Short-Term Fellowships within the CRC 1475
The CRC 1475 “Metaphors of Religion: Religious Meaning-Making in Language Use” is an interdisciplinary research network with 19 subprojects and more than 40 scholars. The CRC combines research in religious studies, diverse philologies, computational linguistics, art history and theater studies to explore the significance of metaphors for the formation of religious meaning-making. Based on a historically wide-ranging cor-pus, the CRC comparatively analyzes metaphors across traditions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, and Zoroastrianism. Its research is strongly collaborative, grounded in a shared digital infrastructure and a common methodological and theoretical framework. The CRC 1475 has been funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) since 2022.
Short-Term Fellowship Program
The Short-Term Fellowship Program of the CRC 1475 provides international Master’s graduates and doctoral candidates with the opportunity to become acquainted with the CRC’s research approach and to develop their research projects in exchange with its principal investigators (PIs). The research projects of the fellows should be thematically related to one or more of the CRC’s subprojects (A01-A06, B02-B07 and C04-C08, excluding the WiKo, Z, S and INF projects), allowing the respective principal investigators and their teams to support their work. Information on the CRC’s subprojects can be found on our website: https://sfb1475.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/en/research/subprojects-sub/
In addition, fellows are assigned to the integrated “Graduate School of Metaphor and Religion” (GSMR) of the CRC and benefit from its structured training and mentoring program. The CRC offers an international environment for interdisciplinary research on religious meaning-making through metaphors, a program of academic events, and excellent training in the study of religions, linguistics, and digital humanities.
Each fellowship lasts between 3 and 6 months. Successful applicants will receive a fellowship of €1,650 per month. If applicable, an additional child allowance will be paid (€400 per month for the first child, an additional €100 for each further child). Travel expenses to and from Bochum will also be covered. In addition, we provide office space, library access, and administrative support.
Your profile
Excellent Master's degree (or equivalent) in one of the disciplines represented in or related to the CRC 1475
Individual research project in one of the participating disciplines within the subject area of the CRC. You should assign your project to one of the CRC’s subprojects
Interest in metaphor theory and an affinity for working in an interdisciplinary research environment
Very good written and spoken English language skills
Expectations of Successful Candidates
Regular participation and involvement in the CRC events and the training program of the GSMR (colloquia, guest lectures, workshops, journal clubs)
Presentation of preliminary results from your individual research project within the GSMR Research Colloquium
Application Procedure
Please submit your application as a single PDF file (!) to the GSMR coordinator, Maren Jordan (maren.jordan@rub.de), by October 25, 2026. Late applications may be considered if positions are unfilled. Your application must include:
a short letter of motivation (max. 1 page)
a research proposal and timeline for the duration of your fellowship (3-5 pages, including cited references). Your proposal should state which subproject within the CRC you want to be affiliated with (e.g., subproject A05).
your CV, including your academic transcripts, a list of publications/presentations
copy of your Master’s degree
Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) is committed to equal opportunity and diversity and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds.
For further information, please contact the GSMR coordinator, Maren Jordan, at maren.jordan@rub.de.