Humboldt Research Fellowship

No, an English language certificate is not required.

You can apply if you can prove that your academic performance is equivalent to a Ph.D., e.g. by academic publications in internationally reviewed journals and for publishing houses. Should this be the case, you may apply to the programme for experienced researchers, however, only until up to 16 years after you obtained your first university degree (Master's degree, Diploma, etc.). It is, furthermore, possible to apply to the programme for experienced researchers if you hold an academic position that is equivalent to or higher than Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer / Reader etc., regardless of the date of your first university degree, within the first twelve years of working in this position. Please send us your CV and a list of your publications before you apply so we can advise you (info[at]avh.de).

You may apply if you will complete your doctorate before the envisaged selection meeting. If selected, you must complete your doctorate before commencing the research fellowship. Please note that your application will be rejected for formal reasons if your dissertation has not been published and you do not have any further academic publications at the time of application.

The relevant date is that of completing the final academic part of the doctoral process (e.g., defence of thesis, doctoral viva). This date will usually be included on your doctoral certificate alongside the date of issue. The key date for calculating the period following your doctorate is the date on which your application is received by the Humboldt Foundation.

If you are unable to submit your application before the closure of the application portal, your application will be considered to have been received on the date on which the portal closed, provided that you submit it no more than 14 days after the next call opens.

In the case of multiple doctorates, the effective date is that of the first doctoral degree (PhD/CSc.).

We cannot consider your application for a fellowship for postdocs if your doctorate was completed more than four years ago. In case you have a clearly recognisable own research profile and are already working at the level of at least assistant professor, lecturer or head of an  independent research group, and have publications in thematic leadership, you can apply for a fellowship for experienced researchers. If you have passed the deadline, an exception may be made in well-founded cases (e.g. recognition of parental leave). Please send us your CV and a list of your publications before you apply so we can advise you (info[at]avh.de).

We cannot consider your application if you obtained your doctorate more than twelve years ago. If your doctorate is older than this, an exception may be made in well-founded cases (e.g. recognition of parental leave). Please send us your CV and a list of your publications before you apply so we can advise you (info[at]avh.de).

Yes. You should, however, already have your own clearly recognisable research profile and be working at the level of at least assistant professor, lecturer or head of an independent research group.

Periods in which you interrupted your academic activities after completing your doctorate in order to rear children may be taken into account as career breaks after examination. The proportionate offsetting of such periods is also possible. Please always indicate child-rearing periods when filling in our application form.
Mothers can claim two extra years for each child born after their PhD plus any further verifiable parenting periods. Fathers and other persons responsible for raising children are only credited with verifiable parenting periods.
In general, postdocs may apply up to four years, and experienced researchers up to twelve years after completing their doctorates. Recognized child-rearing periods may correspondingly extend these maximum timeframes during which the submission of applications is possible. The extension is limited to 6 years.
Please contact info[at]avh.de if you have any questions.

Periods in which you interrupted your academic activities after completing your doctorate in order to perform military or alternative service, to care for close relatives, due to long-term illness, or, for example, to care for children or due to the closure of institutes during a lockdown imposed to control an epidemic may be taken into account as career breaks after examination. The proportionate offsetting of such career breaks is also possible. Please always indicate career breaks when filling in our application form.
Job hunting, unemployment and non-academic employment do not count as career breaks.
In general, postdocs may apply up to four years, and experienced researchers up to twelve years after completing their doctorates. Recognized career breaks may correspondingly extend these maximum timeframes during which the submission of applications is possible. The extension is limited to 6 years.
Please contact info[at]avh.de if you have any questions.

Yes, because the assessment of academic achievements is always made on an individual basis at the Humboldt Foundation. Therefore, when filling in the application form, please specify all periods in which you partially or completely interrupted your academic activities after finishing your doctorate in order to rear children.
The voluntary disclosure of private circumstances may help increase equal opportunities during the selection process. The consideration of your personal circumstances allows for a fairer assessment of your academic achievements.
Please contact info[at]avh.de if you have any questions.

Yes, because the assessment of academic achievements is always made on an individual basis at the Humboldt Foundation. Therefore, when filling in the application form, please specify all periods in which you partially or completely interrupted your academic activities after finishing your doctorate in order to perform military or alternative service, to care for close relatives, due to long-term illness, or, for example, to care for children or due to the closure of institutes during a lockdown imposed to control an epidemic.

Job hunting, unemployment and non-academic employment do not count as career breaks.

The voluntary disclosure of private circumstances may help increase equal opportunities during the selection process. The consideration of your personal circumstances allows for a fairer assessment of your academic achievements.
Please contact info[at]avh.de if you have any questions.

Equal opportunities and diversity are important pillars of the Humboldt Foundation’s funding policies. If your career path has been impacted by personal limitations or structural issues, e.g. difficult research conditions, gender-specific discrimination or cultural barriers to mobility, please include this information so that such circumstances can be taken into consideration in your favour.

You can find the Humboldt Foundation’s statement on equal opportunities as well as information on the support we provide under Equal opportunities for researchers.

If your primary life focus (nationality and permanent residence) is in a developing or transition country (see list of countries) and your research is of relevance for that country’s (or region’s) further development (see examples below), we recommend that you apply for a George Forster Research Fellowship. A persuasive presentation of your work’s relevance for development in your region is one of the key criteria used when your application is evaluated. For projects that would be classified as basic research, we recommend applying for a Humboldt Research Fellowship. 

Examples of applications that are relevant to development:

Example 1: Food security for children in Nigeria

Food contaminated with mycotoxins, which are toxic metabolites produced by mould, presents a major challenge for people in Nigeria. As part of her Georg Forster fellowship, a Humboldtian is using biomonitoring to establish the extent to which Nigerian children and youths are exposed to mycotoxins from the foods they eat. She hopes this will help make food safer for Nigeria’s population.

Example 2: Climate change and stressed plants

Plants under heat and drought stress emit a range of volatile organic compounds. During her stay in Germany, a Humboldtian from Latin America is researching the impact of these emissions on air quality and changes to the climate. The results will be used to develop sustainable adaptation and prevention strategies specifically for her region of origin, providing political stakeholders with a solid scientific basis for decision-making.

Example 3: Theoretical physics in Cameroon

A physicist from Cameroon is conducting research into the highly topical and dynamic issue of quantum many-particle systems out of equilibrium. As he works with a leading West African centre of mathematics and is highly committed to teaching, his research in theoretical physics sets an example for junior academics, contributing significantly to the inclusion of African countries in basic research developments and the establishment of this subject area in Cameroon. The topic is moreover relevant to applications in quantum technologies, especially in quantum information – a recent advancement in solid-state physics –, which may in turn lead to potential applications around specific industrial problems.

Example 4: Improved tax enforcement through international co-operation

Audits that can be conducted across borders and jointly by international teams (joint tax audits) have proven a valuable tool in the battle against tax evasion. During her Georg Forster stay in Germany, a Humboldtian from the Republic of Moldova is examining the benefits of joint tax audits with the aim of formulating recommendations for the advancement of international tax legislation. In this way, she hopes to contribute to the integration of her country of origin into international tax law systems.

Example 5: Water reservoirs

Silted-up water reservoirs are a major problem for Iran’s water supply systems. During his stay in Germany, an Iranian Humboldtian is working on methods to reduce impurities in water. His existing contacts and excellent local networks will allow him to transfer these methods to his country of origin.

Examples of applications that were rejected by the Georg Forster programme due to insufficient development relevance:

Example 1: Research into neuro-degenerative diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases are a huge problem for sufferers worldwide. Researching and developing suitable treatment options requires cost-intensive scientific equipment. An applicant intended to expand his abilities regarding the use of such technology; it was however not apparent from his application how the skills to be acquired in Germany could be practically applied in his country of origin without the corresponding infrastructure.

Example 2: Expanding cosmological models

An applicant’s research project aimed to expand cosmological models (theoretical physics). She had convincingly demonstrated added value for the advancement of her discipline; however, the peer review was unable to identify any relevance to societal, economic and/or political progress for science and research in the applicant’s country/region of origin.

Example 3: Developing new materials for cutting-edge photonic applications

The availability of chiral chromophores, which emit circularly polarised light, is potentially of interest for a variety of applications, for example in quantum and information technology, and could therefore also be significant to the applicant’s country of origin. It was however not possible to derive any direct impact of the envisaged findings on sustainable development for the applicant’s country of origin, as the highly advanced scientific infrastructure required for further development does not exist there.

1. Natural scientists and engineers: good knowledge of German or English is sufficient.
2. Scholars in the humanities and social sciences: should have knowledge of German if it is necessary to carry out their research successfully. In this case, a German language certificate confirming proficiency must be submitted. Otherwise, a good knowledge of English is sufficient.
3. Physicians: if the research involves work with patients, the candidate must have a good knowledge of German (language certificate required). Otherwise, a good knowledge of English is sufficient.

No, a language certificate is not required.

You are eligible to apply if you hold a research doctorate or a comparable academic degree.

In addition, please read our Admission Questionnaire for Physicians (MD / Dr. med.) for detailed information.

If you have several research doctorates, the above mentioned FAQ on the subject of "several doctorates" applies.

The aim of the programme is to enable highly qualified academics from abroad to come to Germany to conduct a research stay here. Applicants should therefore be living and/or working outside Germany at the time of application.

In the 18-month period prior to the submission of the application, eligible applicants must not have stayed in Germany for more than a total of 90 accumulated days. Any time spent in Germany within those 18 months is taken into account, regardless of duration or reason. If you are unable to submit your application before the closure of the application portal, your application will be considered to have been received on the date on which the portal closed, provided that you submit it no more than 14 days after the next call opens.

Individuals who in the last 18 months have earned their living with funding from German institutions or who have worked on a doctoral project at an institution in Germany for more than 90 days, are not eligible to apply, regardless of their place of residence.

If you are already in Germany, please first check whether you are still able to meet the above requirement. Formal eligibility of the application cannot be definitively assessed until the application is received.

German citizens and/or educational residents* (see following FAQ) are generally ineligible to apply if they have been in Germany within the last 18 months prior to receipt of their application or are already in Germany at the time of applying.

If in doubt, please contact us before submitting your application so we can advise you (info[at]avh.de).

* Educational residents are individuals who have completed their school education and a university degree, or a university degree and their doctorate in Germany.

The aim of the programme is to enable highly qualified academics from abroad to come to Germany to conduct a research stay here. German citizens/educational residents* are thus not the target group of this funding programme. You are however eligible to apply if you are permanently working abroad and intend to return abroad immediately following the requested research stay.

We consider you to be permanently established in a foreign country if you have unquestionably been living and working abroad

1. for more than 10 years;
2. for more than 5 years and meet one of the following criteria that unequivocally indicate strong ties to your current country of residence:
   1. a permanent/tenured position;
   2. additional citizenship of your country of residence;
   3. permanent permission to reside in your current country of residence (e.g. permanent residence permit, green card etc.). Permission to reside based solely on your citizenship (e.g. for EU citizens as part of EU freedom of movement) is not accepted;
   4. other indications that you intend to permanently return to your current country of residence

German citizens and/or educational residents* are generally ineligible to apply if they have been in Germany within the last 18 months prior to receipt of their application or are already in Germany at the time of applying.

If you intend to apply in order to prepare your permanent return to Germany, we recommend that you instead apply to the “Temporary Positions” programme of the DFG.
If in doubt, we would ask to send us only your complete CV and a list of your publications, so that we can advise you. Please state which criterion applies to you (info[at]avh.de).

* Educational residents are individuals who have completed their school education and a university degree, or a university degree and their doctorate in Germany.

Any researcher working at a university or research institution in Germany who offers to make research facilities available for the research stay may act as your host.

If you have already worked in Germany for a longer period of time (12 months or more) you should look for a new academic environment for another guest stay in Germany. Applications that involve returning to the supervisor of the doctoral thesis or to the mentor of a longer postdoctoral stay are generally rejected by the Selection Committee on the basis of a lack of further independent academic development.

Individuals with whom you are in a close personal (marriage or civil partnership) or familial (parents, siblings, children) relationship cannot be selected as hosts.

You are free to choose your own academic host. The Humboldt Foundation does not provide any direct support in finding a host.

We would like to draw your attention to the following search engines for hosts and research institutes:

• Institutes at German universities and other research institutions
  Searchable Portal (GERiT) of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• Research facilities, disciplines and research in Germany (only in German)
  Research portal of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
• Research Map
  Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK)
• Research facilities, researchers and projects of the DFG in Germany and worldwide
  GEPRIS - Database of the German Research Foundation
• Research facilities, disciplines and researchers in Germany and worldwide
  World of Learning
• KISSWIN
  Communication and information platform on career paths and funding opportunities for junior academics

We would also like to draw your attention to the open access part of the Network Online. This database features a large proportion of the Foundation's more than 25,000 academics sponsored worldwide. Here you can search for names, disciplines and keywords.

Yes. If the hosts work at different research institutes, they must each provide a host's statement and confirmation that research facilities can be made available.

In general the host institute will receive an allowance for research costs of €800 per month for research in the field of natural sciences and engineering, and €500 for research in the field of humanities or social sciences.

Please see the respective FAQ of the Department Sponsorship and Network.

Corresponding to the three selection rounds per year, there will be three calls for applications annually, each opening approximately eight months before the respective selection meeting. Once a call has reached the maximum number of currently 800 applications, the application round will be closed. Applicants who have already started their application at that time will be able to save and continue working on it but will not be able to submit  until the next call opens.  

Calls schedule:

Please note that your application will only be forwarded to the Humboldt Foundation once your host has uploaded and submitted all the necessary documents. 

The date used to determine whether the applicant meets certain formal requirements, such as career stage limitations and stays in Germany, is the date on which the Humboldt Foundation receives the respective application. If you are unable to submit your application before the closure of the application portal, your application will be considered to have been received on the date on which the portal closed, provided that you submit it no more than 14 days after the next call opens.

A graphic display of the complete application process can be found above on this page.

No, it is not possible to apply to several fellowship programmes concurrently. Should you be rejected by any of them, you may, however, apply to any other programme as long as you fulfil the formal requirements.

On principle, it is possible to file parallel applications. You must, however, indicate this on the application form and inform us immediately of any other applications you submit and any other sponsorship decisions that occur while we are considering your application.

Under certain circumstances, research fellows may conduct research outside Germany during the sponsorship period if this is necessary to successfully carry out the research project (e.g. for field research, archive visits, experiments at specific facilities or cooperation with other research institutions) or for personal or organisational reasons (e.g. family obligations, health issues).

Fellows are only eligible to conduct research stays outside Germany if their research project is carried out at the host institute in Germany for a duration of at least six months, and the total duration of their research stays outside Germany should usually not exceed 25 percent of the expected total funding period.

Conducting research stays outside Germany at the very beginning or the end of the funding period is only permitted in exceptional cases as stays at these times could put the fellow’s integration and successful completion of the research project at the host institute at risk.

Additional earnings from freelance work or employment or from fellowships in the country where the research stay outside Germany takes place must be reported and will usually be deducted from the fellowship amount.

Applicants must apply for a stay of at least six months, which can, however, be divided up into two blocks of three months.

The research stay or language course can usually begin 12 months after the selection decision at the latest. Under certain circumstances, the start may be postponed for up to 12 months.

Please refer to our current programme information for details.

No, the fellowship cannot be paid retroactively.

A two- to four-month language course takes place immediately prior to the start of the research fellowship. The language fellowship is not part of the research fellowship. (In other words, if you apply for a two-month language course in connection with a 12-month research stay in Germany, your stay will last a total of 14 months.)

The intensive German language course can only be taken immediately prior to the start of the research fellowship. If this is not possible, you may apply for funds to attend evening classes during the research fellowship.

There is no obligation to take a language course. However, the Humboldt Foundation strongly encourages all its fellows and their partners to learn German during their research stay so that they can fully participate in social and cultural life in Germany.

If the fellow's own institution does not cover travel expenses, the Humboldt Foundation will pay a single lump sum for return travel. The Humboldt Foundation will only pay travel expenses for family members in exceptional circumstances.

The Humboldt Foundation welcomes the idea that fellows' partners and children should accompany them and encourages this by paying family allowances in addition to the fellowship, provided that the family members accompany the fellow for more than three months.You can find further information on support for single parents and families in the FAQ for women academics and families.

There are three Selection Committee Meetings each year: in March, July and November.
If you are coming from abroad, the earliest you may begin the fellowship period is usually two months (three months if you need a visa) after your application has been approved by the Selection Committee. If you are already in Germany, you can start at the beginning of the following month at the earliest.

Your expert reviewers upload the required documents in a secure area themselves, adding them to your application form. You can find the links to this area in the application form. Please send these links on a timely basis to your designated scientists/academics.

Once all the documents have been uploaded and while the application portal remains open, you will be able to submit your application. Upon this, your host will receive an email containing a link to your application form and the attached documents with a request to provide a host’s statement and submit a mentoring agreement. Please note that your application will not be forwarded to the Humboldt Foundation until your host has submitted all the required documentation for your application. You can check the current status of your application in the corresponding field of the application form.

You are responsible for ensuring that your documents are complete.

Expert reviews should not be more than 12 months old at the time of application.

The expert review should assess your development as a researcher, your potential, and your academic accomplishments to date. It is, therefore, important that expert reviewers are well acquainted with your academic work to date. You must submit two expert reviews. Postdocs must submit expert reviews from their doctoral supervisor and one other academic, preferably from outside their own institute. Experienced researchers must submit expert reviews from important collaborative partners and/or academics from their own institute and further institutes, if possible, from abroad. Please note: The host's statement does not count as an expert review! You are responsible for requesting all expert reviews; the host documents will be uploaded by your host after you have submitted the application.

Select those of your publications that particularly highlight your qualification for the requested sponsorship. Include these works in the list of key publications. Please follow the instructions in our sample. Publications must be uploaded as unencrypted PDF files.

If you wish to cite your dissertation or habilitation as a key publication but have not yet submitted it for printing, please upload the original manuscript of your doctoral or habilitation thesis.

Before uploading, please check the accuracy of the information provided in your publication lists (complete list, list of key publications). Information that does not match the actual publication can lead to rejection of your application on formal grounds and may constitute a violation of the Rules of Good Scientific Practice, resulting in sanctions.

Please only cite publications that are already in print, have been accepted for publication or have at least been submitted to a publishing house. Please cite submitted publications without naming the journal or publishing house on your publication list. In the latter case you must include the acknowledgement of receipt from the publisher; in the case of publications that have been accepted, please include the letter of acceptance from the publisher. We will remove any papers from the list that have not yet been submitted or that lack the required confirmations.
Exception: Your dissertation or habilitation may be cited as a key publication even if you have not yet submitted it to a publisher. If you wish to cite your dissertation or habilitation as a key publication but have not yet submitted it for printing, please upload the original manuscript of your doctoral or habilitation thesis.

Yes. As soon as you complete your doctorate, we need at least official confirmation from your university. You will not be able to start the fellowship without this confirmation.

You should choose works which present your most important academic results. In cases of multiple authorship you should select those to which you have made a major contribution. If you are an experienced researcher, only select papers on which you acted as thematic lead. List recently published items to highlight your current potential. Please note that you cannot amend your selection of key publications once the selection process has begun.

You must cite at least one key publication and may select up to three key publications. Additional publications will not be accepted (exception: You may optionally submit published reviews of your key publications by other authors). Surplus key publications will be removed from the list without notifying the applicant.

Please address the particular academic relevance of the results contained in the key publication and briefly explain the significance of the publication for your academic profile (cf. Sample key publications, PDF). Experienced researchers should provide details of their role as thematic lead on the paper. In cases of multiple authorship please also indicate your own personal contribution to the publication.

Yes. Please cite all your publications in the complete list of publications, including your key publications. An unpublished dissertation or habilitation, however, may not be listed in the complete list of publications. In this list the key publications should be cited without explanations (cf. Sample publication list). Please check the accuracy of the information provided. Information that does not match the actual publication can lead to rejection of your application on formal grounds and may constitute a violation of the Rules of Good Scientific Practice, resulting in sanctions.
Please note that it is not possible to amend the list of publications submitted to the Humboldt Foundation once the selection process has begun.

As soon as we receive your application, we will notify you by email.

Your application will be checked upon receipt to ensure that it is complete and meets the formal requirements for eligibility. We shall only be able to inform you about the expected decision date when we have received all the required documents. Once the review process by independent reviewers has been initiated, it is not possible to submit or exchange any documentation. If any papers or books that have only been submitted for publication at the time of application should subsequently be accepted, you should send us a copy of the acceptance letter immediately by email. This information can be fed into the process prior to the selection meeting. It is not possible to add to the publication list once the procedure has started.

When all the documents have been received we shall notify you about the proposed date of the selection meeting. Should the peer review process of your application take longer than expected you will also be informed if it becomes unavoidable to postpone the date of the decision.

Your application will be reviewed by independent peer reviewers.

The final decision on all applications is made by the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee consists of researchers of all disciplines who decide on all applications by majority vote. The Humboldt Foundation has no vote on the Selection Committee.

If your application is not approved, you may send an informal email requesting feedback to be sent to you and your host on the reasons for the rejection. This will usually follow approximately four to six weeks after the selection committee meeting. Please note that we cannot provide any personalised information before this juncture so as not to delay the notification process.

We shall notify you and your academic host about the decision by email in the days immediately following the selection meeting. At larger selection meetings it may take a few days longer to contact all the applicants and academic hosts.

Looking ahead to the upcoming meetings of the selection committee, we expect that 20 – 25% of the applications received will be approved.

The essential aspect of the application is the individual applicant's academic qualification. Please refer to the relevant programme information for more details on the selection criteria.

It is possible to re-apply. The new application should, however, differ significantly from the original, rejected application. Generally, it makes sense to re-apply after developing one's academic profile, e.g. after academical publications have been accepted by internationally reviewed journals and publishing houses. Our experience shows that applicants should wait about two years before re-applying. Submitting a new application that differs little or not at all from the rejected original may result in a formal rejection of the new application.

In the case of unanimously rejected applications, a new application will be accepted only after 18 months.

Insufficient publication record:

In particular, applicants who apply upon completion of their doctoral thesis should ensure that the key findings of the doctoral thesis (key publications) are already published or have been accepted for publication. In case of doubt, it is a good idea to wait for several months before submitting the application until evidence can be provided that the key publications have been accepted.

Lack of academic development:

The chosen research project should not be a direct continuation of the doctoral thesis or of the academic work carried out to date. Returning to the same academic environment, e.g. returning to the supervisor of the doctoral thesis or the mentor of longer postdoctoral research (more than 12 months), or returning to a host institute where a longer research stay has already taken place, generally results in the rejection of applications on the basis of a lack of further independent academic development.

Lack of originality:

In the qualitative assessment of the key publications and of the research outline, the independent peer reviewers focus in particular on the originality of the work and the associated impetus for further development in this research area. If these aspects are not immediately apparent, if the research concerns more routine work or if the aims of the planned research and its significance for the continued development of the subject area are not clearly presented, applications are generally rejected.

Lack of personal academic profile, academic establishment:

In the experienced researchers' programme segment, the personal academic profile is of major importance for the assessment of applications by the independent peer reviewers and committee members. Therefore, applications are frequently rejected if

• no or insufficient publications are available in sole authorship or as a corresponding author, resp. with unclear thematic leadership of the key publications;
• the applicants’ topics are too narrowly focused;
• no clear continued academic development is apparent;
• the research project is not clearly aligned with the research interests of the applicant;
• after several postdoctoral positions, another "traditional" postdoctoral position is applied for without the applicant becoming independently established academically in the meantime.