FASPE Fellowship 2027 in Germany and Poland: Eligibility, Funding and How to Apply

The FASPE Fellowship is a fully funded two-week programme in Germany and Poland for graduate students and early-career professionals. Fellows study how professionals behaved in Nazi Germany, at the places where it happened, and then discuss the ethical choices their own fields face today. FASPE pays for flights, hotels, meals and all programme costs. Applications for 2027 close on 3 January 2027.

This guide was last checked on 21 October 2026 against the official FASPE website: the home, fellowships, how to apply and FAQ pages, and the Business, Journalism, Law and Medical programme pages.

FASPE Fellowship at a glance

What is FASPE?

FASPE studies a hard question: how did doctors, lawyers, business leaders, journalists, clergy and engineers in Nazi Germany come to take part in, or fail to resist, the crimes of the regime? FASPE uses that history to help today’s professionals think about their own ethical responsibilities. Each fellowship begins with two weeks of intensive study in Germany and Poland, at sites of historic complicity, with daily seminars and discussion.

Each programme is led by FASPE staff, two faculty members who are scholars or practitioners, and partners in Germany and Poland. Fellows from different professions also share some seminars, so a medical fellow hears how a journalist or a member of the clergy approaches the same problem. FASPE has more than 900 alumni.

Is FASPE right for you?

FASPE is different from most fellowships on this site. It does not pay for a degree or research. It pays for two weeks of intense study and discussion that many alumni carry into their careers. Ask yourself these questions:

• Are you at the right stage? FASPE is for graduate students and people early in their careers. For Business and Journalism, total professional experience should generally not be more than 10 years.
• Do you care about ethics in your own field? The programme is about the choices professionals make today, not only about history.
• Are you ready for hard conversations? Visiting sites of Nazi crimes is emotionally demanding, and seminars ask you to discuss difficult issues respectfully in small groups.
• Can you keep two weeks free? You need to be available for the full dates of your programme, plus travel days.

What the two weeks look like

Each programme spends two weeks in Berlin and Poland. Fellows visit sites connected to Nazi history and join daily seminars led by specialised faculty. Some sessions are shared with fellows from other professions. The programme pages describe the aim as studying the conduct of professionals in Germany between 1933 and 1945, and using it as a lens on the ethical responsibilities of professionals today.

The days are full. You read, visit sites, discuss in small groups and reflect. Expect long days and serious topics, but also time with a small group of peers, and afterwards you join FASPE’s alumni community.

Topics fellows discuss

The programme pages give examples of the questions each group explores:

• Medical: physician complicity in Nazi policies, resource allocation, physician-assisted death, research ethics abroad, prejudice in medicine, multiple loyalties, end-of-life care, and ways to address ethical problems inside medical institutions.
• Business: the role of German businesses in Nazi policies, corporate social responsibility compared with ethical conduct, and balancing loyalties to shareholders, customers, employees and communities.
• Law, Journalism, Clergy, and Design and Technology: the ethical responsibilities of each profession, viewed through the same history, including how new technologies affect professional ethics.

Reading these topics before you write your essays helps you see the kind of thinking FASPE wants to encourage.

The six programmes and 2027 dates

What FASPE pays for

FASPE says the fellowships are fully funded so that money does not decide who takes part. The FAQ lists what is covered:

• Round-trip economy airfare. Travel to Berlin from outside the USA is covered, along with the return flight.
• All group transport in Germany and Poland.
• Admission fees and programme materials.
• Hotels.
• Group meals, plus pocket money for meals that are not group meals.

Fellows arrange their own visas. FASPE provides documents to support visa applications but cannot arrange visas itself. There is no stipend beyond the meal money.

Who can apply

FASPE is for graduate students and early-career professionals. Applicants of any citizenship or residency can apply. Programming is in English, so you need high written and spoken English; German or Polish is not needed. Fellows must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Each programme sets its own eligibility rules. Here is what the programme pages say:

Law

• Law students in the second or third year (2L or 3L) of a JD or equivalent programme, or
• Lawyers working in the legal profession, including clerkships, who received a JD no earlier than May 2020, or
• In legal systems without a postgraduate law school: people who have completed their legal education and work as a trainee or associate, no more senior than a sixth-year associate.

Medical

• Students in an MD or DO programme, or equivalent, who will have completed at least one clinical year before the fellowship starts, or
• Residents enrolled in a residency programme.

Journalism

• Graduate students in any programme who have some journalism experience and plan to work as journalists, or
• Working journalists with an undergraduate or graduate degree.
• Total professional experience generally not more than 10 years. Candidates with work published or aired by a recognised news organisation are preferred.

Business

• Students in an MBA or related graduate programme, or
• Business professionals with an MBA, a related graduate degree or an undergraduate degree.
• You must be actively pursuing a business career, with total professional experience generally not more than 10 years.

Clergy and Religious Leaders, and Design and Technology

These are also for graduate students and early-career professionals in their fields. Read the eligibility guidelines on each programme’s page before you apply, because the exact rules are set there.

How fellows are selected

The programme pages list four things FASPE looks at:

1. Academic background.
2. Professional and personal experience.
3. Leadership capacity.
4. Ability to contribute to the programme and the alumni community.

The Business page adds that applicants should be open-minded, self-reflective and mature enough to discuss controversial issues respectfully in small groups. The Medical page says FASPE welcomes applicants from clinical practice, research and public health. The selection process and whether there are interviews are not stated on the official source.

What to submit

1. Online form on Submittable: your contact details, the schools you attended, and the names and contact details of your recommenders.
2. Resume or CV: your education and work history, with honours, awards and publications.
3. Transcripts: from each higher education institution where you spent significant time. Semesters abroad and single summer courses are not needed. Unofficial transcripts, electronic transcripts and scans are accepted; screenshots of online transcripts are not.
4. Short essay answers: the questions differ by programme, and each programme’s question sheet gives the total length allowed.
5. Two letters of recommendation: sent by your recommenders through Submittable by 10 January 2027.

If you are in the first year of a graduate programme and your grades are not yet reported, submit a letter from your dean confirming your enrolment, good standing and ideally your current classes. A registrar letter that does not name your degree programme is not accepted as proof of enrolment.

Choosing your recommenders

Students should preferably ask faculty from their current or most recent graduate programme, though earlier teachers are accepted. Early-career professionals can ask a supervisor or employer. FASPE suggests that letters address things such as your interest in contemporary professional ethics, how you take part in class, how you handle intense discussions, how you work in small groups and your leadership potential. Share these points with your recommenders so their letters speak to them. Our guide on strong recommendation letters explains how to ask.

Tips for each programme

• Law: check the timing rule. First-year law students cannot apply; you must be a 2L or 3L, or a lawyer with a JD from May 2020 or later. In systems without a postgraduate law school, the limit is a sixth-year associate.
• Medical: students must have finished at least one clinical year before the trip starts. Residents can also apply.
• Journalism: published or aired work with a recognised news organisation is preferred, so mention it clearly in your CV.
• Business: show that you are actively pursuing a business career, whether you are an MBA student or a working professional.
• Clergy, and Design and Technology: read the eligibility guidelines document on the programme page, because the full rules are set there.

Preparing your CV

Keep your CV to the essentials: education with dates, work experience with your role and main tasks, and any honours, awards or publications. For journalism applicants, list major published or aired pieces. For law and medical applicants, show your year of study or residency clearly, since eligibility depends on it. Our CV template shows a clear layout.

Writing the essays

Download the essay sheet for your programme from the how to apply page, because the questions and length limits differ. Some general advice works for every programme:

• Be specific. Describe a real ethical question you have met in your studies or work, what made it hard, and what you did or would do.
• Show reflection. FASPE values self-reflection. It is fine to say where you were unsure or changed your mind.
• Connect to your profession. Show you understand the ethical pressures in your field today, such as loyalty to an employer versus the public.
• Respect the length. Stay within the total length given on the sheet.
• Write in your own voice. Simple, honest writing is stronger than grand language.

Our guide on personal statements and motivation letters has more tips on reflective writing.

What fellows do before and after the trip

Before the trip, fellows complete one or two short writing assignments, and handing them in on time is required to take part. After the trip, each fellow completes a capstone project on a question of historical or contemporary ethics in their field. The format depends on the programme; examples include a paper, a news article, a sermon, a case study or blog posts. Some projects are published in the annual FASPE Journal.

After you apply

If you need a visa, start as soon as you are selected. FASPE provides supporting documents, but you make the application yourself.

Questions to think about before you write

Strong FASPE essays come from honest thinking. Before you start writing, spend some time on these questions:

• What ethical pressure have you seen in your field, such as pressure to meet targets, please a client or follow orders?
• When have you seen a rule followed even though it caused harm, or broken for a good reason?
• Who do professionals in your field owe loyalty to, and what happens when those loyalties clash?
• What do you hope to bring back to your work after two weeks of study and discussion?

You do not need answers to all of them. Pick the ones that connect to your real experience, and use them to shape your essays.

A plan from now to 3 January

Many people travel or take leave in late December, so do not leave your application or your recommenders’ letters until the last week.

Practical points for international applicants

• Visas: check whether you need a Schengen visa for Germany and Poland, and apply early. FASPE provides supporting documents.
• Dates: keep your programme’s two weeks free, plus travel days.
• Vaccination: fellows must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
• English: seminars are intense discussions in English, so be ready to speak and listen for long sessions.

Related opportunities

• Knight-Wallace Fellowship, a paid year at the University of Michigan for journalists with five or more years of experience.
• Harvard LEAD Fellowship, for global health professionals.
• Global Leadership Challenge, for graduate students and young professionals.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying to a programme whose eligibility rules you do not meet, such as a Law application from a 1L student.
• Uploading screenshots of an online transcript.
• Using a registrar letter that does not name your degree programme.
• Generic essays that could be about any profession.
• Recommenders who miss the 10 January deadline.
• Waiting for decisions before checking visa rules.

Checklist before you submit

• I meet the eligibility rules on my programme’s page.
• My essays answer my programme’s questions within the length limit.
• My transcripts are scans, PDFs or unofficial copies, not screenshots.
• My CV lists my education, work and any awards or publications.
• My two recommenders know to submit by 10 January 2027.
• I will submit before 3 January 2027.

Frequently asked questions

Is the FASPE Fellowship fully funded?

Yes. FASPE covers all programme costs and related travel, including flights, hotels, transport, admission fees, materials, group meals and pocket money for other meals. Visas are arranged by fellows.

Can international students apply?

Yes. FASPE says eligible candidates can apply regardless of citizenship or residency.

When is the deadline?

Applications close on 3 January 2027. Recommendation letters are due by 10 January 2027.

Do I need to speak German or Polish?

No. Programming is in English, and you need high written and spoken English.

How many fellows are chosen?

85 a year in total, about 13 to 16 in each programme.

When will I hear back?

FASPE aims to notify all fellows by early to mid-March 2027.

Is FASPE only for students in the USA?

No. Applicants of any citizenship or residency can apply, and FASPE covers travel to Berlin from outside the USA as well as the return flight.

Is there an application fee?

Not stated on the official source.

Where to apply

Read your programme’s rules and apply from the official FASPE how to apply page. Our FASPE Fellowship page keeps the key facts in one place.