Humboldt Research Fellowship

Humboldt Research Fellowship for postdocs and experienced researchers at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany.

This opportunity supports researchers from all nationalities and research areas (except Germany) for a research stay at a German host institution. It is designed for strong, independent researchers who want to carry out their own project in collaboration with a host in Germany.

Funding: postdocs receive €3,000/month and experienced researchers receive €3,600/month. The fellowship duration is 6–24 months for postdocs and 6–18 months for experienced researchers, with the option to divide the stay into up to three visits within three years. Additional support may include family benefits, private full health insurance subsidies, travel allowances, language course support, personal assistance, and alumni support.

Eligibility highlights: postdocs should normally have completed their doctorate within the last four years, or be finishing it before the selection meeting with a written summary of findings. Experienced researchers should normally have completed their doctorate within the last twelve years and have an extensive publication record plus a leadership role appropriate to their career stage. Applicants must not be German nationals unless they have lived and worked abroad for more than ten years and plan to remain abroad long-term. Applicants should also not have spent more than 90 days in Germany in the 18 months before applying. A German host institution, mentoring agreement, confirmation of research facilities, and two expert reviews are required.

Language requirements: good German or English is required for natural sciences and engineering; for humanities, social sciences, and medicine, good German is required if needed for the research, otherwise good English is sufficient.

Call schedule for 2026: the next call opens on 15 July 2026, with selection in March 2027 and earliest start in May 2027. A later call opens on 15 November 2026, with selection in July 2027 and earliest start in September 2027. The programme is capped at 800 applications per call, so early preparation is strongly recommended.

Applicants should review the formal specifications carefully, prepare all documents in the required format, and submit only when the application is complete and accurate. Incomplete or non-compliant applications may be rejected without further review.