The ISA Scholarship represents a forward-thinking evolution of the International Sustainability Academy’s legacy: combining everything that made ISA impactful from 2019 to 2024 with new, innovative enhancements to create a more sustainable impact.
Starting in 2025, up to 12 fellows per year will be selected through an improved multi-phase process designed to identify visionary changemakers from DAC countries who are ready to take their sustainable development projects to the next level.
A Smarter, Stronger Structure
The journey begins with a 2-month online training phase, where 20 pre-selected candidates receive expert-led coaching to refine their projects, assess feasibility, and strengthen their support structures. This phase ensures that by the time the top 12 fellows arrive in Hamburg for the 9-month residency, they are equipped for maximum impact.
A major innovation in ISA Plus is the active involvement of our Alumni Network:
- Fellows may be nominated by ISA alumni operating in their countries, especially in regions where ISA projects are already active.
- Outstanding alumni will take on new roles as mentors and multipliers, guiding the next generation of fellows and helping to embed ISA’s values and methodologies in local contexts.
The Hamburg phase now includes 5-months of personal development and project design and an extended 3-month internship, connecting fellows to cutting-edge sustainability organizations. The implementation period has been extended to up to 4 months without an extension of the stipend. ISA and expert partners will support fellows as they begin implementing their projects back home, ensuring a smoother, more impactful transition.
During their time in Hamburg, fellows engage in:
- Focused research and project development with expert guidance from ISA, partner universities, and research institutions
- Peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, fostering cross-cultural collaboration among fellows
- Customized internships and visits to best-practice institutions and companies, tailored to each fellow’s project goals
- Specialized training sessions, skill-building workshops, and ongoing mentoring
- A 6-week German language course to support integration and communication
Fellows are hosted in shared flats, with their workstations, return flights, accommodation, health insurance, and stipend all fully covered by the scholarship—pending available funding.
⚠️ Please Note:
The duration of the scholarship and stay in Hamburg may be adjusted depending on available funding. Flexibility will allow the program to continue, even if funding is limited.
A Call for Sponsorship
ISA is ready to relaunch—but it can only happen with your support.
The ISA Plus Scholarship cannot be reactivated without new funding. We are calling on development partners, foundations, institutions, philanthropies and private sponsors who believe in the power of grassroots leadership, SDG implementation, and global-local collaboration.
Your sponsorship can reignite one of Germany’s most effective initiatives for sustainable change in the Global South.
Interested in becoming a sponsor or strategic partner? Click here to learn more
