1. The nominee must be recognised internationally as an outstanding researcher in his/her field (e.g. awards, positive responses to publications, etc.).
2. Expectation that the nominee will continue to produce cutting-edge achievements which will have a seminal influence on the discipline.
3. Doctorate completed less than 18 years ago.
4. Detailed expert opinion by an academic working at a research institution in Germany who would like to invite the nominee to spend time researching in Germany.
5. Two expert reviews by important international and one from German collaborative partners and/or academics.
6. The Humboldt Foundation assumes that candidates will abide by the Rules of Good Scientific Practice during the application and sponsorship periods.

Nominations may be sent via postal service to the following address at any time:

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Selection Department,
Jean-Paul-Str. 12, 53173 Bonn, Germany

Selection Committee meetings are held twice a year – currently at the beginning of spring and in early autumn. Please bear in mind that processing the nomination normally takes up to six months. Therefore, nominations should be submitted well before the Selection Committee Meeting targeted.

It is the nominator's responsibility to ensure that he or she has submitted all the necessary documents. Nominations not submitted as a single entity will take longer to process. The documents required in addition to the nomination documents, i.e. the confidential statements by the expert reviewers, can be submitted to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation directly, at the same time as the nomination. Subsequently, independent peer reviewers assess the nominations.

An independent Selection Committee composed of academics from all disciplines makes the final decision on the nominations received. The competition between nominations is international and there are no quotas for countries or disciplines. The Selection Committee makes its decision solely on the basis of the nominees' academic qualifications.

Nominees will be notified about the Selection Committee's decision immediately after the meeting.

To make a nomination, please only use the nomination documents which can be downloaded here.

• Programme information (PDF)
• Nomination form (DOC)
• Guidelines for completing the nomination (PDF)
• Research area index (PDF)
• Sample publication list (PDF)
• List of questions for expert reviewers (PDF)

• Complete nomination documents (PDF/DOC)

One of our hallmarks is the degree of support we try to provide for every single guest researcher. This is why we offer you extra benefits in addition to the award amount: from invitations to events to language courses.

Further information

• Support during research stay

Once a Humboldtian, always a Humboldtian: Even after your initial research stay has come to an end, we shall still maintain close contact with you. Our alumni sponsorship is flexible and designed to support every Humboldtian’s particular path in life and development as well as collaborations between individuals.

Further information

• Alumni programmes