FMS Writers

Fiction Meets Science offers one or two fellowships a year to writers working on a novel, short story collection, or work of narrative nonfiction (biography, documentary, journalism, history, or popular science), in which science is an essential, realistic feature of the book’s themes, plot, structure, or characters.

Now accepting expressions of interest for residencies from Spring 2026 - Winter 2027 


The residency

The FMS Fellows are provided with a private apartment and office space at the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (Institute for Advanced Study), where they connect with the Institute’s interdisciplinary community of guest scientists. During their residencies, the writers are expected to give one reading or lecture and to attend the weekly lectures by the institute’s scientist fellows. Travel expenses and a monthly stipend are provided. Residencies vary from three to ten months (sometimes split over two years), and the timing is  determined on an individual basis, depending on apartment availability at the Hanse and the writer’s own schedule.

Eligibility

Writers who have published at least one book, or comparable short works in reputable journals, may submit a letter of intent, along with a curriculum vitae and publication list. Writing a book can take many years, and we invite writers at any stage of the process from initial conception to final editing.

To be considered for an FMS Fellowship

To apply, please email Susan M Gaines with an expression of interest detailing how you expect to use the residency, as well as a CV and list of publications. If we think you will be a good fit, we will contact you to ask for samples of your work and invite you to a preliminary Zoom interview. Final selections are made by the Director and program administrator at the Hanse in consultation with the FMS Writers Advisory Board.

We consider the writer’s experience and the literary quality of past work, as well as the proposed project, interest in engaging with scientific topics, and willingness to participate in the interdisciplinary life at the Hanse and in the occasional workshop with the FMS scholars (see, for example, the Experimental Encounters workshops).

More information about the intent of the residency program is available here.

The Writers