# Transatlantic Bridge Professorships

**Funder:** Volkswagen Foundation
**Consortium:** No
**Eligible countries:** US, DE
**Official call:** https://www.volkswagenstiftung.de/en/funding/funding-offer/transatlantic-bridge-professorships
**Last verified:** 20 June 2026

## Eligibility & scope

Funding programme for professors in the humanities and social sciences currently working in the USA who wish to work both in the USA and in Germany. Provides proportional financing of a professorship in Germany.

## Summary

The Transatlantic Bridge Professorships programme supports humanities and social sciences professors based in the USA to establish or maintain dual appointments spanning both US and German institutions. The Volkswagen Foundation provides proportional financing of the German professorship, enabling researchers to lead collaborative research across both countries.

## Who should apply

- Established professors in humanities or social sciences with a tenured or senior position in the USA
- Researchers with an active research group and institutional support in both countries
- Scholars pursuing collaborative research agendas that benefit from US, Germany institutional partnerships
- Applicants with demonstrated commitment to cross-national research networks

## Key dates

- Programme accepts applications on a rolling or annual basis (verify exact deadline on Volkswagen Foundation website)

## Tips for applicants

- Emphasise the dual intellectual benefit: what research questions benefit from simultaneous engagement with both US and German scholarly contexts?
- Secure letters of commitment from both the US host institution and the German partner institution before application; institutional buy-in is critical to funding.
- Frame the German appointment as proportional and complementary to your US role, not a replacement, to align with the programme's dual-appointment model.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is eligible for a Transatlantic Bridge Professorship?

Professors in humanities and social sciences currently working in the USA who wish to establish or maintain simultaneous positions in both the USA and Germany.

### What does the Transatlantic Bridge Professorship fund?

The Volkswagen Foundation provides proportional financing of a professorship post in Germany, allowing dual appointments across both countries.

### Do I need a German institution partner to apply?

Yes, applicants must have identified and committed German institution partners willing to host the proportionally funded professorship.

### What fields of research are eligible?

The programme is open to researchers in the humanities and social sciences.

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Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/volkswagen-foundation-transatlantic-bridge-professorships-2026) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.

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