Deadline: December 31, 2020
Applications are open for the Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowships 2021 for Postdoctoral Researchers. The Humboldt Research Fellowships enable highly-qualified scientists and scholars who are embarking on their academic careers and who completed their doctorates less than four years ago to spend extended periods of research in Germany. Scientists and scholars from all disciplines and countries may apply and applications can be submitted at any time.
Benefits
The duration of the fellowship funding is from 6 to 24 months. The benefits of the fellowship include:
- A stipend of €2,670 per month plus research expenses and allowances is provided. Invitations to events and language courses can also be provided
- A lump sum for the fellow’s travel expenses if the costs are not borne by a third party
- Language fellowship for an intensive language course lasting two to four months at selected language institutes in Germany immediately prior to the actual period of research; language fellowships may also be granted to accompanying marital partners
- Family allowances for accompanying family members staying at least three months (monthly allowance: up to €346 for marital partners and up to €274 for each child)
- For single-parents: flat-rate allowance for accompanying children (under the age of 18) for stays of at least three months (€400 per month for the first child and €100 per month for every additional child)
- Additional extension of the fellowship up to 12 months for research fellows accompanied by children under the age of 12
- A subsidy towards research costs to be paid to the hosts in Germany amounting to €800 per month (for research in the natural sciences and engineering) and €500 (for research in the humanities and social sciences)
- A Europe allowance for a research stay at a research institute in another European country (though not the research fellow’s own country); for a designated period in the course of the fellowship if necessary to ensure the success of the research
- Extensive alumni sponsorship once a successful research stay has come to an end, especially for maintaining contacts with collaborative partners in Germany during the Humboldtian’s entire academic career.
Eligibility
- Applicants must have a doctorate or comparable academic degree (Ph.D., C.Sc. or equivalent) completed less than four years prior to the date of application.
- Candidates who have nearly completed their doctoral degrees are eligible to apply provided that they submit the manuscript of their dissertation or publications containing the results of their dissertation.
- Eligible applicants must have lived outside Germany for a minimum of 12 months in total in the 18-month period prior to submission of the application. Potential applicants who have been in Germany for more than 6 months at the time of application are not eligible to apply.
Application
Applications may be submitted to the Humboldt Foundation online at any time, provided they have been duly completed and all of the following required documents have been uploaded:
- Curriculum vitae (two pages max)
- Research outline (five pages max)
- Complete list of publications
- List of selected key publications
- Key publications
- Doctoral certificate
- German language certificate, if applicable
- Host’s statement and confirmation of research facilities
- Two expert reviews
- Additionally, where required: publishers’ letter(s) of acceptance and/or acknowledgment(s) of receipt as well as summaries or translations of the key publications.
Note: The host and expert reviewer(s) upload the required documents in a secure area themselves. Applications can be submitted only after these documents have been uploaded. The application form contains further instructions and information.
For more information, visit Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowships.
