Klaus Töpfer Sustainability Fellowship — Building Bridges Between Science and Policymaking

Klaus Töpfer, founding director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), now RIFS, significantly shaped German and international environmental policy as Federal Minister for the Environment and later as Director of UNEP. He believed that scientific research provided a compass to guide sustainable development.

RIFS awards the Klaus Töpfer Sustainability Fellowship as part of its broader Fellow Programme. The proposed projects should have a lasting impact that extends beyond the duration of the fellowship. Applicants should bring innovative ideas from their fields and demonstrate professional experience in international and intercultural settings.

RIFS provides a scholarship and up to 30,000 euros in material resources for this 12-month fellowship. Fellows are expected to attend the RIFS campus in Potsdam during their fellowship and to actively contribute to the institute’s activities, for example by organising seminars and participating in other events. Detailed information is available in the call for applications.

Further information:

• Video with former Klaus Töpfer Fellow Nicole de Paula
• Current call for applications for the "Planetary Transitions: Potsdam Artist Residency", in collaboration with the  DAAD Berlin Artists* Programme and the City of Potsdam.