Emerging Tech Fellowship

Who can apply?

The Emerging Tech Fellowship is open to experts who are engaged with emerging technologies and are interested in exploring their role in higher education. Applications are open to individuals from Germany and abroad who would like to implement a project in one of the three areas of funding line A or the open funding line B.

We are looking for individuals who bring fresh perspectives, ask (critical) questions, spark discussion, or create spaces for experimentation and discovery.

Application Documents

Applications for the Emerging Tech Fellowship can be submitted until January 31, 2026.

The forms below include questions about the applicant‘s background and qualifications, as well as key details about the proposed project - including its motivation, objectives for the fellowship, and potential formats (e.g., keynotes, roundtables, summer school) during the stay.

Application Document Funding Line A German
Application Document Funding Line A English

Application Document Funding Line B German
Application Document Funding Line B English

In addition to the application form, two documents are required:

- a detailed CV,

- a confirmation of support from the host and host institution.​​​​​​​

The Emerging Tech Lab supports applicants who are interested in the fellowship but do not yet have a host in Lower Saxony. Please contact us if you need assistance finding a host.

The Emerging Tech Lab checks all submissions for completeness and creates a shortlist, which—together with the longlist—is presented to an independent jury from the fields of science, education, and university development. After an initial review of all submissions by the jury, short introductory calls will be held with the finalists. The jury will then make the final decision on the awarding of the Emerging Tech Fellowships.

The jury evaluates the submissions according to the following criteria:

1. Project

• Relevance of the topic: To what extent does the project contribute to the discussion of emerging technologies in higher education in Lower Saxony?
• Innovation potential: What new perspectives, methods, or discourses does the project open up?

• Feasibility: Is the planned program realistically achievable within the specified time frame?
• Coherence: Are the objectives, methodology, and planned formats coordinated?

2. Qualifications                                       

• Previous work: Which publications, projects, or works demonstrate the relevant expertise of the applicants?
• Professional experience: Which activities or positions underscore the applicant's qualifications?

The Emerging Tech Fellowship offers two funding lines. While line A focuses on a specific topic, line B is open-ended.

• Funding line A: Combining AI and XR

Artificial intelligence opens up new possibilities for extended reality applications, for example through the integration of AI companions in educational spaces to support independent learning. These and other connections between AI and XR are the subject of funding line A. Potential Emerging Tech Fellows choose one of the following three thematic approaches when applying for this funding line.

1. Research & Analysis
Understanding, interpreting, and communicating emerging technologies

You are a researcher, theorist, or analyst working in the field of AI, XR, or related technologies. Your focus lies in investigating technological foundations, scientific models, or societal implications. You contribute by translating complex research findings into accessible insights and fostering informed discussion within the academic community.

2. Creative & Experimental Practice
Exploring, prototyping, and design with emerging technologies

You are an innovator, developer, designer, or researcher who works hands-on with AI, XR, or related technologies. You build prototypes, create experiential spaces, or design interactive formats that make technology tangible. Your focus lies on experimentation, iterative design, and practical usability.

3. Speculative & Scenario-Based Exploration
Discussing, reflecting, and envisioning possible futures

You are an author, artist, philosopher, future designer, or researcher who explores the social and cultural implications of emerging technologies such as AI and XR. You create speculative scenarios and narratives that invite reflection, provoke dialogue, and raise awareness of potential futures.
 

• Funding line B: Open Emerging Tech Fellowship

Funding line B is not tied to current debates or predefined topics. It targets individuals who explore technologies or ideas for higher education that reach beyond the present moment and concepts that are still visionary, experimental, or well ahead of their time.
We are looking for
... philosophers who deal with consciousness and knowledge in the future,
... engineers pioneering fundamentally new ways of communication,
... computer scientists who are thinking about a new architecture for the internet,
... artists with audiovisual ideas for future universities.
 

Three key players work together in the Emerging Tech Fellowship.

Emerging Tech Fellow

As an Emerging Tech Fellow, you serve as an expert voice and help advance the discourse on emerging technologies in higher education. You contribute your research-oriented, creative-experimental, or scenario-based perspective to inspire new ways of thinking about future technologies.

In your role as an expert, you act as a source of inspiration, a catalyst, and a multiplier. During your stay, you will work with your host institution to design your own formats, workshops, or contributions and network with actors in Lower Saxony.

Host

Emerging Tech Fellows rely on professional exchange and support during their stay. As a host, you are the first point of contact and create the connection between the fellow and your institution.

In this role, you will help to create a shared workspace and think tank where collaboration, dialogue, and encounters can take place. In addition, you will become part of a growing emerging tech network and have the opportunity to deepen collaborations and actively innovate the future of higher education. 

As a host, you will shape the Emerging Tech Fellowship together with the Emerging Tech Fellow and the Emerging Tech Lab. You are a door opener and enabler:

• you provide the content framework and create space for productive collaboration.
• In collaboration with the Emerging Tech Lab and the Fellow, you will co-create the program - defining key themes and designing engaging event formats.
• You open doors to your institution and facilitate exchange with relevant networks, colleagues, and students.

This role is ideal for professors or institutional leaders interested in contributing their expertise and helping to shape the fellowship’s activities.

Emerging Tech Lab

Alongside the fellows and hosts, the Emerging Tech Lab forms the third pillar of the Emerging Tech Fellowship. It is the central organizational unit of the Emerging Tech Fellowship program and ensures its visibility within the higher education landscape of Lower Saxony.
The Emerging Tech Lab:

• connects Emerging Tech Fellows and hosts with relevant players from science, administration, and practice,
• integrates fellows and hosts into established formats,
• develops formats for exchange and visibility (e.g., workshops, public discussions, exhibitions) together with fellows and hosts,
• accompanies and supports the tandems throughout the Emerging Tech Fellowship in terms of organization and content.

In this way, the Emerging Tech Lab contributes to making the Emerging Tech Fellowship a visible and effective part of Lower Saxony's educational landscape.