Guideline Gottfried Böhm Scholarship

Guideline of the Vereins der Freunde und Förderer der Technischen Hochschule Köln e.V. (Association of Friends and Sponsors of the Cologne University of Technology e.V.) for the Award of the Gottfried Böhm Scholarship
Status: 13.01.2025

1. The scholarship

The Gottfried Böhm Scholarship supports architects or urban planners in the postgraduate phase who are particularly interested in the connection between architecture and urban development. Under the patronage of Cologne's mayor Henriette Reker the one-year residency scholarship takes place in the metropolis of Cologne. The scholarship holder is given the opportunity to work for one year on creative and visionary tasks in architecture and urban development for Cologne and its periphery.
The Verein der Freunde und Förderer der Technischen Hochschule Köln e.V. (Association of Friends and Sponsors of the Cologne University of Applied Sciences) has appointed a jury of experts to decide on the award of the scholarship. There is no legal claim to the granting of a scholarship.

2. The scholarship benefit

The scholarship holder is given the opportunity to work for one year on creative and visionary tasks in architecture and urban development for Cologne and its periphery. For this period he or she will receive free accommodation, a workplace in a creative environment in the heart of the city and a monthly grant totaling 2,500 euros. The scholarship is offered and supervised by the Verein der Freunde und Förderer der Technischen Hochschule Köln e.V. (Association of Friends and Sponsors of the Cologne University of Applied Sciences).

The scholarship holder is given:

  • a one-year residence scholarship: living & working in Cologne,
  • free accommodation,
  • a monthly scholarship amount of 2,500 euros,
  • a workspace for free use in a professional environment in the field of architecture,
  • a professional tutor during the one-year residency.

3. Requirements for an application

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • have completed a master's degree in architecture or urban planning no later than 5/31/2025,
  • be a non-employee, freelance architect or urban planner,
  • no longer be enrolled at any university during the period of the fellowship, with the exception of doctoral students,
  • not have previously completed a postgraduated fellowship,
  • as non-EU citizens, undertake to ensure that their residence permit does not preclude self-employment for the duration of their stay,  
  • are not in receipt of any other funding from the City of Cologne in the funding year,
  • have language skills in German or English, either as a native speaker or with C1 language skills.

What must the application contain?

  • personal data: name, address, telephone number and e-mail address
  • proof of identity (identity card, passport document or passport substitute)
  • letter of motivation (obligatory, 1 page)
  • curriculum vitae (obligatory, max. 2 pages)
  • project proposal for a creative, experimental and visionary planning task on urban planning-architectural topics in the city of Cologne and its periphery (obligatory, max. 6 pages)
  • evidence of urban planning and architectural experience (optional, max. 6 pages)
  • 1-3 letters of recommendation (optional)
  • 1-3 scientific publications on your own work (optional)
  • your application file to upload, the file name should read: name_first_name_residence_2025.pdf
  • in German or English language
  • submission until 31.05.2025, 23:59 at the latest.

4. Consent to the processing of personal data

In accordance with Article 6 (1) subparagraph 1 letter a) DS-GVO and Article 7 DS-GVO, the applicant consents to his or her personal data being processed for the purpose of implementing the scholarship program by the Verein der Freunde und Förderer der Technischen Hochschule Köln e.V. within the meaning of Article 4 number 7 DS-GVO and that her or his personal data will be passed on to the service provider commissioned by the Verein der Freunde und Förderer der Technischen Hochschule Köln e.V. (processor within the meaning of Article 4 number 8 DS-GVO) within the framework of the scholarship program for the purpose of reviewing the application documents and the jury decision. The applicant declares that he or she gives this consent voluntarily.
The applicant may at any time, within the scope of his or her right to object, modify or revoke the consent with effect for the future vis-à-vis the Verein der Freunde und Förderer der Technischen Hochschule e.V. without stating reasons. The revocation does not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent until the revocation. The revocation is possible without any formal requirements. It is sufficient for this e.g. an e-mail to gb-stipendium@th-koeln.de.

5. Duties of the scholarship

Acceptance of the scholarship obliges the scholarship holder:

  • to be present in Cologne for at least 280 days during the residency,
  • regularly participate in exchange meetings with the tutor (at least 6 dates during the residency year),
  • to meet with stakeholders and interest groups on the Gottfried Böhm Fellowship and around the topic of the planned work during his/her residency,
  • to present the interim results of his/her work to representatives of the expert jury eight weeks before the end of the fellowship,
  • to publicly present and discuss the final results of his/her work in the last month of the residency scholarship,
  • to grant the Verein der Freunde und Förderer der Technischen Hochschule e.V. (Association of Friends and Sponsors of the Cologne University of Technology) unrestricted publication rights to his/her work, but not exclusively. Otherwise, the copyright and publication rights remain unrestrictedly with the scholarship holder.

Cologne, 11.5.2023