Frequently Asked Questions

The next Berlin Science Week edition will take place from 1-10 November 2026 in Berlin. Updates will be shared on our website, via our newsletter, and on LinkedIn and Instagram. 

If you are interested in collaborating with us and would like to be informed about our partnership offers, get in touch via info@berlinscienceweek.com to be added to our partner mailing list.  

Berlin Science Week is for the curious. The programme is primarily aimed at adults with an interest in science, society, and culture, while also offering selected formats suitable for families and younger audiences. 

We create spaces for participation and knowledge exchange for anyone interested in engaging with today’s scientific breakthroughs and challenges through fact-based, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary discussions. 

We take a broad view of science and collaborate with institutions across all fields of research, including the social sciences and humanities. However, we only accept events based on thorough, verifiable research.    

In addition to academic and research institutions, we also collaborate with organisations from industry and the private sector to highlight new developments and innovations. The programme also includes a dedicated Art & Science programme, developed together with independent practitioners and collectives as well as institutions.

• January 2026 –  March 2026: Early Engagement & Festival Partnerships
• April 2026: Call for Participation opens & 2026 Festival Theme announced
• Summer 2026: Programme development and confirmation
• September 2026: Programme launch & citywide campaign
• 1–10 November 2026: Berlin Science Week 2026 

There are several ways to engage with Berlin Science Week, depending on your role and interest: 

• Host an event at a venue of your choice in the Citywide Programme: Institutions, organisations, collectives, and independent spaces can host independently organised public events in-house or at other venues during the festival. 
   
• Organise an event in our Festival Centre Programme: Institutions and organisations can take part as Programme Partners by booking an exhibition stand or hosting an event at our Festival Centre, developed in close collaboration with and produced by the Berlin Science Week team. Individuals without financial backing can apply through the Call for Participation to present their research at the Festival Centre. 
   
• Apply for the Art & Science Programme: Art & Science practitioners can apply through the Call for Participation to present an event or artwork as part of the Art & Science Programme at the Festival Centre. This programme is designed for individuals lacking financial backing. Institutions may also become part of the Art & Science Programme by booking a slot in the Festival Centre. 
   
• Collaborate at a festival-wide level: Organisations from across science, culture, academia, policy, industry, and media can maximise their visibility and commission projects as Festival Partners.
   
• Volunteer with Berlin Science Week: Individuals can support the festival by volunteering onsite during Berlin Science Week from 1-10 November. 

Berlin Science Week stands for high-quality science for everyone in a diverse and open society. We believe science can only fulfil its potential when it is embraced as a vital part of everyday life. At Berlin Science Week, our mission is to strengthen the role of science in building a more resilient society. By placing cutting-edge research at the heart of cultural life, we make science understandable, approachable, and accessible to those it is meant to empower. 

Discrimination, hate speech, and political propaganda have no place at Berlin Science Week, on site and online. Please find our detailed Guiding Principles here.

We reserve the right to decline events or collaborations that do not align with these principles. 

Yes, absolutely! Berlin Science Week is supported each year by a small team of dedicated volunteers who help out during the festival and support activities on site. 

The Call for Volunteers opens in September 2026. Volunteer roles are voluntary and come with an expense allowance. To receive this allowance, volunteers need to be able to issue an invoice. 

To stay informed, we recommend subscribing to our newsletter and following us on LinkedIn and Instagram, where we share all updates about the call. 

The Call for Participation for Berlin Science Week 2026 will open on 21 April 2026. 

You can already: 

• Reach out to our team to become a Festival Partner and begin designing your participation in Berlin Science Week 2026
• Get in touch via email to express interest in contributing as a programme partner
• Explore our partnership opportunities
• Sign up for our newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to stay informed 

The Call for Participation is open to individuals, collectives, institutions, and organisations whose work engages with verifiable, reputable science, including projects from art, culture, education, or technology that demonstrate a clear scientific connection. 

All programme participation for Berlin Science Week 2026 starts with the Call for Participation on 21 April 2026. From there, the information on our website and our team will guide you through the process.  

If you’d like to place your organisation at the heart of the programme by becoming a Festival Partner, please reach out to our team as soon as possible so we can begin planning our collaboration.  

• Citywide Events: Citywide Events are independently organised and funded by their hosts. Once the Call for Participation opens, events need to be officially registered via a dedicated registration link. Contributors can also book an optional consultation with the team to discuss format, timing, and festival integration. This consultation also provides an opportunity to learn more about additional, paid communication packages and potential synergies within the festival programme. All registered events are checked by the Berlin Science Week team to ensure alignment with the festival’s guiding principles.
   
• Festival Centre formats: Festival Centre formats are curated and developed in close collaboration with the Berlin Science Week team. Institutions organising events at the Festival Centre benefit from full production services and additional support from the team in organising and developing their format. Interested institutions are asked to book a consultation —available once the Call for Participation launches— to discuss format, production scope, communication, and integration into the festival. Participation in the Festival Centre requires a fee.  
   
• Independent contributors and organisations without financial backing can apply through the Call for Participation and may be selected for the funded programme. 

Participation depends on the format: 

• Citywide Events are free of charge and independently organised and funded by their hosts. 
   
• Festival Centre formats involve professional production and are developed in close collaboration with the Berlin Science Week team and therefore require a participation fee. 
   
• Independent contributors and organisations without financial backing may be eligible for funding, subject to a selection process. 

These possibilities allow us to combine professional production standards with fair and open access to the festival. 
 

Yes, for Festival Centre events, Berlin Science Week supports selected contributions by providing production services and, where needed, limited financial support in the form of presentation fees for contributors without access to other resources. Events are expected to be conceptually and technically feasible within the given setup and do not receive full project funding. Full eligibility criteria and details will be shared when the Call for Participation opens. 

Berlin Science Week works with partners in several ways, depending on goals, scope, and level of involvement: 

• Festival Partnerships: Strategic, festival-wide collaborations designed for organisations looking to strengthen their brand’s position in science, benefit from high visibility, and connect with Europe’s science ecosystem. 

• Programme Partnerships: Participation through the annual Call for Participation, contributing events or formats to the festival programme in the Festival Centre or as part of the Citywide Programme.
   
• Media Partnerships: Media partners spread the word and share the stories behind the groundbreaking work happening across scientific institutions. These are partnerships with media outlets such as newspapers or radio stations, as well as social media accounts, that bring attention to the festival programme.  
  

Further information on partnership opportunities is available here.

• For strategic Festival Partnerships for the upcoming edition, we ask that you get in touch as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for joint development. 
   
• Programme contributions can be submitted once the Call for Participation opens on 21 April 2026. 
   
• Media partnerships can be initiated until October 2026. 

No. Berlin Science Week works with a wide range of partners, from large institutions to smaller organisations, individuals and cross-sector initiatives, depending on scope and goals. 

Yes! Berlin Science Week works with partners from Germany and internationally. The Festival Centre is particularly well suited for international partners, as the organisation and on-site implementation are handled centrally by the Berlin Science Week team, keeping the operational effort for partners to a minimum. 

Each year, we run an extensive communication campaign for the festival as a whole. Our main focus is creating visibility for the entirety of the programme, and motivating visitors to engage with our offer and discover the events that best suit their interests.  

All accepted events are included in the official Berlin Science Week programme and featured on the website, thus benefiting from the overall visibility created through our campaign. Festival highlights, individual features, event tracks, and the overall editorial focus are curated by the programme and communications teams. Individual event features might be possible but are not guaranteed as part of standard participation.  

Additionally, we provide free media and branding kits to all partners, to support their own communication efforts. We strongly encourage our partners to focus on individual promotion of their events for the highest possible reach during the festival. 

Yes. Beyond programme inclusion, partners may choose to complement their participation with communication packages, which can be discussed and tailored during the consultation process. Predefined communication packages will be published when the Call for Participation launches. 

No. Media coverage cannot be guaranteed and depends on editorial decisions by the Berlin Science Week communications team and external media outlets. 

Partners may, however, choose to complement their participation with communication packages, which can support curated visibility or inclusion within agreed communication contexts. 

If your organisation is interested in partnering with Berlin Science Week — whether through strategic collaboration, communication initiatives, or programme participation — we invite you to explore the information on our Partnerships page.  

If you feel there’s a good fit, please get in touch with us by email info@berlinscienceweek.com.