German Chancellor Fellowship

You may apply if you graduate from your Bachelor's programme before the 1 October of the year following your application. If you take part in an intensive German language course prior to the start of the fellowship, you will have to graduate from your Bachelor’s Programme before the intensive language course starts.

The relevant date is that of completing the final requirement for your Bachelor’s degree (e.g. final examination, defence of thesis, oral final examination). This date will usually be included on your certificate alongside the date of issue.

The key date for calculating the eligibility period after the Bachelor's degree is the 1 October 2024.

In the case of multiple degrees, the valid date is the completion date of the first Bachelor's (or comparable) degree.

Periods in which you interrupted your professional activities or your further studies following your first academic degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) 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 your application form.

Mothers can claim two extra years for each child born after their first academic degree plus any further verifiable parenting periods. Fathers and other persons responsible for raising children are only credited with verifiable parenting periods.

In general, you may apply if you completed your first academic degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) less than 12 years before the 1 October of the year following the application. Recognized child-rearing periods may correspondingly extend this maximum timeframe 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 professional activities or your further studies following your first academic degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) 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 your application form.

Job hunting and unemployment do not count as career breaks.

In general, you may apply if you completed your first academic degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) less than 12 years before 1 October of the year following your application. Recognized career breaks may correspondingly extend this maximum timeframe 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 the previous career 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 professional activities or your further studies following your first academic degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent).

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 previous career.

Please contact info[at]avh.de if you have any questions.

Yes, because the assessment of the previous career 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 professional activities or your further studies following your first academic degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) 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 and unemployment 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 previous career.

Please contact info[at]avh.de if you have any questions.

Applicants who have previously been to Germany must have been predominantly living and working in a programme country (Brazil, People’s Republic of China, India, South Africa, USA) for a minimum of 12 months in the 18-month period prior to the application deadline (15 October of each year). All stays outside the programme countries are taken into account, regardless of their duration and reason.

Any persons who, regardless of their country of residence, have or have had an employment contract with an institution in Germany, are only eligible to apply if if they did not have such an employment contract for a minimum of 12 months within the last 18 months prior to the application deadline. The same applies to persons who are or have been enrolled at a scientific institution in Germany.

Furthermore, any persons who are (co-)founders of a startup (or other institution) in Germany, regardless of their country of residence, are not eligible to apply if they intend to carry out the project applied for at that startup/institution.

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

No, an application for a German Chancellor Fellowship is not possible. If in doubt, send us a seamless CV so that we can then advise you info[at]avh.de.

Applicants who have previously lived in a third country, i.e. neither Germany nor a programme country (Brazil, People’s Republic of China, India, South Africa, USA) must have been predominantly living and working in a programme country for a minimum of 12 months in the 24-month period prior to the application deadline. All stays outside programme countries are taken into account, regardless of their duration and reason.

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

If this is documented on your diploma, you do not need to submit any additional documentation proving your proficiency in English or German.

No, a language certificate is not required.

We cannot consider your application if you completed your first university degree (Bachelor's or comparable) more than twelve years ago. If you have just passed the deadline, an exception may be made in well-founded cases (e.g. recognition of parental leave). The key date for the twelve-year limit is 1 October of the year following your application. Please initially send us your CV so we can advise you. (info[at]avh.de).

Any natural person with close ties to a public or private institution in Germany (e.g. businesses, associations, public administration, NGOs) can serve as a host. To ensure adequate support, there must be some relation between your host's field of professional expertise and your proposed project in Germany.

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

The host’s principal task is to create the conditions essential to carrying out your project in Germany and aid you in establishing any necessary contacts (e.g. to gain access to institutions in Germany). Depending on the requirements of the project, your collaboration with your host may take various forms – from regular contact to close cooperation.

You choose your host/mentor yourself. We cannot provide any direct assistance in searching for a host. Applicants often turn to existing contacts from their professional or private sphere to identify a host, e.g. their professional or academic supervisors. More tips for finding a host are available on our website.

Only one person can be your official host. But this does not mean that you are not permitted to also collaborate with other people during your project.

To cover the additional costs of the stay in Germany, the host usually will receive a monthly allowance for research costs of €500. The Humboldt Foundation will transfer this money to a suitable account of the institution to which the host is affiliated.

No, the fellowship is not meant to support company employees who intend to work at German headquarters or branches. Applicants suggesting a project that includes an inhouse-training have a rather low chance of success.

The German Chancellor Fellowship is not a traditional doctoral fellowship programme. As a doctoral candidate you are however welcome to apply if:

• You have initial leadership experience beyond your research activities;
• Your project is relevant to the social dialogue;
• You will be able to successfully complete your project within the specified fellowship period.

If you are interested in a traditional doctoral fellowship, we recommend applying to the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD) or other funding organisations. In case of doubt, please contact us (info[at]avh.de) before you apply so we can advise you.

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.

No, a German Chancellor Fellowship is granted exclusively for the purpose of carrying out the project described in your application and agreed with your host. By accepting the fellowship the fellow commits him- or herself to the objective of the fellowship during the duration thereof.

During the sponsorship period, fellows may conduct short-term study or research visits to institutions elsewhere in Europe (except the fellows' home countries), if this is essential for the execution of the project. The maximum duration should be 1 to 2 months. Further information: stays in Europe.

Yes. The application deadline is 15 Oktober of each year.

Selection meetings are held once a year in each programme country (Brazil, People’s Republic of China, India, South Africa, USA). The selection year is the year following the application.

Yes. In order to assess the feasibility of your project, the Selection Committee must know whether a mentor in Germany has agreed to provide appropriate supervision during your visit to Germany. Your host is required to submit a statement agreeing to support you in conducting your project. This confidential statement must be submitted together with the application documents; please draw your host’s attention to the form for the confidential statement.

In 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.

No. Please also see the information provided below regarding the programme’s time frame and the flexibility of the fellowship period.

The German Chancellor Fellowship is intended as a one-year fellowship. If you are selected, you will be awarded twelve fellowship months, to start on 1 October of the selection year, and a three-month language fellowship to be taken up directly before the start of the German Chancellor Fellowship. The recommended standard timing is as follows:

Yes. You can use the awarded twelve fellowship months for stays in Germany within a time window from 1 August of the selection year to 31 March of the year after next, enabling you to flexibly adapt your months in Germany to suit the demands of the project, meet existing work obligations or allow for family circumstances.

No. Please create a project plan covering twelve months in Germany for your application. If you are selected for a fellowship, you will be required to notify the Foundation of how you intend to distribute your fellowship months
when you accept the fellowship.  Please note that you must agree the scheduling of your visits to Germany with your host, and the duration of your visits must be planned in full months. We strongly recommend that you include the three joint programme events and a language fellowship in your intended schedule.

No. The German Chancellor Fellowship aims to establish a vibrant, continuously expanding network of international decision-makers, multipliers and thought leaders who maintain lasting ties with Germany. The Foundation expects candidates to be open to conducting an extended stay in Germany and willing to plan a twelve-month project within a time window from 1 August of the selection year to 31 March of the year after next.
Following a positive selection decision, you will be required to specify how you wish to distribute your fellowship period when you accept your fellowship. If it is apparent at that time that you will not be able to take advantage of the full twelve fellowship months due to professional or personal circumstances, you may submit an informal application to the Foundation to reduce the fellowship period in agreement with your host. Your altered schedule must include at least six months spent in Germany.

If you are awarded a fellowship, you will also be awarded a language fellowship to attend an intensive language course of up to three months if you do not yet speak German fluently. You will be required to choose the duration and scope of your language fellowship (one, two or three months) when you accept your fellowship. You may additionally apply for subsidies to cover the cost of evening classes during your fellowship. Please note the more comprehensive information on language fellowships and German language courses.

You are not obliged to take a language course. If you do not yet speak German fluently we however strongly recommend that you take this opportunity. German language skills will help you integrate at the location of your host institute and enable you to participate in social and cultural life in Germany. In addition, selected programme items of the programme events are held (exclusively) in German.

The joint events of the German Chancellor Fellowship allow you to network with other fellows and gain insights into issues that are currently relevant in Germany. The three joint programme events of the German Chancellor Fellowship are:

• An opening conference in November (approx. one week)
• A half-time conference in the spring (approx. one week)
• A meeting in Berlin in July with a reception at the Federal Chancellery (three days).

These events are complemented by a series of online meetings. These events are important components of the fellowship and fundamental to the network of the German Chancellor Fellowship (for more information: Network and events for German Chancellor Fellows). You will have the opportunity to contribute your specific skills, support each other in small groups and independently organise further network activities.
In addition, you will be invited to attend the annual meeting of the Humboldt Foundation and take part in a study tour together with fellows of other fellowship programmes.

You are not obliged to attend the events. In order to make full use of the potential of the German Chancellor Fellowship and its network we however strongly recommend that you take part in the three joint programme events (opening conference, half-time conference, meeting in Berlin).

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.

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 lump sum for travel expenses will only be paid once, even if you plan multiple partial stays.

The grant depends mainly on your academic and professional qualifications, position and professional experience, and may amount to €2,000, €2,300 or €2,600. Additional financial benefits include a mobility allowance, a subsidy towards the cost of medical and liability insurance and if necessary family allowances for accompanying family members. The level of the grant is determined by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Examples of grants awarded to Federal Chancellor fellows:
A fellow with a bachelor's degree in international relations, who graduated a year before the beginning of the fellowship; voluntary work and practicals with leading national and international political institutions while at university; since graduating, she has completed work experience placements at a national foundation and with a diplomatic mission of her home country abroad. Grant: €2,000.
A fellow with a master's degree in communication and public relations, who graduated three years before the beginning of the fellowship; since graduating, he has gained professional experience as an employee at a public relations agency. Grant: €2,300.
A fellow with a law degree, who graduated five years before the beginning of the fellowship; after graduating, she gained professional experience first at a lawyer's office, then in a management role at a non-governmental organisation. Grant: €2,600.

You must apply online. If you wish to submit an application you must register first.

Should you experience any problems with the online application, please send an email to info[at]avh.de.

To be able to submit your application successfully, the application form has to be filled out completely and your curriculum vitae has to be enclosed.

The following documents must be submitted in order to complete the application:

• Extensive statement including confirmation of support from a host in Germany
• Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can provide information on your professional, personal and/or academic background*
• Certificate of your first academic degree and, if applicable, further degrees, including certified translations
• Transcripts of grades
• Where appropriate German or English language certificate

*Host and referees upload the required documents in a secure area themselves. The application form contains further instructions and information.

Please note that your complete application must reach the Humboldt Foundation by the application deadline at the latest. Incomplete applications may not be considered.

After the application deadline it is, unfortunately, not possible anymore to submit an application online. In this programme applications by email, post or fax are not permitted.

You can only submit your application once. It is, however, possible to save your application and return to it as often as you like prior to submission.

Hosts must upload their statements, including confirmation of support, to a protected area for the application form themselves to a secure area adding them to your application form. You can find the link to this area in the application form. Please send this link on a timely basis to your designated host and submit the application only after all documents have been completely uploaded. You are responsible for ensuring that your documents are complete.

If for compelling reasons the statement and the confirmation of support cannot be provided by the application deadline (15 October), you may exceptionally also submit your application without these documents. In this case, the host is requested to send the missing documents promptly by email to the Humboldt Foundation (info[at]avh.de). If we should not receive the documents in a timely manner, we reserve the right to formally reject your application.

Letters of recommendation must be uploaded by the referees themselves to a secure area adding them to your application form. You can find the link to this area in the application form. Please send this link on a timely basis to both of your referees and submit your application only after all documents have been completely uploaded. You are responsible for ensuring that your documents are complete.

If for compelling reasons it is not possible for the letters of recommendation to be uploaded by the application deadline (15 October), the application can exceptionally be submitted without these documents. In this case, the referees are requested to send the missing documents promptly by email to the Humboldt Foundation (info[at]avh.de). If we should not receive the documents in a timely manner, we reserve the right to formally reject your application.

Letters of recommendation should not be more than 12 months old at the time of application.

Ask for letters of recommendation from two different persons who are able to give well-founded accounts of your academic, professional and/or personal background as well as your leadership skills, among them for example

• your current supervisor / mentor
• previous supervisors / mentors

You may submit language course or language test certificates, or a certificate issued by your language teacher.

Yes. As soon as you complete your Bachelor's degree, we need to receive official confirmation from your university. You will not be able to start the fellowship without this confirmation.

No. Certificates and transcripts in German, English, French, Latin, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese do not have to be certified. If your documents are in any other language, you must provide certified translations. A translation agency, for example, can assist you with certified translations.

Yes, as soon as you have submitted your application online you will receive a short confirmation of reception by email.

The Humboldt Foundation invites approximately18 pre-selected candidates from each of the five countries to an online interview. The Selection Committee meets in the respective country (Brazil, People’s Republic of China, India, South Africa, USA). It is composed of well-respected leaders from various areas of society and will select up to ten candidates per country by majority vote.

The interview lasts about 40 minutes and will be conducted in German or English. The Selection Committee's questions may refer to your motivation, your professional or academic background, your interest in Germany, your career plans, your project as well as the impact that a one-year stay in Germany might have on your future professional career.
 

In every selection round the best applicants are selected to receive fellowships. Whether your application is granted or refused is thus always also directly dependent on the qualification of your fellow applicants.

If you are not invited to the selection meeting, you may send an informal email requesting feedback on the reasons for the rejection. This feedback notification will be sent both to you and your host. In light of the large number of applications it will usually take us between four and six weeks to respond to such enquiries. Please note that we cannot provide any personalised information before this juncture so as not to delay the notification process.

If you are rejected at the selection meeting, you may request an individual feedback meeting held via video call. Please contact us informally by email if you wish to take advantage of this option.

The aim of the German Chancellor Fellowship programme is to recruit prospective leaders as future mediators between Germany and the respective programme countries.

It is possible to re-apply. The new application should, however, differ significantly from the original, rejected application. Generally, a new application makes sense only after you have entered a new phase of your professional development. 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. .