to support their projects, for a flexible fellowship duration between three and twelve months.
• Community and Network: As a Schiedel Fellow, you will join a diverse, cross-disciplinary community at TUM and the TUM Think Tank with access to a global network of partners across Bavaria, Germany, and internationally.
• Co-Working Space: Fellows will be based at the TUM Think Tank in the heart of Munich, offering a dynamic environment for knowledge exchange and transfer between academia, civil society, business, and the public sector.

Eligibility and Requirements

• Qualification: The fellowship is open to post-doctoral researchers who have completed their doctorate within the last three years, as well as advanced PhD candidates who plan to submit their thesis within the next twelve months.
• Affiliation: Applicants need to be employed at TUM or - in case of PhD candidates - (will be) enrolled at one of the TUM Graduate Schools.
• Project Requirements: Applicants should propose a cross- or inter-disciplinary project that integrates social science perspectives with other fields at TUM, such as natural sciences, engineering, life science, health sciences, or economics.
• Supervision: Each application requires the support of two TUM professors, one from the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology and one from another TUM school.

Fellowship Commitments

Fellows are expected to actively engage with the TUM Think Tank community and to collaborate closely with their host faculties to advance their projects. Projects must be action-oriented, aiming to produce tangible societal impacts.

Application Requirements

Interested applicants should submit the following documents:

• Application form incl. financial plan
• Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages)
• Two letters of support from sponsoring professors
• For PhD candidates: a letter from the PhD supervisor confirming the expected thesis submission within the next twelve months

Application Template Budget Template

Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria

Selection will be conducted by the fellowship appointment committee at the TUM Think Tank, evaluating applications based on:

• Academic Excellence
• Relevance and Originality of the Proposed Project
• Potential for Societal Impact

Application Deadline and Contact

Please submit your complete application package in a single PDF file to schiedel-fellowship@sot.tum.de. Deadline for submission is 16. December 2024.

For any questions regarding the application process, please do not hesitate to reach out via schiedel-fellowship@sot.tum.de.

We look forward to your innovative ideas and applications for our next cohort of Friedrich Schiedel Fellows!

Hosted by TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology and the TUM Think Tank

Friedrich Schiedel Fellows for Technology in Society are integral members of the TUM Think Tank community. We expect fellows to actively engage in their projects at TUM and its respective schools and to become vibrant contributors to our fellowship community.

Aiming to build bridges between the various TUM Schools, potential fellows need two professors (one from the TUM SOT and one from a different TUM School) who support the application and will work with the fellow on the proposed interdisciplinary project.

The Friedrich Schiedel Foundation is a recognised charitable foundation with legal capacity under civil law. The purpose of the foundation is, among other things, to promote science and research, particularly at the Technical University of Munich. For decades, the founder has supported projects at the Technical University with considerable sums of money. The Friedrich Schiedel Foundation is supporting the implementation of the Friedrich Schiedel Fellowships for Technology in Society project with funding totalling € 625,000 over five years in order to help develop sustainable bridges between social, technical and societal disciplines. The promotion of the Friedrich Schiedel Fellowships is a particular concern of theirs.