Research stipends

Target group / Purpose of funding

The Visual Arts Research Stipend (Grant) is provided for professionally working artists, curators and artistic or curatorial groups (GbR) who live and work in Berlin. Applicants need to have already proven themselves through their artistic work in the visual arts.

By supporting new ideas and approaches, the research grants are intended to enhance the diversity and quality of artistic and curatorial work produced in Berlin.

Funding is provided to research activities that, for instance,

• involve research or preparatory work on a particular topic
• develop new projects
• are aimed at tapping new or different working techniques
• allow for the continuation or completion of particular works
• support mediation, documentation or publication etc. Grants are awarded on the basis of the artistic quality of previous work and quality of the proposed research endeavor.

Eligibility and conditions

• Applicants should have completed a professional qualification in the arts and/or provide evidence of professional artistic activity in their field that extends over several years.
• Applicants must live and work in Berlin. In the case of groups, the majority of members must live and work in Berlin.
• Applicants who are enrolled at a university or hold a permament professorship cannot apply for the grant.

Funding volume

The research grants of € 8,000 each are dispensed in the period from September to December of the respective year.

Call for applications

A call for applications to the researche grants is usually issued in the spring of each funding year.

Application procedure

The application is online since January, 31 2024.

Applications are generally possible every other year, i.e. when applying in 2024, the next application is only possible in 2026.

Only fully submitted and formally valid applications will be admitted to the jury procedure. It is not possible for the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion to follow up with the applicant, if the submitted application is incomplete or faulty. Please check your application carefully for completeness and compliance with all formal requirements before submission.

When submitting your application, be sure to follow the further instructions in the current information sheet.

Online Information Sessions

Together with Kreativ Kultur Berlin of Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH, we will host an information session online.

Applicants will have the opportunity to get information about the the Visual Arts Research Stipend, the application process and ask questions.

Info session

The advisory center Kreativ Kultur Berlin and the Senate Department for Culture invite you to an Online Info Session. Applicants will have the opportunity to obtain important information about the research grant and the application process. Questions can be asked after the information event.

When? Tuesday, February 20, 2024 | 3-5 p.m.
Where? Online. Please registrate via this link

The event will be held in German. A translation into English will be provided.

The event will be recorded and made available on the YouTube channel of Kreativ Kultur Berlin.

• Programme flyer - Research Stipends in Visual Art 2024

  PDF-Document (182.8 kB) - As of: 31.01.2024

• Erklärung zur GbR-Zugehörigkeit

  PDF-Document (188.0 kB) - As of: 15. August 2023

FAQs

1. Application requirements

• I applied in 2023. Can I apply again now?

  No. From 2023 onwards, only one application every 2 years will be possible again. This means applicants who applied in 2023 will not be able to apply again until 2025.

• I have received a scholarship from the Stiftung Kunstfonds Bonn for the year 2024. Can I apply?

  No.

• I am a feature film producer. Can I apply?

  No. Not eligible to apply are designers, set designers, scenographers, as well as directors, screenwriters and cinematographers in the field of documentary film and feature film/cinematography. Funding is provided exclusively for the above-mentioned sub-sectors. In the case of media artists and/or artistic film/video, a connection to the visual arts (predominant presentation of work in exhibition contexts) must be clear from the curriculum vitae. In the case of interdisciplinary artists, the focus of their work must be in the field of visual arts.

  Only the sub-genres named in the information sheet are supported: works on paper/drawing, sculpture, artistic film/video, installation, interdisciplinary art, sound art, urban art/art in urban space, artistic photography, painting, digital art/media art, performance.

• I make experimental short film and/or 2-channel video installation. My work is mostly shown in exhibition contexts. Can I apply?

  Yes.

• Can I apply with the same research project as last year?

  Yes. You could then possibly revise the description again and formulate the research project more specifically.

• I am receiving project funding for a project in 2024, can I apply?

  Yes, project funding can be combined with scholarships.

• I receive a travel scholarship from the Senate Department for Culture and Community for 2024. Can I still apply for the research scholarship as well?

  Yes. The scholarships of the Senate Department for Culture and Community can be combined with each other up to a cumulative sum of €24,000/year – with exception of a combination of research and work stipend in the field of visual arts.

• I have applied for the working scholarship. Can I also apply for the research scholarship?

  Both scholarships cannot be combined. Therefore, you would only be allowed to accept the research fellowship if you have not yet received the work fellowship from us.

• We would like to apply as a group. We are 3 people. Two of them have moved away from Berlin. Can we apply?

  No. For groups, the majority of the group members must live and work in Berlin. This must be proven for all group members by sending in a confirmation of registration or the front and back of their identity card.
  In the case of a group of 2 persons, both must be registered in Berlin.

• I am currently doing my doctorate. Can I apply?

  No. Applicants who are enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of application (also with the aim of obtaining a doctorate) are not eligible to apply.

• I am a professor at a university. Can I apply?

  No.

• I am a student. Can I apply?

  No. Applicants who are enrolled at a university at the time of application cannot apply. If you have recently completed your studies, you must provide proof of completion without being asked (please attach a certificate to your CV, page does not count towards the maximum number of pages allowed in the “CV with portfolio” file).

• I am in Berlin on a student visa. Can I apply?

  No.

• Can I apply for the scholarship even if I am not living in Berlin?

  No, the scholarships are only for artists who have their main residence and working center in Berlin.

• I am an artist from abroad and would like to come to Berlin. Can I apply for this scholarship and use it for my stay in Berlin?

  No. The scholarship is aimed at people whose primary residence is in Berlin at the time of application. This must be proven with the application.
  The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) regularly invites foreign artists from various disciplines to Berlin. More information can be found under Berliner Künstlerprogramm (BKP).

• What are (among other things) common formal errors that lead to the exclusion of the application?
  • Short description of the project in English in the application form
  • No certificate of registration submitted (e.g. only front side of ID card or only passport, registration address not evident)
  • CV/portfolio too long
  • For groups: GbR contract or declaration missing

  Please refer to the information sheet for all detailed questions!

• What are the chances of my application?

  This question is almost impossible to answer, as the decision on awarding a scholarship depends on various factors, which can also change from year to year. Central factors here are the number of applications received, as well as their quality. The quality of an application is judged by an independent jury.

• I need a detailed individual consultation, as this is my first application and I am not sure what it should look like. Is there anything like this in Berlin?

  Kreativ Kultur Berlin – Kulturförderberatung is a free service for the Berlin cultural scene and includes a website with a large funding database and tips on how to apply, free personal orientation advice and application checks, and regular info events on current funding topics. The team of Kreativ Kultur Berlin – Kulturförderberatung advises creative artists, associations and institutions of all disciplines on questions of public and private funding and helps in the search for possible third-party funding.

  https://www.kreativkultur.berlin/de/beratung/kulturfoerderberatung/

• What is the difference between a scholarship and project funding?

  In contrast to a project grant, a scholarship is a personal grant; at the end of the scholarship period, only a progress report must be submitted. A project grant, on the other hand, must be accounted for with original receipts.

• I receive another scholarship for the same year and/or period. Can I apply?

  You can apply in principle. Whether you are allowed to accept the fellowship once it has been awarded to you by the jury depends on several factors:

  • Do you already receive a grant from the Stiftung Kunstfonds Bonn or a working grant for fine arts from funds of the Senate Department for Culture and Community? If so, you are not eligible for funding through the research fellowship. The research fellowship cannot be combined with simultaneous fellowships from Corona funds of the federal government for the year 2024 (e.g. NEUSTART). The scholarship period of the research scholarship cannot be postponed.

  • Do you receive another scholarship from the Senate Department for Culture and Community? All fellowships from the state of Berlin (work fellowships, research fellowships, and cultural exchange fellowships) can be combined up to an amount of €24,000 per year – with the exception of a combination of research stipend and work stipend of visual arts. Therefore, you would only be allowed to accept the research fellowship if you have not yet received another fellowship from us of more than 16,000€.
  • Do you receive project funding? Project funding and the Visual Arts Work Stipend can be freely combined.
  • Grants already approved for 2024 must be indicated in the application form

2. Application formalities

• When can I submit my application?

  The application process startet January 31, 2024. The end of the application period is March 19th, 11:00h.

• I have prepared a 30-page portfolio. In the info sheet it says that the file "CV with portfolio" can be only 10 pages long. Can I still submit it with 30 pages?

  No. CVs with portfolio longer than 10 A4 pages (including cover page and all figures) will not be accepted. In the interest of equal treatment of all applicants, the corresponding application may be formally excluded.

• Can I fill out the application in English?

  No. The application form must be completed in German (including a brief description of the proposed work). The attachment “curriculum vitae with portfolio” may be in English.

• Is it sufficient if I only submit the front side of my identity card?

  No, for German citizens it is mandatory to submit the back of the ID card with the registration address as well.

• My Internet connection is poor. It is possible that I will not be able to meet the deadline if I have problems with the internet on the final day. What do I do then?

  You have several weeks to submit the application and find an option with better internet for it. There is no goodwill. Applications that have not been submitted in full by deadline day 11:00h cannot be considered. There is no option to submit the application by email.

• What all do I have to submit?

  The info sheet explains in detail what you need to submit and in what format or what maximum file size.

  We recommend preparing everything in advance according to the information in the info sheet before tackling the online application.

• I cannot upload a document. What should I do?
  • Please check file format and maximum file size.
  • Change the browser.

  On the last day of the application deadline, uploads may take longer due to increased data traffic. We HIGHLY recommend that you do not start the application submission on the last day of the application deadline.

  Additional technical FAQs can also be found here:
  http://www.berlin.de/sen/kultur/foerderung/antragscenter/artikel.85073.php

• What is a portfolio?

  In the portfolio you can present yourself as an artist/curator present representative projects. The portfolio should focus on the last 3 years. However, if you want to include older information, you can of course do so. The file “Curriculum Vitae with Portfolio” should be limited to 10 pages . This also applies to group applications.

• I have read that the "CV with portfolio" file can only be 10 pages long. Can I include multiple images on the individual pages? So more than one image per page?

  Yes.

• I have a non-German identity card. On the back it does not say my Berlin registration address. What do I do then?

  Non-European citizens: Please submit a copy of your passport, a copy of the registration confirmation from the Residents’ Registration Office plus a copy of your residence permit or certificate of right of residence (if not included in your passport).

  European citizens: Please submit a copy of your passport plus a copy of the registration confirmation from the Residents’ Registration Office.

• I am a European citizen. Do I have to submit a residence permit?

  No. Please submit a copy of your passport plus a copy of the registration confirmation from the Residents’ Registration Office.

• My residence permit is about to expire. I don't have an appointment for renewal for a few weeks. What should I do?

  Please send the current title plus appointment confirmation. A screenshot of the online appointment is sufficient.

• What is a GbR declaration?

  If you work as a group of artists, you may already have a GbR contract. In this case, please submit it. If you are only forming a GbR for the application, please download the form “GbR declaration” from the grant website, have it signed by all participants and upload it in the online application.
  Please understand that the Senate Department for Culture and Europe cannot answer any questions regarding tax or private law in this regard. If necessary, please consult your tax advisor or the responsible tax office.

• I have questions about / problems with the online application.

  Have you already looked at the FAQs for the online form? You can find them here:

  https://www.berlin.de/sen/kultur/foerderung/antragscenter/artikel.85073.php

  If you still have questions about the online application, please contact your contact person in the information sheet of the funding program.

3. After submitting the application

• Has my application been received?

  You will receive an automatic confirmation email with your application number when your application is received. This email may take up to one day to be sent, depending on how busy the system is.

• When does the jury meet?

  Expected to be in the summer of 2024.

• When will I know if my application was successful?

  All applicants are expected to be informed of the outcome of the jury meeting by e-mail in August 2024 by e-mail.

• What happens afterwards?

  After all applicants have been informed about the outcome of the jury process (expected mid/end of August 2024), the selected scholarship holders will receive a scholarship notification by mail. Attached is a declaration of consent, which you must fill out and sign before sending it back (in advance by email, then the original by mail), before the scholarship can be paid out.

• Will I know why I was rejected?

  The contents of the jury meeting are confidential. We therefore only share the final result (selected for a scholarship / not selected). Please refrain from making corresponding inquiries.
  If your application was not admitted to the jury process for formal reasons (for possible reasons, see further FAQ), we will inform you of this by email at the same time as the other acceptances and rejections after the jury process.

• When can I apply next time?

  The 2-year lock is back into effect 2023. From 2023 onwards, only one application every 2 years will be possible again. This means applicants who applied in 2023 will not be able to apply again until 2024.

• Are grants tax-free?

  This is decided by the respective Berlin tax office. Scholarships must always be declared there. The grant notification serves as proof that the funding was provided from public funds. Please understand that the Senate Department for Culture and Community cannot advise you on tax issues.

• Does a scholarship obligate me to make an artistic contribution in return?

  No, an artistic counter-performance is not required. At the end of the scholarship period, only a progress report must be submitted.

• How many scholarships will be awarded this year?

  This is still dependent on a Senate’s decision and will be announced at a later date.

Please submit your application – together with all relevant documentation – online.

Submit an application online