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Humboldt Research Fellowship

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Humboldt research fellowship for postdoctoral and experienced researchers.

The Humboldt Research Fellowship for researchers of all nationalities and research areas: We support you with your research in Germany .

Through the Humboldt Research Fellowship, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation sponsors researchers with above-average qualifications from across the globe. As a fellow, you will benefit from individual support from the Humboldt Foundation and our diverse sponsorship portfolio.

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

• Programme information for postdocs (PDF, 131 KB)
• Programme information for experienced researchers (PDF, 122 KB)
• Information for hosts
• Information for expert reviewers
• Information for independent peer reviewers
• Recently selected fellows

Researchers from developing and emerging countries whose research contributes to sustainable development should apply for a Georg Forster Research Fellowship , which is equivalent to a Humboldt Research Fellowship. Should your programme search yield both Fellowships, please use the Programme Compass for further guidance. It the best possible support when selecting the programme that corresponds most closely to your profile. Researchers from Brazil can only apply for a CAPES-Humboldt Research Fellowship ​​​​​​​.

What we offer

The Humboldt Research Fellowship enables you to conduct your own research at various stages of your career in collaboration with a host at a German research institution of your choice. Hosts may apply for a subsidy towards research costs.

• Information on sponsorship during the research stay
• Information on sponsorship for alumni abroad

Benefit from research sponsorship in Germany at the beginning of your academic career. The Humboldt Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers enables you to conduct research in Germany. The monthly fellowship amount is €2,670. Fellowships may last from 6 to 24 months. 

Experienced researchers

You can still apply for research sponsorship in Germany even if you are already well advanced in your academic career. The Humboldt Research Fellowship for experienced researchers enables you to conduct research in Germany. The fellowship amount is €3,170. Fellowships may last from 6 to 18 months and can be divided into up to three stays within three years.

General conditions

In addition to the fellowship amount, you will also receive personal support throughout your sponsorship. You are flexible in determining when you would like to start your fellowship. Prior to your research fellowship, you and your marital partner will be able to attend an intensive language course.

Further financial support, including family benefits for children and marital partners, subsidies for private full health insurance and allowances for travel expenses, is also available.

Alumni programmes

We stay in contact even after your research stay has come to an end. Our alumni sponsorship measures flexibly support every Humboldtian’s individual journey through life, in both their careers and their future research collaborations. A return fellowship or later visits to Germany are also possible.

You must meet the following criteria

The Humboldt Research Fellowship addresses post-doctoral researchers with above-average qualifications from across the globe – regardless of their field.

Did you complete your doctorate – or equivalent academic qualification – during the last four years? Or are you within six months of completing your doctorate and can already provide a written summary of your findings? Have you been published in academic journals and by publishing houses that are reviewed according to international standards? If so, and if you fulfil the criteria under the “What is required of you” section, apply for the Humboldt Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers.

Did you complete your doctorate – or equivalent academic qualification – during the last twelve years? Is your academic profile substantiated by an extensive list of publications in academic journals and by publishing houses that are reviewed according to international standards? If so, and if you fulfil the criteria under the “What is required of you” section, apply for the Humboldt Research Fellowship for experienced researchers. If a doctorate in your field or country of origin is not possible or uncommon, you can still apply up to 16 years after completing your master’s or other postgraduate degree provided that you have a publication record commensurate with your career level.

What is required of you

You must fulfil the following criteria to successfully apply for the Humboldt Research Fellowship.

Nationality

You are not a German national. If you are a German national, or if you obtained your university entrance qualification and university degree, or your university degree and your doctorate, in Germany, you can apply if you have lived and worked abroad for more than ten years and intend to continue doing so long-term. Have you lived and worked abroad for more than five years? You can still apply if there is a strong connection to your current country of residence (permanent employment, additional citizenship etc. – see FAQs).   

For your application to be successful, you may not have lived in Germany for longer than a total of six months within the 18-month period prior to submitting your application.

If you have arrived in Germany recently you should submit your application as soon as possible, as we can only assess your eligibility and formally accept your application after it has been submitted.

Confirmation that research facilities are available/host’s statement

A researcher from an academic institution of your choice in Germany will provide you with a mentoring agreement and written confirmation that research facilities are available, and will compile a detailed review for you.

Expert reviews

You can provide two expert reviews.  Postdocs: Your doctoral supervisor and one other researcher – outside of your institute, if possible – should provide well-grounded information on your qualifications.  Experienced researchers: The reviews should be provided by important collaborative partners and/or researchers at your own institute as well as other institutes – outside your country of origin, if possible.

Language skills

Natural sciences and engineering: You must have a good knowledge of German or English.  Humanities, social sciences and medicine: You must have a good knowledge of German if this is necessary for conducting your research successfully. Otherwise, good knowledge of English will suffice.

You must abide by the rules of good scientific practice  (PDF) and the principles of scientific ethics. The foundation provides information on dealing with generative AI in the selection area .

You may not apply for the Humboldt Research Fellowship if you have already received sponsorship from the Humboldt Foundation. In such cases, our alumni programmes are open to you.

Is the Humboldt Research Fellowship not the most suitable fellowship for you? Use our Programme Search to find the sponsorship that fits your personal career or contact us for individual advice.

• Programme Search
• Individual advice

How to apply

If you would like to apply for the Humboldt Research Fellowship, please submit the necessary documents to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation online only .

If you have any doubts or questions, please contact us ( info[at]avh.de ) before submitting your application. We are happy to help.

What we need from you

Please note that you may only submit your application once you have uploaded the following documents in the application form:

• curriculum vitae (two pages max)
• research outline ( five pages max)
• complete list of your publications (cf. sample list , PDF)
• list of selected key publications (cf. sample list , PDF)
• key publications
• doctoral certificate or proof that your doctorate has been completed successfully, or confirmation that this will be the case within the next six months
• German language certificate, if required
• if required: publisher’s acceptance notifications and/or acknowledgement of receipt and summaries/translations of key publications that are not available in German or in English
• In addition: host’s statement and confirmation that research facilities are available, as well as two expert reviews. Please note that these documents can only be uploaded in a protected area by the host(s) and expert reviewers personally. You can only submit your application once these documents have been uploaded. Further information and explanations can be found on the application form.

As soon as we have received your online application, we will send you written confirmation by email. After reviewing your documents, we will notify you of the expected selection date.

The Selection Committee responsible for reviewing applications to this programme meets every March, July and November . Please send your completed application form, including any additional documents required, well in advance of the desired selection date. Applications are usually processed within four to eight months. Incomplete or inaccurate applications take longer to process and often have to be postponed to a later Selection Committee meeting.

The deadline for meeting certain formal conditions – in particular those relating to limitations on career stages and previous stays in Germany – is the date on which we receive your application.

If your application is successful, you may begin your fellowship between two and twelve months after being selected.

If your application is unsuccessful, we may provide you with the reasons for our decision. Please request this information informally by email. You and your host will receive a letter with the outcome of your application approximately five weeks after the decision is made. Decisions cannot be appealed. You can, however, re-apply if you significantly improve crucial aspects of the rejected application. In the case of unanimously rejected applications, you must unfortunately wait a minimum of 18 months before re-applying.

The selection procedure

In March 2022, the Humboldt Foundation launched the pilot phase of a new, digital, interactive review process. Whilst the previous procedure usually involved the submission of two independent specialist reviews for each application, the peer-circle process now being tested is based on a group of six to ten reviewers comparing and discussing several applications on a protected platform. During the pilot phase, applications for Humboldt Research Fellowships in inorganic chemistry, materials science, zoology and modern history will be reviewed using the peer-circle process. Successively, the procedure will be applied to other research areas, too. In 2022, the peer-circle process was evaluated by an independent academic. The results of the evaluation can be found here .

The decision to award research fellowships is taken by a selection committee consisting of 60–70 researchers from various fields. The committee’s decision is usually based on two independent peer reviews that evaluate your personal academic credentials. The assessment is based on the following selection criteria, depending on your career level:

• academic career and academic record to date (mobility, determination, thematic scope, academic productivity)
• quality of the key publications named in the application (originality, innovativeness, evaluation of your own contributions to publications involving several authors)
• originality and innovative potential of your proposed research (significance for the further development of the subject area, convincing selection of scientific methods, potential for scientific development, clear focus and feasibility within the requested sponsorship period, viability at the host institute)
• your future potential (academic potential, personal development, career prospects, e.g. professorial appointment)
• your independent research profile (for experienced researchers)

All the best for your application!

• Members of the Selection Committee

Questions & answers

Application requirements, i have worked in an english-speaking country for several years. do i need an english language certificate.

No, an English language certificate is not required.

It is either not customary or not possible to take a doctorate in my country of origin. Can I apply?

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 ).

Can I apply before I have completed my doctorate?

You may apply if you will complete your doctorate within the next six months. 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.

What determines the date of a doctorate?

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.

Which date is valid if I have several doctorates?

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

My doctorate was completed more than four years ago. Can I apply for a fellowship for postdoctoral researchers?

We cannot consider your application for a fellowship for postdoctoral researchers if your doctorate was completed more than four years ago. In case you already have a clearly recognisable own research profile and, as a rule, working at the level of at least assistant professor or junior research group leader, or have a record of several years of independent scientific work, 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 ).

I obtained my doctorate more than twelve years ago. Can I still apply for a fellowship for experienced researchers?

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 ).

My doctorate was completed less than four years ago. Can I apply for a fellowship for experienced researchers?

Yes. You should, however, already have your own clearly recognisable research profile and, as a rule, be working at the level of at least assistant professor or junior research group leader, or have a record of several years of independent scientific work.

How will child-rearing periods be considered in the application process?

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, postdoctoral researchers 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.

Which other career breaks are considered in the application process?

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, postdoctoral researchers 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.

Are child-rearing periods taken into account in the assessment of academic achievements?

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.

Are other career breaks taken into account in the assessment of academic achievements?

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.

I am from a developing/transition country. Should I apply for a Humboldt or Georg Forster Research Fellowship?

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 with relevance to development:

Example 1: Food security among children in Nigeria

Foodstuffs that are contaminated with mycotoxins, the toxic metabolic substances produced by fungi, present a challenge for the people of Nigeria. As part of a Georg Forster Research Fellowship, one Humboldtian examined with the help of biomonitoring the degree to which Nigerian children and adolescents are exposed to mycotoxins in foodstuffs. In this way she is striving to improve the food safety of the Nigerian people.

Example 2: Climate change and stressed plants

Plants emit a number of volatile organic compounds in response to heat and drought stress. During her guest visit in Germany, a Latin American Humboldtian studied the impact these emissions have on air quality and changes in the climate. Her findings were used to develop sustainable adaptation and mitigation strategies tailored to the region she comes from. These findings offer political stakeholders a scientifically proven basis for making decisions.

Example 3: Improved tax enforcement through international co-operation

Audits are a tried and tested tool in the fight against tax evasion. In the case of transnational audits, joint tax audits can be conducted by international teams. During her Georg Forster research stay in Germany, one Humboldtian examined the advantages of joint tax audits with the aim of formulating recommendations for action to develop and improve international tax law. By doing so, the Moldavian hopes to make a contribution to her country’s integration into international tax law structures.

Example 4: Water reservoirs

Siltation of water reservoirs is a major problem for Iran’s water supply. One Iranian Humboldtian dedicated his stay in Germany to working on methods to reduce sedimentation in water bodies which he can now transfer to his country of origin thanks to his existing contacts and good local connections.

Example 5:  Resource use

A Burmese Humboldtian focused on the extraction of mineral resources in Myanmar. Thanks to his Georg Forster Fellowship he was able to expand his raw materials expertise as one of the only few excellent Burmese economic geologists. He is now making valuable contributions to the geoscience community in his country of origin and is advancing sustainable resource development and use there.

The following examples were not accepted by the Georg Forster Fellowship Programme because they have little relevance to development:

Example 1: Researching neurodegenerative diseases

Worldwide neurodegenerative diseases pose an enormous problem for people suffering from them. Studying and designing possible treatment methods for such diseases requires costly equipment. One applicant planned to increase his knowledge of this type of technology and how to use it. It was not, however, apparent from his application how the skills he aimed to acquire in Germany could be put to practical use without having corresponding infrastructure in his native country.

Example 2: Further development of cosmological models

One applicant sought to further develop cosmological models (theoretical physics) with her research project. She convincingly demonstrated that the project would offer added value for the further development of her field. However, the review of her application did not identify any relevance for the social, economic and/or political development of her native country / region.

Do I need to know German in order to apply?

• Natural scientists and engineers: good knowledge of German or English is sufficient.
• 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.
• 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.

English or German is my native language. Do I have to submit a language certificate proving my proficiency?

No, a language certificate is not required.

I'm a physician (MD / Dr. med.). Are there any special admission requirements?

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.

Which (virtual) mobility rules apply with regard to Germany?

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. 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. Any time spent in Germany within those 18 months is taken in to account, regardless of duration or reason.

Any person who, regardless of their country of residence, has supported themselves for more than six out of the last 18 months with financing from a German institution or who has worked on a doctoral project at an institution in Germany in the last 18 months is not eligible to apply. If you have arrived in Germany recently you should submit your application as soon as possible, as we can only assess your eligibility and formally accept your application after it has been submitted. 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.

Can I apply from abroad as a German citizen/educational resident?

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

• for more than 10 years;
• for more than 5 years and meet one of the following criteria that unequivocally indicate strong ties to your current country of residence:
• a permanent/tenured position;
• additional citizenship of your country of residence;
• 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;
• 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.

Academic host

Who can be my academic host.

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.

How can I find an academic host?

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.

Can I conduct my research with two academic hosts?

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.

Will my host institute receive any additional funds for the costs it incurs in connection with my research stay?

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.

Preparation/Planning

Are there deadlines for submitting applications.

There is no closing date for submitting applications. Applications are processed as part of an ongoing procedure. As soon as we have received your complete application we shall forward it to independent peer reviewers. Their written evaluations will then be presented to the selection committee at the next selection meeting at which a decision will be made.

Please note that you can submit your application only after your host and your expert reviewers have uploaded all 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.

Selection committee meetings take place three times a year, in March, July and November. Applications should be submitted at least four to seven months ahead of the prospective selection meeting. A graphic display of the complete application process can be found above on this page.

Can I apply to several Humboldt Foundation fellowship programmes at the same time, or can I apply for a Humboldt Fellowship and the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award at the same time if I fulfil the formal requirements?

No, it is not possible to apply to several fellowship programmes or the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award programme 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.

Can I apply for a fellowship from another institution at the same time I submit my application to the Humboldt Foundation?

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.

Can I do part of my research work abroad?

If it is necessary for the success of the project, fellows may conduct research at research institutions in other parts of Europe during the fellowship period (excepting their country of origin). As a rule, the total length of your Europe Research Stay may not exceed 25 per cent of the projected total duration of sponsorship. Furthermore, if the fellowship is divided up into several stays (experienced researchers), the duration of the Europe Research Stay may on principle not exceed half the duration of the respective fellowship period. Plans for research stays may already be included in your research proposal when you apply, but you cannot submit an application for a stay before you have been awarded the fellowship. The fellowship does not cover research stays in the fellow’s country of origin or another non-European country; as a rule, the fellowship must be interrupted for this period or the stay abroad must be realised before the fellowship begins.

Can I apply for a research fellowship for a period of less than six months?

The first research stay in the context of a postdoctoral fellowship must last at least six months. Experienced researchers must also apply for a stay of at least six months, which can, however, be divided up into two blocks of three months.

Do I have to divide up my research stays strictly according to the model specified by the programme?

Yes. It is not possible to deviate from the standard model.

I am a postdoctoral researcher. Can I divide up my research stay?

It is not possible to break up the research stay.

When do I have to start the fellowship period at the latest?

You must start the fellowship period within twelve months of being selected. Otherwise you will have to submit a new application.

What is the value of the fellowship?

Please refer to our current  programme information for postdoctoral  and  experienced researchers  for details.

Will you pay the fellowship retroactively if I am already at the host institute at the time of being selected?

No, the fellowship cannot be paid retroactively.

Is the intensive German language course part of my research fellowship?

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.)

When can I attend a language course?

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.

Do I have to take a language course?

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.

Who bears the travel expenses to and from 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.

Can I bring my family?

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.

How soon can I begin the fellowship period?

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.

Application documents

Should my expert reviews be sent directly to the humboldt foundation or enclosed with the application.

Your host(s) and expert reviewer(s) 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, you will automatically be notified by email and will then be able to submit your application. 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.

Who should provide expert reviews for my application and how many expert reviews are required?

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 and the host’s statement.

Which publications should I enclose with my application?

Your application must contain up to five key publications (postdocs: one to three; experienced researchers: three to five). Other publications will not be accepted (exception: You may optionally submit published reviews of your key publications by other authors). 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), in particular with regard to the order and completeness of the information on the authors, the titles of the publications and the publication venues. Inaccurate information could lead to the rejection of your application on formal grounds.

May I include works that have not yet been submitted for publication in the list of key publications and the complete list of publications?

No. 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. Any other works cited on the list will be deleted. 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.

I have not yet completed my doctorate. Do I have to hand in my doctoral certificate later?

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.

What are key publications?

You yourself should choose the key publications from your publications. 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. When choosing key publications we recommend including works that reflect your more recent publication activity. Please note that you cannot amend your selection of key publications once the selection process has begun.

How many key publications should I cite?

If you are applying for a fellowship for postdoctoral researchers, one key publication is sufficient. You may cite a maximum of three. If you are applying for a fellowship for experienced researchers you must choose at least three key publications. You may cite a maximum of five. Surplus key publications will be removed from the list without notifying the applicant.

How should I explain why I have chosen a key publication?

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). In cases of multiple authorship please also indicate your own personal contribution to the publication.

Should my key publications also be cited in the complete list of publications?

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 note that the order of the authors on the publication list corresponds to the order of the authors on the submitted publication. Changing the order is against the Rules of Good Scientific Practice and may result in penalties (cf. Rules of Good Scientific Practice ). Please note that it is not possible to amend the list of publications submitted to the Humboldt Foundation once the selection process has begun.

Selection procedure

Will you confirm receipt of my application, as well as other documents, expert reviews and the host's statement.

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

How much time do I have to submit further documents or update my application?

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.

Will I be notified of the date the Selection Committee will decide on my application?

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.

Who will review my application?

Your application will be reviewed by independent peer reviewers.

Who will decide on my application?

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.

Will I be notified of the reasons for a rejection?

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.

When will I be informed about the decision?

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.

How high is the success rate?

What are the most important selection criteria.

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.

Can I re-apply after being rejected?

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.

What issues frequently result in applications being rejected?

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 academics’ 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;
• 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.

For experienced academics whose doctorate was completed more than eight years ago, rejection often results if a position as an independent academic (assistant professor, lecturer, junior research group leader, etc.) has still not been obtained, or if the prospect of a professorial appointment upon completion of the proposed stay is not apparent from the documentation submitted, especially the publication profile.

This programme is financed by

Collaborative programmes

On this research fellowship programme, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation cooperates with various private partners. Together, we aim to recruit highly qualified researchers for a research stay in Germany. The application, selection and sponsorship processes in programmes that involve private collaborative partners are conducted in accordance with the established procedure and guidelines of the Humboldt Research Fellowship Programme. In many cases, the privately co-financed fellowships include additional offers, such as visits to the collaborative partners, invitations to events or facilitating contacts. 

If you are interested in such fellowships, please sign the corresponding declaration of consent in the application form. You will be informed as to whether the Humboldt Foundation has been able to admit you to one of the collaborative programmes in the award letter.

Collaborative partners:

• Bayer Foundation
• Carl Friedrich von Siemens Foundation

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How to Apply for a PhD in Germany: Programs, Funding, & FAQs

If you’re considering advancing your academic journey with a PhD and have a passion for conducting research in your field, Germany could be an excellent destination for you. With its top-tier universities, exciting research opportunities, financial support, and diverse culture, Germany stands out as an excellent choice for PhD studies.

These are the main steps to doing a PhD in Germany:

Find a PhD Program and a Supervisor

• Decide Between Individual and Structured PhD Programs
• Meet All Requirements & Prepare Your Application

Apply for Doctoral Studies

Secure funding, get a student visa or resident permit, arrive in germany and begin your phd program, why pursue a phd in germany.

Here are some compelling reasons to pursue a PhD in Germany:

• Top universities. Germany boasts four universities ranked in the top 100 globally, offering access to world-class education and research facilities.
• International student community. Germany welcomes a diverse and thriving international student community, with over 458,210 international students studying across the country.
• Abundant research institutions. Germany’s 1,000+ publicly funded research institutions, spanning universities, applied sciences, research institutes, businesses, and government bodies, offer countless opportunities for collaboration and networking.
• Investment in research and development. Germany’s commitment to research and development is evident through its increasing expenditure, which reached a record high of 112.6 billion euros in 2021.
• Strong economy. Germany is known for its robust and stable economy, offering potential career opportunities in academia, industry, and research sectors after completing your PhD.

How to Apply for a PhD in Germany

Below, you will find all the steps you need to take, from discovering your perfect program to submitting your application and commencing your PhD adventure in Germany.

To start your PhD in Germany, define your research focus by considering your interests and academic background. Explore resources, attend conferences, and connect with professors. Use online sources, engage with academic communities, and seek advice from current PhD students for insights into the research scene.

If you’re already clear about your research direction, it’s time to search for suitable programs. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides a comprehensive database of current opportunities, which you can explore at the DAAD PhD Database . Additionally, consider researching universities in Germany individually to understand what each institution offers in terms of research and programs.

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You will also have to find a supervisor. One way to do so is by visiting university websites to find faculty directories with profiles of professors and their research interests. Contact professors whose work aligns with your research interests, express your interest and inquire about supervision opportunities.

> You can search PhD programs using the GERiT database , which features over 31,000 research institutions.

Types of PhD Programs in Germany

Before you start searching for a PhD program, it’s essential to understand that in Germany, there are two different paths you can take when pursuing a PhD, each with its own set of advantages and opportunities.

Individual PhD Programs

An individual doctorate program is considered the more common and traditional PhD route in Germany. It is a flexible and self-directed path to earning a doctoral degree, particularly in fields like humanities and social sciences. You take the initiative to find a supervisor (called “Doktorvater” or “Doktormutter”) for your research project and often suggest your research topic.

There’s no fixed curriculum, giving you the freedom to set your research timeline and choose coursework. This approach requires self-discipline and active networking, including participation in doctoral candidate meetings and research events.

Structured PhD Programs

Structured PhD programs in Germany offer a clear path to a PhD degree, typically lasting three to five years. Unlike individual doctorate studies, they include a curriculum, research proposal submission that has to fit an existing program, and a set timeline for coursework and research.

Candidates benefit from advisor supervision and are encouraged to collaborate across disciplines, making structured programs ideal if you’re seeking a guided and comprehensive doctoral experience.

Ensure You Meet All Requirements & Prepare the Application

The requirements and application documents for a PhD in Germany can vary depending on your chosen institution and research area. However, as a general guideline, you should prepare the following:

• Academic degree recognized in Germany. Typically, you’ll need a master’s degree or a German state examination (Staatsexamen) to qualify for a PhD program.
• Copy of master’s thesis. Provide a copy of your master’s thesis, showcasing your research skills and the depth of your academic work.
• Research proposal. Craft a clear and comprehensive research proposal outlining your intended research topic, objectives, methodology, and significance.
• Statement of purpose. Write a statement of purpose explaining why you wish to pursue a PhD in your chosen field, your academic and career goals, and how this program aligns with your aspirations.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV). Prepare a detailed CV highlighting your academic achievements, research experience, relevant coursework, publications, and any other qualifications.
• Proof of language proficiency. Depending on the language of instruction (usually German or English), you may have to provide proof of language proficiency. You can do this with certificates like TestDaF, DSH, TOEFL, IELTS, or proof of previous studies in the language.
• Academic references. You may need to provide contact information or recommendation letters from professors or academic advisors confirming your academic abilities and research potential.
• Predoctoral examination. Some programs may require you to pass a predoctoral examination as part of the application process.

Once you’ve found a suitable PhD program and a mentor, and your academic qualifications are recognized in Germany, you can start your application. Depending on the university or research institute, you can apply online or by post, so it’s essential to check their specific requirements. Keep in mind that admission committees are selective and may conduct interviews to admit the best candidates.

Securing funding is a crucial step when preparing for a PhD in Germany. To meet visa requirements and stay in the country, you must demonstrate access to a minimum of €934 per month, totaling €11,208 annually. This proof can be provided through an admission agreement or relevant contract, or you can open a blocked account with individual funds.

There are various ways to financially support yourself while pursuing a PhD in Germany:

• PhD scholarships. DAAD offers the highest number of doctoral scholarships. PhD students get an average monthly stipend of €1,139.
• Paid PhD positions. Many universities and research institutions offer paid PhD positions in Germany. You will have a contract and work on specific research projects while receiving a salary.
• Research associate positions. You can also work as a research associate in a university, research institution, or company and receive a salary as compensation.
• Part-time jobs. Some PhD students/researchers work part-time jobs that are not related to their studies to secure additional income.

> Read more about the costs associated with studying in Germany.

> Explore scholarship opportunities.

Once your acceptance into the PhD program is confirmed by the university or institution, you can begin the process of applying for a student visa or residence permit. The PhD visa or permit requirements for Germany can vary depending on your nationality and individual circumstances:

Visa Requirements

Citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland do not need any special permit or visa to pursue a PhD in Germany. They can research and work with just a valid passport or ID card.

For international researchers who are not citizens of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, a visa will be required to work as a researcher in Germany.

The type of visa you need depends on your specific situation:

• Study visa. If you’re pursuing a full-time doctoral program, you may apply for a student visa.
• Research visa. If your focus is on research and you have a formal affiliation with a research institution in Germany, you can apply for a research visa.
• EU Blue Card. If your PhD offer includes a gross annual salary of at least €45,300 (or €41,041.80 in certain professions), you may be eligible for an EU Blue Card, which is a special residence title for international academics.

Residence Permit Requirements

Once you arrive in Germany, you’ll need to apply for a residence permit based on the visa you have:

• Study permit. If you’re accepted into a PhD program at a German university, you can get a study-based residence permit for up to two years, extendable.
• Research permit. If you’re a researcher with the right qualifications for doctoral programs, you can get a research permit for Germany. This requires a contract with a research institution for your project.
• EU Blue Card. You may be eligible for the EU Blue Card, which is for foreign academics and qualified workers in Germany. To get it through a PhD offer, your salary should be at least €45,300 per year, or €41,041.80 for certain bottleneck professions .

*Note that nationals of certain countries , including the United States, Australia, Israel, Japan, and Korea, who are not required to obtain a visa, must still apply for a residence permit.

> For more specific information tailored to your situation, we recommend contacting the German embassy or consulate in your home country. You can also use this visa navigator.

Arriving in Germany and commencing your PhD program is an exciting step, but there are certain formalities you need to take care of. The international office at the university or a representative can guide you, however here are the main things to take care of once you’re in the country:

Register Your Residence

Shortly after your arrival, you must register your residence at the local registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt). This is mandatory, and you typically have a window of two weeks to complete this process.

Obtain Health Insurance

Everyone in Germany, including international PhD students, is obligated by law to have health insurance coverage . The type of health insurance you are eligible for depends on the source of your funding:

• Doctoral candidates with an employment contract are typically insured automatically with a state-regulated health insurance provider (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung -GKV)
• Doctoral candidates without an employment contract (with a fellowship or private funding) may choose between:
• Voluntary health insurance coverage with a state-regulated provider.
• Coverage with a private health insurance company.

Some exceptions allow you to retain your insurance from your home country, such as students from a European Union (EU) country or other countries with social security agreements with Germany.

Open a Bank Account

It’s advisable to open a German bank account as soon as possible. Many financial transactions in Germany, including receiving your stipend or salary, are typically done through a German bank account.

Enrollment at University

If your PhD program requires enrollment at a university, you’ll need to complete this step. Submit the necessary documents to the university’s enrollment office, which may include your admission letter, passport, proof of health insurance, and proof of financial means.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

There’s a lot to think about when you’re considering pursuing a PhD, especially if it’s in a foreign country. We’re sure you’ve got more questions, and we’re here to help.

What Is the Duration of a PhD Program in Germany?

In general, a PhD program in Germany typically lasts between three to six years.

The duration of a PhD program in Germany can vary depending on several factors, including the university, the subject area, and individual progress.

Are PhD Programs in Germany Tuition-Free?

Most PhD programs in Germany are tuition-free, at least for the first six semesters. However, if you are enrolled at a university, you will need to cover a semester fee. This can vary depending on the university but usually falls within the range of €100 to €350.

Is Knowing German Mandatory to Pursue a PhD in Germany?

Knowing German is not always mandatory to pursue a PhD in Germany. Many German universities offer PhD programs in English, especially in fields like science, engineering, and the humanities. In such programs, you can write your thesis and communicate with professors and peers in English.

However, language requirements differ by university and department. If your program is in German, you might need to prove your proficiency. Knowing German can also be helpful for daily life and integration if you’re living in Germany.

Will I Get a PhD Salary in Germany?

PhD candidates in Germany, whether affiliated with universities, research institutions, or companies collaborating with them, typically receive financial support in the form of a salary or grant.

The majority of doctoral positions are structured under the TV-L (Tarifvertrag im Öffentlichen Dienst) salary scale, often falling within the TV-L 13 category, with a salary range spanning from €4,188 (Tier 1) to €6,037 (Tier 6).

Salaries are typically determined based on a wage agreement that specifies the contract tier (Stufe) and working hours (percentage-based). Many entry-level PhD students start with tier 1 contracts that are not full-time. For example, if your contract places you in Pay Group E-13 Tier 1 of the TV-L and you work at 75% capacity, your monthly gross salary will be €3,141.

Can I Work While Pursuing a PhD in Germany?

It’s generally allowed for PhD students in Germany to have part-time jobs to cover living expenses. However, the rules and expectations can vary depending on your supervisor, field of study, and specific circumstances.

While part-time work is an option, keep in mind that pursuing a PhD can be quite demanding, often requiring long hours of research and study. It’s essential to find the right balance between work and your academic commitments. Additionally, make sure to be aware of any legal and contractual obligations related to your employment while studying for your PhD.

What Is the Process for Defending a PhD Thesis in Germany?

In Germany, defending your PhD thesis involves several steps. You start by submitting your thesis and necessary documents, making sure they meet all the formal requirements. A commission is formed, and you may have the opportunity to suggest reviewers.

Then, you will have to prepare and undergo an oral defense, which can be either public or private and typically lasts between 30 minutes to 2 hours. During this, you present your research and discuss it with the committee.

The outcome of this discussion determines your final grade, which you receive after the defense. If everything goes well, you’re granted the Ph.D. title and have about two years to publish your dissertation.

What Are the Career Prospects After Completing a PhD in Germany?

After completing a PhD in Germany, career prospects are promising. Graduates often find opportunities in academia as professors or researchers or in various industries, including technology, healthcare, and finance. Germany’s strong economy and research-oriented environment make it an attractive place for career development.

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Finding Scholarships

Welcome to our scholarship database! Here you will find information about our DAAD scholarship programmes for international students and researchers as well as offers from other selected funding organisations .

Research Grants – Doctoral Programmes in Germany • DAAD

Application requirements, application procedure, contact and consulting, submitting an application.

Eine Druckversion dieser Ausschreibung (PDF) steht Ihnen in den weiteren Registerkarten (z.B. „Bewerbungsvoraussetzungen“) zur Verfügung.

A print version of this announcement (PDF) is available in the further tabs (e.g. “Application requirements”).

This scholarship programme offers you the opportunity to complete your doctoral degree in Germany. The scholarships are funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.

Who can apply?

You can apply if you have above-average qualifications and you completed your Master's degree or Diplom, or in exceptional cases a Bachelor's degree, at the latest by the time the funding period begins.

What can be funded?

The programme provides funding for a doctoral project at a state or state-recognised institution of higher education or a non-university research institute in Germany. This can be either:

• an individual project supervised by a university teacher (doctoral supervisor) or
• participation in a structured doctoral study programme

Duration of the funding

• Funding is provided for a maximum of four years; the length of the funding period is decided by a selection committee and depends on your project and study plan.
• Grants are initially awarded for a maximum of one year. Extensions depend on whether the selection committee considers your previous award period to have been successfully completed.
• Monthly payments of 1,300 euros
• Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover (see also our important information for scholarship applicants / section F, point 4)
• Travel allowance
• annual research allowance. If you come from a DAC country , you will receive a flat rate of € 460 (€ 230 in the fourth year); for all other countries the grant is € 260 (€ 130 in the fourth year).
• monthly rent subsidy
• monthly allowance for accompanying family members. Please also read our important information for scholarship applicants / section F, point 3.
• In the case of a disability or chronic illness: subsidy for additional costs which result from the disability or chronic illness and are not covered by other funding providers: Further information
• Payment of course fees for an online language course after receipt of the Scholarship Award Letter
• if necessary: Language course (2, 4 or 6 months) before the start of the research stay in Germany; the DAAD decides whether to fund the grant holder's participation and for how long depending on language skills and project. If a language course scholarship is granted and the working language at the host institute is German, participation is compulsory.
• Allowance for a personally chosen German language course during the grant period
• Reimbursement of the fee for a TestDaF or DSH test, which you can take either in your home country after you have received your Scholarship Award Letter or in Germany during your funding period.

An independent selection committee consisting of specialist scientists reviews applications. The selection criteria are: 1. Qualification

• Academic achievements (grade point average, development of grades)
• Academic progress
• Knowledge of the language(s) of instruction or working language(s)
• If applicable, scholarly achievements after graduation, (e.g. publications, lectures, conference papers)
• Quality of research proposal and preparation (originality, topicality and relevance of the project, choice of host institution and first contacts)
• Feasibility and consistency of study plan and schedule
• Incorporation of project within the overall doctorate (in terms of content and time), if relevant
• Career prospects: significance of the research project and stay in Germany for further academic, professional and personal development
• Motivation: academic and personal reasons for wanting to visit Germany, German language skills (if different from working language)
• Non-study-related activities: non-study-related knowledge and skills, civic engagement

What requirements must be met?

Please check if the following criteria are fulfilled:

• As a rule, applicants should not have graduated any longer than six years before the application deadline
• If you have already started your doctorate, it also applies that the start of the doctorate should not be longer than 3 years ago. Please also read our Important Scholarship Information / Section A, point 2.
• Your application cannot be considered, if you have been resident in Germany for longer than 15 months at the application deadline.

Application deadline

Application deadlines are updated annually in the second quarter. In most cases, they are in the same period as the previous year. You can find the current dates here:

Application documents

Certificates, proof of credits, certifications and translations may be scanned in non-certified form and uploaded to the DAAD portal. The DAAD reserves the right to request certified copies of the documents. Documents to be uploaded to the DAAD portal:

• Online application form
• Full curriculum vitae in tabular form (max. 3 pages)
• List of publications (max. 10 pages), if applicable
• Description of academic and personal reasons for your planned project in Germany ( letter of motivation : 1-2 pages), taking account of the following question: What do you hope to gain from your project in Germany (personally, professionally, for your career)? Please upload the letter of motivation under ‘study project/motivation’ in the DAAD portal.
• A proposal , prepared and formulated by yourself, as well as a description of previous research work (max. 10 pages in total). A proposal is an extensive and detailed description of the research project which has been discussed with the academic adviser. Please also read our Important Scholarship Information / section B, point 2. Please upload the proposal under ‘research project’ in the DAAD portal.
• Schedule for planned research work (must be agreed with academic supervisor)
• Letter confirming supervision by the doctoral supervisor. Please also read our Important Scholarship Information / section C, point 3. Please upload the confirmation from the academic host under ‘acceptance of host institution’ in the DAAD portal.
• Module plan (to be uploaded in the DAAD portal under 'schedule')
• Proof of existing contacts to the coordinator of the doctoral programme (to be uploaded under ‘acceptance of host institution’ in the DAAD portal).
• Letter of admission to a study programme; this may be submitted at a later date if it is not available at the time of application
• University degree certificate indicating final grade(s) : the certificate must be subsequently submitted before the grant-supported research begins if it is not available at the time of application.
• One recent, supporting letter of recommendation (previously: 'reference form') from a university teacher which provides information about your qualifications. Please regard the instructions given on the tab 'Submitting an application' . In the current application procedure, the recommendation can be sent to the DAAD by post as an alternative to uploading it on the portal. Please note the information given under 'Application location' for this purpose.
• Other documents which support your application (example: certificates of employment, proof of practical training/internships and voluntary commitment etc.)

The application procedure occurs online through the DAAD portal. Please note that the access to the application portal only appears while the current application period is running. After the application deadline has expired, the portal for this programme is not available until the next application period.

Please note

• Your application is only valid if you submit all the required documents to the DAAD portal on time.
• For submitting references by post, the postmark date serves as proof that they have been dispatched on time.
• (If further documents are to be submitted by post, please send them as soon as possible.)
• The DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs. (CET or CEST) on the last application day. If possible, please do not send your application on the final date in case technical problems occur.
• Incomplete applications cannot be considered. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete.
• The application documents remain with the DAAD. Your personal data is saved by the DAAD in accordance with the Federal Data Protection Act and with the EU Data Protection Regulation insofar as this data is needed to process the application.

More detailed information

• DAAD website 'Important information for DAAD scholarship applicants'
• DAAD website section 'Doing a PhD and Research in Germany'
• Website 'Research in Germany'
• Website 'GERiT – German Research Institutions'

General information on the application via DAAD portal

Applications for this scholarship programme are possible in the period June until the stated application deadline. Click on ‘Application portal’ at the bottom of the page to go to the DAAD portal. There you will be provided with an online application form to enter your application data. This is what you have to do: 1. Register in the DAAD portal ( Read notes about registering in the portal >> ) 2. Request recommendation form You can generate the recommendation form (previously: 'reference form') in the DAAD Portal as a writable PDF under 'Request reference form' . Please send it to your referee and ask him or her to complete the form in full. When you have received it back, please upload it during the application process in the portal in the step 'Attachments' under 'Letter of Recommendation'. Alternatively, the referee can send the form by post to the application address (see tab 'Application procedure' under 'Application location'). The postmark will then be used to ensure that the form was sent by the deadline. Please note that the form for completion by a referee can only be generated during the application period. 3. Applying online in the DAAD portal ( Read notes on applying in the portal >> )

• Download and complete the online application form
• Prepare application documents
• If necessary, translate documents (unless they are already in German or English).
• Scan paper documents and save in PDF format. Please note that you can only upload PDF files to the portal.
• Upload the completed application form and the other application documents to the portal in PDF format. Translations, if applicable, should be uploaded together with the document issued in the original language.
• Submit the uploaded application documents online.

Currently you cannot apply for this programme. Please note the application deadline specified under the Application procedure tab.

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Please select your status and your country to enable you to submit an application

„Country“ is the country in which you are living and from which you are applying. If you come from another country, please contact us to find out whether you are eligible for the programme of your choice. More Information

Graduates are people who already have at least one first academic degree, e.g. Bachelor.

Your status and/or country is not in the list? If your status and/or country is not included in the list, you cannot apply for this scholarship programme. To ensure that only scholarship programmes for which you are eligible to apply are shown, please select your status and your country in the results list (left-hand column).

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TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship

This attractive two-year fellowship program offers excellent researchers who have recently completed their PhD the chance to continue their academic career at TUM.

About the TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship

The  TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship  is a funding opportunity for external postdoctoral scientists who are currently residing abroad and would like to start their research at TUM. For 24 months, we will support fellows to diversify their research profile at a TUM department and to initiate new research projects together with TUM scientists.

The call is open to researchers who have completed their doctorate a maximum of three years ago or who will complete their doctorate within the next 12 months. Researchers must reside outside of Germany at the time of submission.

In each call, there are two phases . In Phase I, you do not require to submit a letter of support from a TUM host. However, you must identify a TUM host, who will support your application, during Phase II of the submission process. See below for further information on these two phases.

The TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship is open to all topics. Researchers are invited to apply with a project that matches the research of the chair/institute/lab of the respective host who supports the application.

Would you like to find out more about TUM as a possible host university? Would you like to find out more about support opportunities for postdocs at TUM? Then register for our  Postdoc Day .

Virtual TUM Postdoc Day

If you want to be informed about future calls, please register for our Newsletter .

POSTDOC NEWSLETTER – FOR EXTERNAL RESEARCHERS

Details on the Fellowship

The TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship 2024 offers successful candidates a fellowship  for 24 months. Fellows receive a monthly stipend of 2.670€  and one additional kick-off payment of 430€. Researchers residing in the Munich metropolitan area receive an additional monthly allowance of 350€. It is also possible to apply for family benefits. Please note that additional payments for consumables and conferences are not included and may be covered by the host subject to their agreement.

The TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship is a co-financed fellowship. This means that the TUM host needs to co-finance 20% of the fellowship costs. One TUM host can support up to two applicants per call.

• Call 4.1. (March 2024): Upon positive evaluation, you can commence the fellowship within a year from October 1, 2024 to October 1, 2025.
• Call 4.2. (September 2024): Upon positive evaluation, you can commence the fellowship within a year from April 1, 2025 to April 1, 2026.

Please keep the above in mind, when planning your fellowship. During the fellowship, you will have the support of central TUM services, e.g.  TUM Talent Factory .

Application Requirements

Candidates fulfilling the following criteria are eligible to apply for the TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship:

Mobility Rule

Early-career postdocs and doctoral researchers in their final year, residing outside of Germany at the time of submission, are eligible to apply for the TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship. Researchers who are already working at TUM or have received their doctorate at TUM are not eligible to apply.

Completion of PhD or letter of confirmation from PhD supervisor

You are eligible to apply for the fellowship if you have finished your PhD within the last three years at an institution other than TUM.

• Call 4.1.: Cut-off date is March 1, 2024, which means you can apply if you have completed your PhD on March 1, 2021 or later. The date on the doctoral certificate is binding.
• Call 4.2.: Cut-off date is September 1, 2024, which means you can apply if you have completed your PhD on September 1, 2021 or later. The date on the doctoral certificate is binding.

You are also eligible, if you have recently handed in your doctorate thesis or if you will complete your PhD within the next 12 months. In each case, you must submit an official letter of confirmation from your supervisor stating that you will complete your PhD within the next 12 months. A PhD certificate is mandatory to be able to start the fellowship.

Support of a TUM Host

For a successful application, you need the support of a TUM host.

In Phase I of the application, you name up to three potential TUM hosts you want to work with. On successful completion of Phase I, you will conduct a matchmaking session moderated by TUM with the potential TUM hosts you have named.

In Phase II of the application, your identified TUM host must support your application by providing a Letter of Support. The Letter of Support by the TUM host is mandatory, as it contains the confirmation of the 20% co-financing by the host.

Please note: Researchers can only apply for the fellowship once.

They are free to apply for the current or a later call so long they fulfil the above-mentioned eligibility criteria.

If you have further questions concerning the application requirements, please check our  FAQ document   (PDF).

Application Documents

To apply for the  TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship  2024, you need the following documents in English :

• Letter of Motivation (approx. 1 page) Please tell us about your motivation to join TUM for your postdoctoral research. A well-crafted letter of motivation is crucial for the assessment of your application. Therefore, it is essential that you describe your professional goals with precision and explain your motivation thoroughly for pursuing a postdoc at TUM. Also, explain in detail how the TUM professor(s) you are interested to work with match your research interests and scope. Bear in mind that members of the selection committee might not be experts in your specific field of expertise, therefore, your letter of motivation should be clear and accessible to a broader audience.
• CV , including list of publications (max. 5 pages)
• Copy of your best paper
• PhD certificate or a confirmation of your PhD submission or a statement from your PhD supervisor that you have completed your PhD or that you will complete your PhD within the next 12 months.
• Reference Letter from your PhD supervisor There are two options to upload the Reference Letter: The applicant can directly upload the letter in the application portal and submit their application. Alternatively, if the referee wishes to upload the letter himself/herself, the applicant can send the referee an automated email from the application portal. The referee will receive an email with a link that allows them to upload the letter themselves. 
• Names of potential TUM hosts that are of interest to you

Please name up to three TUM Hosts who you want to work with. Please note that only active TUM Professors/Head of Institutes/Chairs/Junior Fellows can be hosts. It is not possible to name other scientists, including Honorary Professors, Distinguished Affiliated Professors, and retired professors including the TUM Emeriti of Excellence and TUM President Prof. Dr. Thomas F. Hofmann.

The following websites will enable you to find professors who fits your research profile: TUM Schools and Departments, TUM Clusters of Excellence or TUM Research Centers. You can also go through the list of TUM Professors or TUM Junior Fellows.

• Research Proposal  (max. 4 pages). Please present the research project you plan to conduct at TUM in a comprehensible way so that reviewers who are not experts in your specific field can follow your argument. In your research proposal, you should also address synergies with the TUM host and your career plans: Why is TUM the best possible place to do your research project? Why is your TUM host  the  person with whom you want to conduct your research project? What are your future career plans? For which subsequent funding would you apply during the fellowship? Your proposal should not exceed four pages (including references and footnotes).
• Letter of Support  from your TUM host (for details on what the letter of support should entail, see  Information for Hosts ).

Please note that it is not possible to receive the fellowship without the support of a TUM host (i.e., a TUM professor or TUM Junior Fellow) . As a host cannot support more than two applications per Call, we strongly recommend that you obtain the confirmation of TUM Host supporting your application before you prepare the documents. Since this is a relatively new program, note that potential hosts may not be aware of all the details of the TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship.

For questions, you may also refer to our  FAQ document  ( PDF).

Information on the Selection Process

The Call is structured into two phases.

In Phase I , the Scientific Board will evaluate each application by the following criteria:

• Scientific excellence of the applicant
• Career perspectives of the applicant
• Quality of the motivation letter
• Synergies with the TUM host

The best applicants will be selected and a matchmaking process with the TUM Host/s (identified by the applicant in Phase I) will be initiated. Once a match is found, the selected applicants will proceed to Phase II . In this phase, the applicant has to submit a support letter from the TUM Host along with the research proposal. The Scientific Board will evaluate each application by the following criteria:

• Relevance and originality of the proposed research project

Information for Hosts

The TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship is an important initiative of the TUM Agenda 2030. It offers talented, recently graduated postdocs an opportunity to continue their career at TUM. To attract global researchers, we therefore award a two-year fellowship . Postdocs with family are entitled to receive additional benefits for their partner and children should they reside in Munich. This fellowship may be considered as a startup fund, allowing postdocs a smooth start in research at TUM. The  TUM Talent Factory   will support the fellows with their applications for third party funding and offer advice on career planning. 

For you as a host, the following information is particularly relevant:

• TUM Professors and TUM Junior Fellows can be hosts. Other researchers at TUM cannot become hosts (see also our  FAQs ).
• Call 4.1. (March 2024): Upon positive evaluation, fellowship can be commenced within a year from October 1, 2024 to October 1, 2025.
• Call 4.2. (September 2024): Upon positive evaluation, fellowship can be commenced the fellowship within a year from April 1, 2025 to April 1, 2026.

Please keep this in mind when planning your support of an applicant.

• You can support no more than two applicants per call. If you support two applicants, at least one applicant must be female. Please bear this is mind when deciding on potential applicants.
• The fellowship requires the host to co-fund 20% of the fellowship. The exact amount of the fellowship depends on the fellow’s family situation and – in the case of a successful application – will be calculated based on the fellow’s current family situation. This implies, for a two year period, a host may have to cover total costs of approx. 14.500€ for a single fellow (~ 600€/month) and approx. 18.800€ for a fellow with a partner and two children (~780€/month).

Important note:   You cannot use Haushaltsmittel or Planstellen for fellowship payment. Payment can come from e.g. overhead and free third-party funding.

• The fellowship only covers the researcher’s living costs. You will need to cover any additional payments for consumables, conferences and so forth.
• Letter of Support from TUM host must be in English language to aid reviewers who are not fluent in the German language. The applicant can upload the letter of support in the application portal. Alternatively, you can upload the letter of support yourself; the applicant can send you a link via the application portal. It is important to submit the letter before the application deadline . Otherwise, the application may not be considered.
• The letter of support  must be on an official TUM letterhead with your signature. In addition to evaluating the candidate’s qualification and the project, you need to confirm the following:
• If the application is successful, you provide the fellow with sufficient working and laboratory place to conduct the project.
• If the application is successful, you agree to cover 20% of the costs of the fellowship.
• The Senior Vice President of Research and Innovation will sign the fellowship contract on behalf of TUM. From an administrative point of view, the fellows will receive a scholarship and will have the status of a “guest researcher” instead of an employee status.

For questions, you may also refer to our F AQ Document here (TUM ID required, PDF).

Additional Funding and Support

TUM Talent Factory  will support the TUM Global Postdoc Fellows  to apply for third party funding during the time of their fellowship. The support includes individual advice on funding possibilities or upskilling events to invited fellows.

During the first 12 months  of the fellowship, the fellows should submit at least one application for third party funding at one of the main funding bodies for postdoc fellowships (e.g. AvH, MSCA, DFG). Due to mobility rules, many of these programs are only open to researchers during their first year in Germany.

At the onset of the fellowship, the host and fellow chart out a training plan to define the fellow’s steps and goal. Upon completion of first year, the fellow must submit an  interim report  detailing the progress and accomplishments.

Besides the TUM Talent Factory  , there are other central services at TUM supporting postdocs during their time at TUM, such as TUM Welcome Services, TUM Gender and Diversity, TUM Family Service, or the TUM Institute for LongLife Learning.

Get to know our fellows

Who are the  TUM Global Postdoc Fellows (TGPF)  ? Find out more about the fellows and their projects, as well as the recipients of the  TUM University Foundation Fellowship  (2013–2020).

TUM Global Postdoc Fellows (3. Call / 2024)

TUM Chair:  Chair of Data Science in Earth Observation , Prof. Dr. Xiaoxiang Zhu

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Aerospace and Geodesy

Academic career and research areas:

Dr. Xizhe Xue earned her doctoral degree in 2024 from Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) in China, specializing in earth observation. During her Ph.D. studies, she was a visiting student at the National University of Singapore from 2021 to 2023 and also served as a research intern at TikTok in Singapore. At the School of Engineering and Design at TUM under the guidance of Professor Xiaoxiang Zhu, Dr. Xue's research will focus on the multi-scale analysis of landscape heterogeneity in global urbanization. Her work aims to deepen our understanding of how urbanization impacts climate change. Additionally, her research contributes to the development of sustainable urban planning and land management policies, ensuring the preservation of natural environments and ecosystems.

Shruti Vikram

TUM Chair:  Chair of Energy Systems , Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Spliethoff

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Mechanical Engineering

Shruti Vikram completed her Master's degree in Thermal Engineering from Thapar University, India in 2017. After that, she received her doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay (Mumbai,India) in 2024. Her PhD research focused on experimental and modeling studies on pyrolysis and gasification of biomass in varying reactive media. As a researcher of bio-energy and sustainable technologies, she investigated the influence of reactive agents on the in-depth understanding of the thermo-chemical conversion routes; and biochar and biofuel generation for decentralized and downstream applications. At TUM, Dr. Shruti Vikram will focus on CO2-assisted pyrolysis of waste feedstock  to achieve high gasification efficiency. The goal is to enhance hydrogen concentration in syngas, while ensuring circular economy, and net-zero carbon emissions. Her research will also be driven to scrutinize the environmental aspects and potential effects on carbon-efficient resource utilization and economic sustainability.

Maryam Khatibi

TUM Chair:  Associate Professorship of Urban Design , Prof. Dr. Benedikt Boucsein

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Architecture

Maryam Khatibi is an architect who holds a PhD degree (2022) with honors in Architectural, Urban and Interior Design (AUID) from the Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano. She has been a postdoctoral researcher at the Université de Lyon (2022-2023) and holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Housing from ETH, Zürich. Her area of research portrays the landscape of collaborative-motivated housing cultures as an efficient way for urban habitation in the European context through which environmentally conscious and participatory process designs are tackled. At TUM, she will pursue her efforts in addressing the socio-ecological impacts of the cooperative housing models through their collective open spaces as an essential resource underpinning urban food gardens and biodiversity conservation.

Ismail Bekar

TUM Chair:  Professorship of Ecoclimatology , Prof. Dr. Annette Menzel

TUM Department: School of Life Sciences, Department of Life Science Systems

Dr. İsmail Bekar received his master's degree from Hacettepe University, Türkiye. Towards the end of his master's studies, he received a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship and started his PhD at ETH Zürich. His doctoral research aimed to enhance understanding of fire regimes using a modeling perspective with a particular emphasis on fire occurrence, fire weather, and large fires. At TUM, his research will focus on investigating fire seasons at a global scale. Using an interdisciplinary approach, he plans to identify the spatial and temporal variability and differences in fire seasons across ecosystems and investigate the role of climatic and anthropogenic factors. His research will be extended to project how climate change may further influence the dynamics of fire seasons.

Malte Toetzke

TUM Chair:  Public Policy for the Green Transition, Prof. Dr. Florian Egli

TUM Department:  TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology

Malte Toetzke conducted his doctoral studies at ETH Zurich focusing on the global transition towards net-zero emissions. In his Ph.D., he developed natural language processing models to inform public policy with new evidence, monitoring different aspects of the transition such as the global provision of climate finance or the emergence of industrial clusters around clean energy technologies. His research has been published and presented in leading academic journals (Nature Sustainability, Nature Climate Change) and machine learning conferences (NeurIPS, ICLR). At TUM, Malte Toetzke will develop a comprehensive platform to inform green industrial policy with real-time evidence, mapping global innovation collaborations around clean energy technologies at the firm level.  

Mattia Piccinini

TUM Chair:  Professorship of Autonomous Vehicle Systems , Prof. Johannes Betz

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Mobility Systems Engineering

Dr. Mattia Piccinini received his doctoral degree from the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Trento (Italy) in 2024, specializing in minimum-time trajectory planning, control and state estimation for autonomous vehicles. In 2022, he was a visiting doctoral researcher at the Universität der Bundeswehr, in Munich. Before his doctoral research, he received his M.Sc. degree (cum laude) in mechatronics engineering from the University of Trento (Italy) in 2019. At the TUM Professorship of Autonomous Vehicle Systems, Dr. Piccinini will develop new methods for adaptive collision avoidance in uncertain dynamic environments.

TUM Chair:  Professorship of Quantum Sensing , Prof. Dr. Dominik Bucher

TUM Department: School of Natural Sciences,  Department of Chemistry

Dr.Linyan Nie has a master degree of Biological Engineering at Jilin University, China. After that, she completed her doctoral studies under the supervision of Prof.Romana Schirhagl at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, graduating in October 2021. Her research focused on monitering cellular stress levels by tracking the generation of free radicals using a sensitive technique called diamond relaxometry. This technique allowed her to investigate whether single live cells or organelles were under stress. At TUM, her research focuses on addressing sensitivity issues in MRI imaging at the single cell level by using diamond quantum sensors. 

Milad Malekzadehkebria

TUM Chair: Chair of Traffic Engineering and Control , Prof. Klaus Bogenberger

Dr. Milad Malekzadeh successfully obtained his doctoral degree in the field of control engineering, specializing in intelligent transportation applications from Technical University of Crete, Greece. His Ph.D. research primarily concentrated on Internal Boundary Control of Lane-free Automated Vehicle Traffic, supervised by Prof. Markos Papageorgiou and Prof. Ioannis Papamichail. Throughout his doctoral studies, he actively participated in the TrafficFluid project, dedicating his efforts to exploring the complexities of automated vehicle control in the context of lane-free traffic. His educational background includes the attainment of another Ph.D. degree in control engineering, with a focus on electrical engineering, from Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Iran. His research interests encompass the domains of optimal control and nonlinear  dynamics. The main objective of the research carried out at the Chair of Traffic Engineering and Control at TUM, under the supervision of Professor Klaus Bogenberger, is to evaluate the feasibility of lane-free movement at the designated test-site. 

Bastiaan Wilhelmus Albertus Bögels

TUM Chair: Chair of Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems , Prof. Dr. Friedrich Simmel

TUM Department: School of Natural Sciences,  Department of Bioscience

Dr. Ir. Bas Bögels completed both his bachelor's and master's degree at Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands). He subsequently completed his PhD from the same university under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ir. Tom de Greef. During his PhD he explored compartmentalization of DNA nanotechnology for computing purposes. The research interests of Dr. Ir. Bögels are synthetic biology, nucleic acid nanotechnology, and molecular computing. He is currently working on developping RNA-based decission making circuits for use in mammalian cells. Such circuits are expected to allow for more complex yet predictable signalling networks in synthetic biology.

Behnam Khorrami

TUM Chair: Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management ,  Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Disse

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Academic career and research areas: ​​​​​​​

Dr. Behnam Khorrami has an educational background in the field of Remote Sensing (RS), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). He obtained a Master's degree from the University of Tabriz (Iran; 2016) and and a PhD from Dokuz Eylul University (Türkiye; 2022). As his PhD thesis, Dr. Khorrami worked on the evaluation of hydrological dynamics of groundwater storage over Türkiye's major watersheds using remotely sensed products, mainly the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite observations, and some hydrological model outputs. Dr. Khorrami's thesis received the Best PhD Thesis Award of 2022 from the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) Türkiye chapter. Dr. Khorrami's research area is purely multi-disciplinary encompassing environmental- and hydro-informatics. His research at TUM will mainly center around the analysis of hydrological dynamics of groundwater by integrating Machine Learning (ML), hydrological modelling and RS data / techniques. 

TUM Global Postdoc Fellows (2. Call / 2023)

Stefan holzinger.

TUM Chair: Applied Mechanics , Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Rixen

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design, Department of Mechanical Engineering 

Dr. Stefan Holzinger completed his doctorate at the Department of Mechatronics at the University of Innsbruck (Austria) in 2023. In his doctoral research, he developed novel formulations and methods for the efficient simulation of rigid and flexible multibody systems and methods for parameter identification. Besides his doctoral research, Dr. Holzinger is also active in teaching at the University of Innsbruck on multibody dynamics, robotics, and mechanical engineering fundamentals. Furthermore, he has been part of several third-party-funded research projects. Before his doctoral research, he received his master's degree in mechatronics in 2016 from the Management Center Innsbruck (MCI), Austria.

At TUM, Dr. Holzinger’s research will center on methods for efficient and accurate modeling of human soft tissue behavior within multibody formulations and on methods for developing computationally highly efficient multibody models capable of accurately predicting human movement.

Kundu Debraj

TUM Chair: Electronic Design Automation , Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulf Schlichtmann

TUM Department: School of Computation, Information and Technology, Department of Computer Engineering

Debraj Kundu pursued a Master of Technology (M.Tech) from Calcutta University, India, in 2016. After that, he started his research career as a Ph.D. scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, India, under the supervision of Prof. Sudip Roy. His doctoral research focuses on developing algorithms for the automation of various bioprotocols on programmable microfluidic biochips. Design automation problems related to sample preparation, module placement, and fluid routing have been the prime focus of Mr. Kundu’s research so far.

He will concentrate on creating new approaches at TUM to address various design automation issues with flow-based microfluidic biochips. Mr. Kundu will research how flow-based microfluidic biochips are made with the goal of creating an effective automation technique to implement some bio-applications on them.

Apolline Louvet

TUM Chair: Population genetics , Prof. Aurélien Tellier

TUM Department: School of Life Sicences, Department of Life Science Systems

Dr. Apolline Louvet has received her doctoral degree in 2022 from Ecole Polytechnique (France). Under the supervision of Amandine Véber and Nathalie Machon, she developed and studied new mathematical models for expanding populations and the dynamics of the spontaneous flora in an urban environment. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bath (United Kingdom). Prior to completing her PhD, she received an M.Sc in Mathematics for the Life Sciences from Université Paris Sud (France).

Her research focusses on the mathematical modeling of populations out of equilibrium, and the developement of associated statistical tools to be applied to real-world datasets. During her fellowship at TUM, she will use stochastic approaches to investigate the effect of dormancy on the stability of ecological communities, and the implications in term of genetic diversity.

Nazli Ecem Dal-Bekar

TUM Chair:  Proteomics and Bioanalytics , Prof. Dr. Bernhard Küster

TUM Department: School of Life Sciences, Department Molecular Life Sciences

Dr. Nazlı Ecem Dal-Bekar received her M.Sc. degree in Clinical Immunology from Ankara University, Türkiye. She then completed her Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine at Dokuz Eylül University, Türkiye in 2022. Her Ph.D. studies focused on understanding the association between vitamin D and oxidative DNA damage in scleroderma and developing chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods. In 2019, she received a grant from EMBO to visit Nicolaus Copernicus University, Poland, where she was able to develop new methods. From 2022 to 2023, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Izmir University of Economics, Faculty of Medicine. She conducted a research project funded by the National Science Foundation of Türkiye.

Dr. Dal-Bekar's research focuses on translational studies in development and application of chromatography-mass spectrometry methods for diagnosis/monitoring processes and determination of effective treatment strategies in autoimmunity and cancer. At TUM, her research will concentrate on a novel proteomic approach using mass spectrometry-based methods to decrypt the mechanisms of action of therapeutic antibodies.

Anna Takayasu

TUM Chair: Traffic Engineering and Control , Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Bogenberger

TUM Department: TUM School of Engineering and Design, Department of Mobility Systems Engineering

Dr. Anna Takayasu received her doctoral degree in the civil engineering field in 2022 from Lyon University (ENTPE) in France and collaborated with EPFL in Switzerland. Her Ph.D. research focused on traffic and trip behavior characteristics simulation and application. Using real traffic data from loop detectors and GPS on cars and complete trajectory data from drones, she investigated the effect of data availability on traffic state estimation. Also, she assessed the macroscopic traffic state prediction accuracy depending on model settings. Prior to her Ph.D., she completed her Master's in information science from Tohoku University in Japan.

Her research activities at the Chair of Traffic Engineering and Control at TUM under professor Klaus Bogenberger aim to develop a multimodal road network design method considering traffic state, comfort, and safety in anticipation of future conditions. The insights of her research will also provide a science-based concept to local organizations for new traffic measures and policies to make sager and less congested transportation.

Dandan Zhang

TUM Chair:  Information-Oriented Control ,  Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sandra Hirche

Dr. Dandan Zhang was a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, from 2022 to 2023, and pursued her Ph.D. degree in the School of Information Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China, between 2017 and 2022. From 2019 to 2021, she was a Ph.D. Visiting Student at University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.

Her research interests include deterministic and stochastic hybrid systems and cyber-physical systems. At TUM, she will focus on stochastic hybrid systems, which may exhibit three sources of randomness: the Wiener process resulting from a stochastic disturbance, the jump times resulting from stochastic impulse, and the jump values resulting from stochastic reset rules.

TUM Chair:  Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry , Prof. Dr. Jürgen Ruland

TUM Department: School of Medicine

Dr. Jing Zhang completed her PhD in the lab of Prof. Dr. Peter ten Dijke at the Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands) in 2022. During her PhD, she has specialized towards cancer biology, focusing on understanding the changes of tumor microenvironment, tumor metastasis and the aberrant cellular processes in breast, lung and pancreatic cancer to improve treatment options for cancer patients. After her PhD, she continued as a post-doc in the same lab to work on the regulation of TGF-β signaling and EMT in various cancer types.

At TUM, Dr. Jing Zhang will focus on the aberrant signaling pathways during T cell l lymphomagenesis to offer novel insights for lymphoma-targeted therapies.  

TUM Global Postdoc Fellows (1. Call / 2022)

Alex delhomme.

TUM Chair:  Semiconductor Quantum Nanosystems ,  Prof. Dr. Jonathan Finley

TUM Department:  School of Natural Sciences,   Physics

Alex Delhomme received a PhD degree in Physics in 2022 from Université Grenoble Alpes (Grenoble, France). At the Laboratoire National des Champs Magnétiques Intense, the French continuous high magnetic field facility, he investigated the optical and magnetic properties of Van der Waals lamellar systems. His research focused on the recombination of interlayer excitons in transition metal dichalcogenide heterobilayers. Prior to completing his PhD, he received a M.Sc in Nanophysics and holds a B.Sc. in Physics from the same university.

Delhomme research interests lie in the experimental characterization of low dimensional quantum structures as well as the physics of systems in extreme environment. At TUM, his efforts are directed at investigating novel quantum phases created by a strain tunable moiré potential in two-dimensional quantum materials.

Maryam Hemmati

TUM Chair:  Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science , Prof. Dr. Corinna Dawid

TUM Department:  TUM School of Life Sciences, Department Molecular Life Sciences

Dr. Maryam Hemmati graduated with a PhD in Applied/Analytical Chemistry from University of Semnan (Iran) in March 2019. In 2018, she got a nationally competitive fellowship to pursue more research opportunities on doctoral level at Granada University (Spain). Her research works have dealt with developing sample preparation techniques compatible with different samples followed by LC-DAD and LC-MS/MS analyses. In 2019, she awarded a grant to undertake postdoctoral research at the University of Liege (Belgium) on “LC‐MS for metabolomics in the context of fluxomics analysis”. She conducted an exercise-induced targeted metabolomics study on low-volumes of whole blood, which were collected by using microsampling techniques.

At TUM, she will develop an integrated Metabo-Lipid-Prote-omics approach to study the inflammation dependent and independent cancer models in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Corinna Dawid.

Sara Arana Peña

TUM Lehrstuhl: Chemie Biogener Rohstoffe ,  Prof. Dr. Volker Sieber

TUM Department:  Campus Straubing

Akademische Laufbahn und Forschungsbereich:

Dr. Sara Arana Peña has completed her PhD under the direction of Prof. Dr. Roberto Fernández Lafuente in Optimization of Enzymatic Biocatalysts and Bioprocess group at the ICP-CSIC (Spain). Previously she has obtained her B.Sc. in Biology and a M.Sc. in Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain).

Dr. Arana Peña’s research is focused on the field of enzyme immobilization. The use of different immobilization strategies, the development and modification of supports and the characterization of biocatalysts were the main points to highlight out of it. At TUM, she will lead a project at Prof. Dr. Volker Sieber’s group to develop co-immobilization strategies for enzymes involved in cascades reactions for their application in sustainable chemistry processes. The preparation of optimal co-immobilized cascades will allow to reduce the cost of processes and improve reaction yields, providing a promising green alternative to the traditional chemical industry.

Sophie R. Thomas

TUM Lehrstuhl:   Inorganic and Metal-Organic Chemistry , Prof. Dr. Roland A. Fischer

TUM Department: School of Natural Sciences, Department of Chemistry

Sophie Thomas graduated with a Master of Chemistry at Cardiff University (UK) in 2017 before gaining a place on the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Catalysis programme. In 2018, Sophie obtained a Master of Research in Catalysis and then began her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Angela Casini at Cardiff University. Her doctoral research focuses on the use of gold complexes as therapeutic agents, with a focus on achieving catalysis in living cells.

At TUM, she will focus on the use of water-soluble gold nanoparticles stabilized by N-heterocyclic carbenes for applications in catalysis and biomedicine, with potential to combine both applications for catalysis in cells for therapy.

TUM Global Postdocs Fellows (Alumni)

2023: méline saubin (alumni).

Meline Saubin received her Master's degree in Biodiversity, ecology and evolution from Montpellier University and her Engineering degree from the French National Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences (AgroParisTech) in 2019. Then, she completed her PhD degree in Biology and ecology of forests and agrosystems in 2023 at AgroParisTech (Nancy, France). At the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), she investigated the influence of demographic variations on the genetic structure of populations in the context of emerging disease. Using population genetics and epidemiology, she developed demogenetic models to study rapidly evolving pathogen populations.

During her fellowship at TUM, she will use temporal genomic data to decipher the bases of host-parasite coevolution. She will develop a Bayesian method to analyse host-parasite coevolution, and apply this method to plant and parasite full genome data.

2023: Somvanshi Sandeep (Alumni)

TUM Chair:  Bioseparation Engineering , Prof. Dr. Sonja Berensmeier

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design,  Department of Energy and Process Engineering

Mr. Sandeep B. Somvanshi is currently pursuing Ph.D. as a DST-INSPIRE Fellow at the Department of Physics, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad (M.S.), India. He has completed the master’s degree in Physics from the same department. The core activity of his Ph.D. research work is to design and develop multifunctional magnetic nanomaterials-based technologies for the potential benefits of their multimodal-functionality in biomedical applications which will strongly improve the performances of currently used diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

At TUM, Mr. Sandeep B. Somvanshi will conduct research on “Screening and Optimization of Selective Aptamer-Based Separation Processes for the Isolation of Asthma-Preventing Proteins”. This proposed research work intends to overcome the limitations of current protein separation technologies in proteins by testing the aptamer-based approach for the development of a specific separation process.

2023: Graziano Frungieri (Alumni)

TUM Chair: Process Systems Engineering , Prof. Dr. Heiko Briesen

TUM Department: School of Life Sciences, Department of Life Science Engineering

Dr. Graziano Frungieri is a Chemical Engineer, graduated from Politecnico di Torino, Italy, in 2014. He obtained his PhD from Politecnico di Torino in 2018, with a thesis dealing with the numerical simulation of aggregation and breakup phenomena in sheared colloidal suspensions. During his PhD, he spent one year as a guest researcher at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

After his PhD, within the H2020 project VIMMP, he worked on the development of multiscale simulation strategies coupling CFD and DEM simulations to address industrially relevant modelling challenges.

At TUM, Dr. Graziano Frungieri will work on the development of novel computational techniques to study the production of Janus colloidal particles via Pickering emulsion and their exploitation as building blocks for supra-colloidal structures. 

2022: Alexander Rolle (Alumni)

TUM Chair:  Applied Topology and Geometry , Prof. Dr. Ulrich Bauer

TUM Department: School of Computation, information and Technology, Department of Mathematics

Academic Career and Research Areas :

Dr. Alexander Rolle completed his PhD in Mathematics at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 2019. There, he studied applications of topological methods to algebraic geometry, and motivic cohomology in particular. From 2019 to 2021, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at TU Graz, Austria, focusing on topological data analysis.

Dr. Rolle’s research is aimed at the development of novel methods in data analysis and statistics that build on well-understood mathematical tools, and especially the tools of algebraic topology. At TUM, he will work on multi-parameter persistent homology and statistics.

2022: Muhammad Hegazy (Alumni)

TUM Chair:  Building Technology and Climate Responsive Design , Prof. Thomas Auer

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design, Department of Architecture

Muhammad Hegazy is an architect and researcher with strong research interests in sustainability, building simulation, and interactive immersive environments. His doctoral research in Architectural Engineering (Osaka University, Japan) focused on the assessment and spatial mapping of daylight perception in architectural spaces using virtual reality, as well as the relationship between such perceptions and physically based daylight metrics.

At TUM, he will pursue a research project on physiological and psychological reactions to daylighting in virtual built environments. This research will contribute to a better understanding of the interdependencies between perception, wellbeing, and daylighting attributes in the built environment.

2022: Anik Dutta (Alumni)

TUM Chair:  Phytopathology ,  Prof. Dr. Ralph Hückelhoven

TUM Department:  TUM School of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Life Sciences

Dr. Anik Dutta has received his doctoral degree in 2021 from ETH Zurich, funded by Federal Office for Agriculture in Switzerland. His PhD research focused on understanding the principles of agricultural pathogen adaptation to biotic and abiotic environments. Using high throughput phenotypic and whole genome sequence data, he investigated mechanisms that maintain genetic diversity in pathogen life-history traits. He also conducted the large-scale genome wide association mapping to uncover sources of complex trait genetic variation. Prior to his PhD, he completed M.Sc. in Crop Sciences from the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart.

His research activities at the Chair of Phytopathology at TUM in collaboration with Dr. Remco Stam are directed at studying the diversity and evolution of plant-pathogen interactions under variable climatic conditions. He will use precise phenotypic and genomic data to identify resistance and susceptibility genes in wild tomato plants to different pathogen. The knowledge derived from this research will be valuable for plant breeders to develop crop varieties with durable resistance to plant pathogens.

2022: Chao Zhou (Alumni)

TUM Chair: Organic Chemistry , Prof. Dr. Thorsten Bach

TUM Department:  School of Natural Sciences, Department of Chemistry

Academic career and research areas

Dr. Chao Zhou incepted his PhD degree in organic chemistry in 2020 from Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (TIPC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). There, he designed and developed a series of visible-light-catalyzed [2+2] cycloadditions of olefin and N-arylation reactions with high chemo and regioselectivity. From 2021 to 2023, he has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, focusing on the construction of spiro-compounds via visible light-mediated radical dearomatization.

Dr. Chao’s research is aimed at the development of novel and practical methodologies for the efficient construction of biologically active and synthetically useful molecules, in particular by photocatalysis. At TUM, he will work on the enantioselective photocatalytic organic transformations with Prof. Thorsten Bach.

2022: Nesibe A. Dogan (Alumni)

TUM Chair:   Biogenic Functional Materials , Prof. Dr. Rubén D. Costa

TUM Department:   TUM Campus Straubing

Dr. Nesibe A. Dogan completed her PhD degree with full scholarship at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2019. Her research focused on synthesis of nanoporous polymers for capture of CO 2  gas from industrial flue gas mixtures and precious metal capture from wastewaters. She developed nanoporous covalent organic polymers which were chemically tuned to have an affinity for the desired material in a liquid or gaseous mixture.

During her postdoctoral work at CNRS in collaboration with Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France), she worked in a Horizon2020 project and developed nanocellulose-metal organic framework composite thin films and built an adsorption chamber to operate tests on the artefacts. Currently as a postdoctoral researcher in Aalto University (Finland), she is involved with synthesis and characterization of nanocellulose gels and cyanobacterial growth for photosynthetic cell factories with FET Open Horizon2020 project.

During her fellowship at TUM, she will combine nanocellulose derivatives and fluorescent proteins to develop color filters for bioLEDs. Hybrid optoelectronics is a newly emerging field which promises to incorporate biological materials to advance Green Photonics concept.

2022: Yunyi Liang (Alumni)

TUM Chair: Transportation Systems Engineering , Prof. Dr.Constantinos Antoniou

TUM Department: School of Engineering and Design, Department of Mobility Systems Engineering

Dr. Liang was a postdoctoral researcher in Traffic Information and Control Engineering at Tongji University, Shanghai, China, from 2019 to 2021, where he also pursued his doctoral degree between 2014 and 2019. From 2016 to 2018, he was a visiting Ph.D. student at University of Washington. His research focuses on data-driven optimization and control of transportation systems with connected autonomous vehicles, and machine learning. He is particularly interested in developing machine learning models, control models, optimization models and game theory to tackle research challenges.

At TUM, he will conduct research on “Personalized Cooperative Automated Platooning using Safe Reinforcement Learning”. In this research, he will develop a simulation platform which is capable of simulating human driving behaviours in a realistic traffic and vehicle-to-vehicle communication environment. Further, using safe reinforcement learning theory, he will develop a methodology for describing human driving styles in making decisions on platoon formation, platoon maintenance and platoon dissolution as well as in planning the corresponding trajectory, and a methodology for personalized decision making and trajectory planning for human-machine-collaboration-driven vehicles.

TUM University Foundation Fellows (awarded 2013-2021)

Tuff alumni round 1-11.

This is a non-exhaustive list and only includes persons who provided their consent to be added to the Alumni list.

TUFF Round 1

• Dr. Joanna Deek – Professorship of Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, Department of Physics
• Dr. Satoshi Endo – Chair of Information-oriented Control, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Cristian Gutierrez Ibanez – Chair of Zoology, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Juan Leonardo Martinez-Hurtado – Center for Nontechnology and Nanomaterials, Department of Physics
• Dr. Genny Pang – Chair for Biological Imaging, TUM School of Medicine
• Dr. Thomas Stecher – Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry

TUFF Round 2

• Dr. Roberta Fonti – Chair of Structural Design, Department of Architecture
• Dr. Sijie Hao – Professorship of Experimental Semiconductor Physics, Department of Physics
• Dr. Paul Albert König – Chair of Clinical Chemistry, TUM School of Medicine
• Dr. Hesam Sagha – Chair of Human-Machine Communication, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Annelies Vandersickel – Chair of Energy Systems, Department of Mechanical Engineering

 TUFF Round 3

• Dr. Siwei Bai – Professorship of Bio-inspired Information Processing, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Karin Kleigrewe – Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Jürgen Rauleder – Chair of Helicopter Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Simone Scilabra – Chair of Neuroproteomics, TUM School of Medicine
• Dr. Weiwei Xie – Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Goutam Tanti – Department of Neurology, TUM School of Medicine

TUFF Round 4

• Dr. Ina Bisha – Theoretical Chemical Biology and Protein Modelling Group, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Alejandro Cosimo – Chair of Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Paul D'Agostino – Professorship of Biosystems Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Bhupal Dev – Chair of Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics, Department of Physics
• Dr. Kiwon Um – Chair of Computer Graphics and Visualization, Department of Informatics
• Dr. Bin Zou – Chair of Mathematical Finance, Department of Mathematics

TUFF Round 5

• Dr. Giorgia Aquilar – Chair for Urban Development and Regional Planning, Department of Architecture 
• Dr. Astrid De Clercq – Chair of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Pablo Lanillos – Chair of Cognitive Systems, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Nicolás M. Ortega – Chair of Livestock Biotechnology, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan 
• Dr. Pablo Albertos Arranz – Professorship for Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan 

TUFF Round 6

• Dr. Gulen Burak – Professorship of Protein Chemistry, Department of Chemistry 
• Dr. Alessandro Cattabiani – Chair of Computational Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Laura Hoodless – Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, TUM School of Medicine 

TUFF Round 7

• Dr. Batyr Garlyyev – Professorship of Physics of Energy Conversion and Storage, Department of Physics
• Dr. Abdulla Ghani – Professorship of Thermo-Fluid Dynamics, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Zhi Jin – Chair of Media Technology, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Tahoora Narany – Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management, Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Gianluca Orlando – Chair for Analysis, Department of Mathematics
• Dr. Yongpeng Wu – Institute for Communications Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

TUFF Round 8

• Dr. Diala Abu Awad – Section of Population Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Kausik Basak – Chair of Molecular Imaging Engineering, TUM School of Medicine  
• Dr. Jordi Cotela Dalmau – Chair of Structural Analysis, Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Hildeberto Jardón Kojakhmetov – Chair of Multiscale and Stochastic Dynamics, Department of Mathematics
• Dr. Shobin Loukkose Rosemary – Chair of Semiconductor Nanostructures and Quantum Systems, Department of Physics
• Dr. Johannes Margraf – Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Jamie McDonald – Professorship of Theoretical Physics of the Early Universe, Department of Physics 
• Dr. Gustavo Adolfo Silva Arias – Section of Population Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Magdalena Wagner – Centre of Land, Water and Environmental Risk Management, TUM Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Catherine Weetmann – Professorship of Silicon Chemistry, Department of Chemistry

TUFF Round 9

• Dr. Ana M. Ferreira – Professorship of Biothermodynamics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Biao Yang – Chair of Surface and Interface Physics (E20), Department of Physics
• Dr. Ibon Santiago González – Chair of Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems (E14), Department of Physics
• Dr. Adam Papp – Chair of Nanoelectronics, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Linda Giresini – Chair of Structural Mechanics, Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Tianzhe Liu – Chair of Biosystems Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Chien-Yun Lee – Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Jong-Seob Han – Chair of Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Liang Dong – Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Philipp Baumert – Chair of Exercise Biology, TUM Department of Sport and Health Sciences
• Dr. Sandra G. L. Persiani   – Chair of Building Technology and Climate Responsive Design, TUM Department of Architecture
• Dr. Cambyse Rouzé – Chair   of Theory of Complex Quantum Systems, TUM Department of Mathematics 
• Dr. Samuel Weber – Chair of Landslide Research, TUM Department of   Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Burak Özbey – Chair of High-Frequency Engineering, TUM Department Electrical and Computer Engineering

TUFF Round 10

• Dr. Needhi Kotoky – Chair of Computational Mechanics, TUM Department of   Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Haichao Hong – Institute of Flight System Dynamics,TUM Department of Aerospace and Geodesy
• Fadhilah Muslim, PhD – Chair of Materials Science and Testing,TUM Department of   Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Bhavya S. – Chair of Aquatic Systems Biology, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
• Dr. Gaurav Tomar – Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics, Department of Physics
• Dr. Ali Khansefid – Chair of Structural Mechanics, TUM Department of   Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Mohanned Alhussien – Chair of Reproductive Biotechnology, TUM School of Life Sciences
• Dr. Chuang Xu – Multiscale and Stochastic Dynamics, TUM Department of Mathematics 
• Dr. Naveen Tripathi – Chair of Process System Engineering, TUM School of Life Sciences
• Dr. Jingshui Huang – Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management, TUM Department of   Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Xing Huang – Chair of Electronic Design Automation, TUM Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Dr. Luisa Roeder – Chair of Human Movement Science, TUM Department of Sport and Health Sciences  

TUFF Round 11

• Dr. Tess Doezema – Chair of Innovation Society and Public Policy (Innovation Research), Munich Center for Technology in Society
• Dr. Thomas Rigotti – Chair of Organic Chemistry I, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Teresa Pérez Ciria – Chair of Hydrology and River Basin Management,   Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Ryan Kisslinger –   Chair of Experimental Semiconductor Physics,   Department of Physics
• Dr. Janio Venturini – Chair of Synthesis and Characterization of Innovative Materials ,  Department of Chemistry
• Adeyinka Adetula, PhD – Chair of Reproductive Biotechnology, TUM School of Life Sciences

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Welcome Services for international researchers

The TUM Global and Alumni Office provides welcome services to support international postdocs and guest professors, as well as their hosts from TUM, in completing any paperwork and formalities. As the central point of contact for the TUM campuses in Munich, Garching, and Freising, we can help researchers to integrate into academic life at TUM smoothly.

• Universities

Sources of Funding

In Germany, and Bavaria particularly, you will find many funding opportunities to support your research. From funding offered by universities to special European grants, we provide an overview of PhD scholarships, postdoc fellowships, and other grants you can apply for in Bavaria.

Funding for Your Research

The list below, while not exhaustive, provides information on some of the most common funding options that you can apply for directly. *

Tips for a Successful Application

• Before you apply, find the appropriate institution or host: Your research project should fit into their research agenda or complement it. Browse our research topics and database to start your search.
• Take your time to develop a coherent project idea and discuss it with your host professor.
• For all funding programs, you will need to document the support of your host. Depending on the program, an invitation letter, a hosting statement, a joint proposal or even a commitment to co-finance the grant may be required.
• Advanced researchers will be referred to the university’s funding advice service to discuss the strategical and financial aspects of the application. At this career level, the preparation of an application can take several months, so plan ahead and with plenty of time.

Variety in Funding Options

The programs listed here are not the only way to fund your research. Other options include:

• country specific scholarships or grants
• program-specific scholarships for candidates in structured PhD programs
• employment as a research associate during your PhD or Postdoc, or a professorship at a university (visit our jobs page )
• funding for short term stays may be acquired by hosts through the university’s own programs for guest professors or by programs funding the initiation of international projects

Short-Term Research Stays

If you are looking for special funding to cover a short-term visit to a Bavarian university, there are many PhD scholarships and short-term research grants for you to consider. Basic amounts vary between ca. €1,000 and €2,000 depending on the career level and are often complemented by allowances for specific purposes.

Short-Term Grants

• Type of funding: short-term grant
• Open to: highly qualified PhDs and postdocs
• Subject area: all disciplines
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month, healthcare cover, accident and personal liability insurance benefits, travel allowance
• Duration: 1–6 months
• Application deadline: twice yearly
• Funding information: Short Term Grants

Research Stays for University Academics and Scientists

• Open to: university teachers and established academics and scientists who have usually completed a doctoral degree and work at a university or research institute in their home country.
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month
• Duration: 1–3 months
• Application deadline: once or twice yearly
• Funding information: Research Stays for University Academics and Scientists

Scholarship Program 1

• Type of funding: scholarship or short-term scholarship
• Open to: graduates, doctoral candidates, and postdocs of Catholic denomination (particularly those from the Middle East) or candidates from other religions who are put forward by Catholic partners and can prove their commitment to interreligious dialogue.
• Amount: (not specified)
• Duration: one year, or research stays of 2 – 6 months
• Application deadline: annual
• Funding information: Scholarship Program 1

Eastern European Program

• Type of funding: short-term scholarship
• Open to: graduates, PhD candidates, postdocs, and scientists and lecturers from Central, Eastern, or Southeastern Europe, the Caucuses, and Central Asia. Good knowledge of German and of Catholic denomination (other denominations will be considered, provided candidates are put forward by catholic partners).
• Duration: maximum 6 months
• Funding information: Programme for Eastern Europe

PhD Funding

Because tuition is free in Germany, PhD scholarships are generally offered by third-party organizations rather than the universities. Basic amounts vary between ca. €800 and €2,000 depending on the organization and are often complemented by allowances for specific purposes.

Research Grants – Doctoral Programmes

• Type of funding: research grant
• Open to: highly qualified doctoral candidates
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month, including cover for health, accident, and personal liability insurance, travel allowance, one-off research grant, preparatory language courses, sometimes also monthly rent allowances, as well as monthly supplements for accompanying family members
• Duration: maximum 4 years
• Application deadline: annual, depending on country of origin
• Funding information: DAAD Research Grants – Doctoral Programmes

One-Year Grants for Doctoral Candidates

• What funding covers: fixed amount per month including cover for health, accident, and personal liability insurance, travel allowance, one-off research grant, preparatory language courses, sometimes also monthly rent allowances, as well as monthly supplements for accompanying family members
• Duration: 7–12 months
• Funding information: One-Year Grants for Doctoral Candidates

Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degrees / Cotutelle

• What funding covers: fixed amount per month, including health, accident and personal liability insurance, travel allowance, one-off research grant, preparatory language courses, occasionally monthly rent allowances, as well as monthly supplements for accompanying family members, travel and living expenses for university lecturers
• Duration: maximum 2 years, can be divided into several short research stays.
• Funding information: Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degrees / Cotutelle

Doctoral Scholarship

• Open to: highly qualified and socially committed doctoral candidates who have been accepted on a doctoral program at a German university
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month, contributions towards health insurance costs (50%; max. of 100€/month), family/childcare allowances, travel grants. As a scholarship holder you are supported in your academic and personal development by an adviser in the German Academic Scholarship Foundation’s office and a personal tutor at your home university. Furthermore, you can benefit from social activities, international networking and an interdisciplinary academic program.
• Duration: maximum 3 years, child birth, parental leave, eldercare and illness can extend this period
• Application deadline: applications are accepted on a rolling basis
• Funding information: Doctoral Scholarships

Marianne-Plehn-Program

• Type of funding:  salaried part-time employment of 25% ( TV-L E13 )
• Subject area:  all disciplines
• Open to:  highly qualified doctoral candidates who have obtained a doctoral scholarship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes)
• What funding covers:  salaried part-time employment of 25% at any university in Bavaria (providing social security as well as important experience in teaching academic classes and in administrative tasks). As a member of the Elite Network of Bavaria you benefit from activities, international networking and add-ons to your doctorate within our interdisciplinary excellence program.
• Duration: ends with doctoral scholarship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes)
• Application deadline:  applications accepted on a rolling basis; parallel to the application for the doctoral scholarship or in the first year of the doctoral scholarship
• Funding information: Marianne-Plehn-Program

One-year Scholarship Program for Graduates of Central, Eastern and Southeastern European States

• Open to: graduates and PhD candidates from Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month, if applicable additional funds for children
• Duration: maximum 3 years
• Application deadline: end of November/beginning of December each year
• Funding information: One-year Scholarship Program for Graduates of Central, Eastern and Southeastern European States

Doctoral Fellowships in Quantum Science

• Subject area: quantum sciences
• Open to: highly qualified doctoral candidates affiliating with one of the MQV research groups
• What funding covers: a 75% working position ( TV-L E13 ) and generous research and conference travel allowance. MQV doctoral students affiliated with related research groups can enter the existing graduate programs at their respective institutions. Moreover, they can participate in QST summer schools and a wide range of workshops organized by MQV partners, e.g. MCQST and Max Planck IMPRS programs.
• Duration: 3 years
• Application deadline: 15 January
• Funding information: Doctoral Fellowships, Munich Quantum Valley

PhD Fellowship Basic Biomedical Research

• Subject area: biomedicine
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month additional funding for travel costs, if applicable additional funds for children and spouses
• Application deadline: 1 February, 2 June and 2 October each year
• Funding information: PhD Fellowship Basic Biomedical Research

PhD Scholarship in the Historical Sciences

• Subject area: historical humanities
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month, family allowance, relocation costs if applicable, travel allowance and funding for research materials as necessary
• Duration: 2 years
• Application deadline: applications accepted on a rolling basis
• Funding information: PhD Scholarship in the Historical Sciences

Funding for Postdocs

Funding for Postdocs is often offered in the form of a salaried position. The grant usually covers a monthly stipend of around €2,300 and more as well as financial support for resources you may need for your research.

Walter Benjamin Programme

• Type of funding: salaried position
• Open to: postdoctoral researchers at an early career phase
• What funding covers: salaried position, funding for resources and travel, as well as publication costs and benefits for parents, if necessary.
• Duration: maximum 2 years
• Funding information: Walter Benjamin Programme

Individual Research Grants

• Open to: researchers with a doctoral degree
• What funding covers: own position, resources, and staff
• Duration: depending on the project (several years)
• Funding information: Individual Research Grants

Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers

• Open to: postdocs who have obtained their doctorate within the last 4 years
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month, mobility allowance, allowance for health and liability insurance, family allowance, preparatory language courses for you and your spouse
• Duration: 6-24 months
• Application deadline: March, July and November each year
• Funding information: Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers

Georg Forster Research Fellowship

• Open to: postdocs from developing and emerging countries who have obtained their doctorate within the last 4 years
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month intensive language course for researchers, their spouse before the start of the scholarship, financial support for the family and travel allowance
• Application deadline: February, June and October each year
• Funding information: Georg Forster Research Fellowship

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship

• Open to: researchers with a doctoral degree or at least four years’ full-time research experience by the time of the call deadline
• Amount: funding for research and travel expenses
• Application deadline: September each year 
• Special features: the Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR) , the German National Contact Point for Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and the European Liaison Office of the German Research Organisations (KoWi) support researchers in all phases of their research project, including the application. Universities might connect you with these specialized agencies after deciding to support your application.
• Funding information: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship

General Research Grants: Scholarships

• Open to: postdocs who have obtained their doctorate within the last 10 years
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month, family allowance, allowance for scholarships abroad, travel aid and material aid
• Duration: 1-24 months
• Application deadline: several times during the year
• Funding information: General Research Grants: Scholarships

Funding for Your Own Research Group

Experienced postdocs who are ready to take the next step in their careers, can apply for funding of their own research group . The grants are typically longer-term and highly sought after. As well as financing your own position at university, costs for your staff and for your equipment are covered. Depending on the organization and on your project, the total amount can reach up to €3M for the whole funding period.

Emmy Noether Programme

• Open to: experienced postdocs who have obtained their doctorate within the last 4 years.
• What funding covers: salaried position, and additional modules for resources, and staff, family allowance
• Duration: maximum 6 years
• Application deadline : applications accepted on a rolling basis
• Funding information: Emmy-Noether Programme

Heisenberg Programme

• Type of funding: research grant, salaried position and your own research group, or professorship
• Open to: researchers who have qualified for professorship
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month, funding for research materials, travel allowance, if applicable additional funds for children; salaried position or professorship, funding for research materials, resources
• Duration: maximum 5 years
• Special features: when you are accepted into the Heisenberg Program, you can choose from different types of funding (research grant, salaried position and funds for your own research group, or professorship)You initially request a Heisenberg grant
• Funding information: Heisenberg Programme

Junior Research Groups

• Open to: postdocs who have obtained their doctorate within the last two to five years
• What funding covers: salaried position, and resources for staff, research materials and equipment, family allowance
• Application deadline: not currently accepting applications
• Funding information: Junior Research Groups

ERC Starting Grant and ERC Consolidator Grant

• Open to: researchers who have obtained a doctorate within the last 2–7 years (Starting Grant) or within the last 7–12 years (Consolidator Grant)
• What funding covers: salaried position, staff, resources, technical equipment
• Duration: 5 years maximum
• Application deadline: each year
• Special features: the Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR) , the German National Contact Point ERC and the European Liaison Office of the German Research Organisations (KoWi) support researchers in all phases of their research project, including the application. Universities might connect you with these specialized agencies after deciding to support your application.
• Funding information: ERC Starting Grant; ERC Consolidator Grant

Funding for Established Researchers

There is ample support for highly qualified researchers looking to pursue a research career in Bavaria. To qualify for this type of funding, applicants will generally need to have qualified for professorship , e.g. by a previous group leader position, a habilitation or a particularly strong academic record. Basic amounts vary considerably depending on the funding organization, your project and your experience.

Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers

• Open to: researchers who have obtained their doctorate within the last 12 years
• Duration:  6-18 months, the stay can be divided into up to three stays within three years
• Funding information: Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers
• Open to: experienced researchers from developing and emerging countries who have obtained their doctorate within the last 12 years
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month intensive language course for researchers and their spouse before the start of the scholarship, financial support for the family and travel allowance
• Duration: 6 - 18 months
• Type of funding: research grant, salaried position and own research group, or professorship
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month, travel allowance, if applicable additional funds for children; salaried position or professorship, funding for research materials, resources
• Special features: when you are accepted into the Heisenberg Program, you can choose from different types of funding (research grant, salaried position and funds for your own research group, or professorship)

Lichtenberg Endowed Professorship

• Type of funding: professorship W2 / W3
• Open to: professors
• Amount: €2M
• Duration: 5 years
• Special features: joint application with the university, which has to contribute another €3M to the endowment capital
• Funding information: Lichtenberg Endowed Professorship

ERC Advanced Grant

• Type of funding: own research group
• Open to: researchers who have a track-record of significant research contributions achievements in the last 10 years, exceptional leaders in terms of originality and significance of their research
• Special features: the “ German National Contact Point ERC ” and the “ European Liaison Office of the German Research Organisations “ (KoWi) support researchers in all phases of their research project, including the application
• Funding information: ERC Adanced Grant

General Research Grants: Scholarship

• Open to: researchers with habilitation, associate professors, senior lecturers or similar
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month, family allowance, living abroad allowance, travel allowance and resources as necessary
• Application deadline: several times each year
• Funding information: General Research Grants: Scholarship

Threatened Researchers

Discrimination, the violation of human rights, armed conflicts and wars are threatening the lives and work of researchers in different parts of the world. With awareness rising among the research community, support structures are currently adapted and new programs developed. Funding programs running on a long-term basis and available to all threatened researchers who want to join Bavarian universities are listed here.

Philipp Schwartz-Fellowship

The Philipp Schwartz Initiative provides funding for researchers who are facing severe threats, including threats of violence, torture, wrongful imprisonment or prosecution. Various Bavarian universities have hosted Philipp Schwartz Fellows during the last years and developed support programs to integrate these researchers. These institutions recently founded a network to provide better support for potential applicants as well as current fellows.

• Open to: threatened researchers with a doctoral degree; a confirmation of a pertinent threat should be confirmed either by way of a residence status in the context of an asylum-granting procedure within the EU or by way of a credible threat assessment issued no more than 12 months ago by a third party, such as the Scholars at Risk Network (SAR) or the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA)
• What funding covers: fixed amount per month (around €3,500/month)
• Duration: max. 3 years
• Special Features: the university applies for the funds in accordance with its institutional strategy for threatened researchers; researchers should contact the university of their choice or the Scholars at Risk Network .
• Funding information: Philipp Schwartz-Fellowship

Support for Researchers from Ukraine

The scientific community and universities in Bavaria offer their support to students and researchers, who were forced to leave Ukraine and have arrived in Bavaria. Ad-hoc funding programs have been put in place by a large range of institutions on a regional as well as on the national level. In Bavaria, both universities and research groups can act as a host and nominate you for specific programs.

How to find your host:

Use our database “Find Your Peers” and our list of structured PhD programs to find a research group or host in your field. You can also check out our twitter account to find out about current job offers for young researchers at Bavarian universities.

How to get funding:

Your host, together with the Research Funding Offices and Welcome Centers at the university of your choice are glad to inform you about adequate options and guide you through the process.

Coordination Office for Ukraine and further assistance

The Coordination Office for Ukraine , a service by the Bavarian Academic Center for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe ( BayHOST ), connects students and academics with Bavarian universities. Their website provides an overview of all support measures put in place and useful information for the time after your arrival.

Furthermore, we can also recommend DAAD’s Webpage on offers of assistance for Ukrainian students and scientists .

* No responsibility is taken for the correctness of the details provided. Please refer to the individual funding organization for the latest information.

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Research Fellowships

Research Fellowships are intended to help early career researchers to conduct a defined project at a location of their choice in a country other than Germany and to use it as an opportunity to familiarise themselves with new research methods or to bring a large project to a conclusion.

Further Information

The “Research Fellowships Programme” expired. Renewal proposals in the Research Fellowship Programme as well as proposals for return grants can still be submitted under this programme.

You can apply for a fellowship for a research project abroad in the context of the Walter Benjamin Programm e .

To enable researchers at an early stage of their scientific career to carry out a clearly defined research project at a place of their choice abroad or to acquaint themselves with new scientific research methods

Eligibility Requirements

• German researchers from all disciplines who have completed their academic qualifications (doctorate)
• International researchers from all disciplines who have completed their scientific training (doctorate)

provided they have been resident in Germany for several years and have completed at least three years of scientific work as a doctoral or postdoctoral researcher in the German research system and state that they wish to continue to pursue their research in Germany in the future.

Limitations apply to early career researchers who, at the time of application, are abroad. As an exception, established researchers holding a doctorate may submit proposals to allow them to dedicate themselves to a research project of particular importance.

Proposal Requirements

High scientific quality and originality of a research project at an international level

Type and Extent of Funding

Basic fellowship plus monthly lump sum payment to cover maintenance and travel costs

Where applicable:

• Foreign allowance
• Travel allowance
• Publication costs

Benefits for fellowship recipients with children:

• Children’s supplement
• Support for costs associated with parenting –fellowship extension or childcare allowance

In addition, funding may also be granted to establish or intensify scientific contacts in Germany or be used towards relocation costs on return to Germany (cf. section VI 1 and 2 of the guidelines). Following the research fellowship, candidates may apply for a return grant to facilitate their reintegration into the German academic and research system.

• Go to Award Calculato r

Funding Duration

As a rule, up to 2 years

• Forms and Guideline s

Additional information on the proposal process can be obtained from the relevant programme staff

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Queries on programme eligibility can be addressed to

• [email protected] e

Please consider that a reply may take some time. Please also have a look at the detailed information on the

During Your Fellowship (Contact Persons at the Fellowship Office)

In case of questions or for further information on financial management, please contact the Fellowship Office through the following channels:

• Contact Persons during your Fellowshi p

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• Scholarships

Doctoral scholarships

Doctoral scholarships / , academic support.

The Studienstiftung's academic support includes summer academies, research groups, language courses, workshops and supervision by local tutors.

Financial support

The Studienstiftung offers generous financial support for Ph.D. students. Additional funds are provided for research and travel abroad.

Application

Highly qualified and socially committed PhD students may, together with their supervisors, submit an application for support for their doctoral studies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here you can find answers to frequently asked questions about requirements, application and funding concerning the Studienstiftung’s doctoral scholarships.

PhD Studies

Planning your phd, eligibility and application, german or english medium, living as a student, working in germany, get guidance.

With a long tradition of research and ground breaking discoveries, Germany is indeed a land of innovation and progress. Besides giving your ideas a research-based boost, Germany also offers promising career opportunities along with a vibrant social and cultural milieu. So like for many other international students, it can be the right place to pursue a doctoral degree for you too!

Take a quick look

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Starting your doctoral studies is a big step in your academic life. Along with identifying your research area you also have to plan where and in which institute you want to pursue your PhD.

Where does research take place in Germany?

Contemplating pursuing a PhD in Germany?  There are a number of universities, research institutions and business houses that will welcome you. So getting an insight into the research landscape of the country is of paramount importance!

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Research is extensively carried out by and through universities, research organisations and the industry. These three are famously known as the three pillars of research in Germany.

You can take a closer look at this on  Research in Germany .

Which universities should I look at for PhD?

There are various kinds of institutions of higher education in Germany. A majority of these belong to either of the following categories:

Universities and Universities of Technology (TU), are research-oriented and offer a wide variety of subjects. These are the only establishments that can award a PhD degree.

In case you are carrying out your PhD at a research organisation/ University of Applied Sciences, it will always be through a partner university/TU that you will get your degree. Therefore it is important that you fulfill the eligibility criteria of the university/TU as well.

Before you finalise a university or a research institution make sure to check out their websites to know what kind of research is already going on there.

Which is the best university in Germany?

There is no “best university”, neither in one subject and certainly not across all subjects.

DAAD India © CHE Ranking

Germany offers a multidimensional ranking, considering various criteria that are important from a student’s perspective. For example, student and staff judgments on quality of teaching, atmosphere at the university, library and other equipment, student numbers, average study duration, number of graduations, third party funding etc. This way you get a detailed picture of the strengths and weaknesses of each university on university-ranking.de . Here you can find your programme by selecting a subject, a university or even a city in Germany!

As a researcher you should also take the research rankings  into consideration. The criteria for such rankings could be research infrastructure, citations, patents, publications and student reviews, to name a few.

How should I plan my doctorate?

If you have set your mind on a PhD in Germany, you can consider two approaches: the traditional approach i.e. individual doctorate and the structured doctoral programmes.

Individual doctoral studies involve identifying a supervisor ( Doktorvater / Doktormutter ) at a German university who is willing to guide your research. This system offers a lot of freedom, and calls for a great deal of personal initiative right from identifying a topic in your research field. This kind of doctorate takes about 3-5 years to complete.

Structured PhD programmes  are internationally oriented, conducted largely in English and are comparable to PhD programmes offered in English-speaking countries. Here supervision is carried out by several university teachers. These programmes lead to a PhD in about three years.

What if I want to do a part of my PhD research in Germany?

The research Grant: Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degrees / Cotutelle which is also famously known as DAAD Sandwich Scholarship lets you complete your PhD in two countries. The first country being your home country where you are registered as a doctoral student and the second country is but naturally Germany.

You are supervised at your home university as well as at the host institute in Germany. Your doctoral degree is awarded by the home institution. This is the well known “sandwich model”.

While generally as a Master degree holder you will have ticked off the first major requirement, it is always a good idea to check if the university’s requirements and your qualifications match. And then you can start with the application procedure.

Am I eligible to apply for a PhD?

In Germany, every university is autonomous. This means that every university/ study programme has its own set of criteria for admitting students. So please check the university website, and specifically the programme you are interested in. Here you will find the exact admission requirements.

However, some generalisation is  possible. As a Master degree holder from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal or Sri Lanka your degree is treated at par with a German Master degree. In some cases, further assessment of eligibility will be required. Do clarify the matter of eligibility with the university or the research organisation of your choice before you send in your application.

Some universities may ask for the proof of your English language proficiency in form of TOEFL or IELTS scores. Some universities may ask for good German language skills depending upon subject of your research. In such cases, your knowledge of German needs to be certified through examinations like the TestDaF  or DSH.

How do I go about applying for a PhD?

• PhD Germany   – A portal where German universities advertise openings for doctoral positions
• An interactive database of  Graduate Schools at German universities
• Research Training Groups  coordinated by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
• International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) Academicians from your country who have collaborations with German academicians or your seniors who might be carrying out research in Germany can be a great source of information too!
• Contact and convince a supervisor. Make sure that you approach a potential supervisor the right way and in good time – a brief and well-structured communication with an overview of your research proposal and relevant information about yourself is more likely to get you the right kind of response than a simple email stating that you are interested in doing a PhD!
• Communicate information about your background, academic performance and academic goals.
• Get a letter of acceptance from your supervisor.
• Identify a programme. Contact the selected university. This will be your most important source of information as far as exact details about eligibility, programme structure, fee, application procedure etc. are concerned.
• Check the application deadline for the programme chosen!
• Application forms and other relevant material can be downloaded from the respective university website.
• Send the application packet.
• Get a confirmation of admission.
• The Admission procedures vary for different universities and for different programmes.
• Check about these with the university of your choice or your supervisor.
• Make sure you have a valid passport!
• Apply for a student visa as soon as you have the admission letter, as the procedure can take 8 to 12 weeks. The German Embassy and the Consulates require proof of funding for the first year of studies. At this stage make sure if you need to get the APS certificate ( www.aps-india.de ) that some universities/host professors may insist upon. To find out where you should apply for a visa, visit the website of the Germany Embassy in your country.
• Apply for a place in a hostel. In some cases the International Office ( Akademisches Auslandsamt ) of the university will help you.
• Arrive in Germany at least a week before your course begins.
• Contact the International Office ( Akademisches Auslandsamt ) of your university for guidance.
• Step 6 Get your residence permit within the first three months of your stay in Germany from the Foreigners’ Registration Office ( Ausländeramt ).

Germany offers education in German as well as in English. Different subject fields can have different language requirements.

Can I do my PhD completely in English medium?

Germany offers close to 200 structured international programmes with English as the sole or primary medium of instruction. These programmes are called International Programmes.

Few of these programmes may require students to have learnt/learn some German language during their PhD.

Must I learn German for my PhD?

As you have already seen, Germany offers numerous PhD programmes with English as the sole or primary medium of instruction and the language for your thesis. English is also accepted as a language of research and education in Germany.

However, some universities/ subject fields may expect you to have German language proficiency for your PhD.

As a student in Germany, your life will not be limited to the university campus. You will surely want to interact with people, travel through the country-side and make the best of your time there. This is where knowledge of German will present a great advantage!

Universities offer beginner and well as advanced level courses where you can learn German. You can also start learning the language while you are still in your home country at a  Goethe-Institut (Max Mueller Bhavan) / Goethe-Zentrum.

Do I require to learn German for DAAD scholarship?

To apply for the DAAD PhD scholarship knowledge of the German language is not mandatory. However, after getting the scholarship you will be expected to complete a DAAD sponsored German course. This will help you with your life Germany.

While in a foreign country being able to manage your finances on your own is very important. You would need to plan your budget by keeping your living expenses, travel costs and tuition fees if any in mind.

What kind of budget should I have in my mind?

Fees: As a PhD scholar in Germany, you are exempted from tuition fees. You will need to pay a semester contribution of around Euro 300, depending upon the university and the services or benefits provided.

Living costs : Apart from the tuition fees, if any,  you will require about EUR 934 per month for subsistence i.e. housing, food, clothing, study material and other expenses such as health insurance and leisure activities. The precise split up for this amount will be updated soon. The amounts can vary from city to city, and of course from lifestyle to lifestyle!

The following table shows the split up at the time of the last budget indicated in 2019.

Source: German Student Union (Deutsches Studentenwerk), 2019 

How can I finance my doctorate?

If you are participating in a structured doctoral programme and doing your doctorate at a graduate school, research centre or research training group, the issue of funding is usually resolved with you either working as a research assistant or receiving a scholarship of about EUR 1,000 per month.

If you are pursuing your doctorate on the basis of the traditional approach, you can apply for a job as a research assistant, if there is vacancy.

Working as a research/doctoral assistant involves collaboration in research/teaching and doing administrative work in addition to completing the dissertation. Non-university research institutions like Fraunhofer Institutes and also some companies offer doctoral candidates employment and / or fund their doctoral dissertations.

The DAAD offers the most extensive scholarship programme.  Also a number of foundations support international candidates approved for the doctoral process. A database of scholarships offered by various German organisations can be found at  www.funding-guide.de .

What is a DAAD PhD scholarship like and how can I apply for it?

If you are a well-motivated researcher with high-calibre this research grant supports your complete doctoral studies in Germany. In general the duration of your PhD should not exceed more than four years.

If you have already registered for PhD in your home country and would like to carry out a part of the research in Germany, you may consider applying for Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degrees / Cotutelle scholarship of the DAAD .

An independent selection committee consisting of specialist scientists reviews your applications, wherein your academic qualification, quality of your research project is checked along with your career prospects, motivation and extra curricular activities including your civic engagement.

If you want to do your full PhD in Germany DAAD PhD Scholarship would be more relevant for you. The application deadline is 20 October every year. This is for scholarship starting from October of the following year.

Here is a step-by-step guideline for your application process:

• Collect general information about the DAAD PhD scholarship.
• Thoroughly check the eligibility criteria.
• Attend information sessions or internet-based seminars (webinars) organised by the DAAD.
• Once you have the letter of acceptance from your supervisor/admission letter from your university, complete the application procedure as specified in the scholarship announcement.
• The application deadline typically falls in the month of October the current year for a PhD beginning in the next year.
• Shortlisted applicants from India will be invited for a personal interview around January-February. For Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka the procedure will be announced closer to the date of interviews.
• The final decision will be announced for applicants from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka around mid or end of April of the following year.
• Step 4 Once selected, you will have to attend a mandatory German language course, which is a necessary and important part of your scholarship.
• Step 5 After the successful completion of your language course in Germany, your PhD will begin in October.

Living on your own comes with lots of responsibilities, at the same time it can also be very  interesting. It starts with finding a place to stay, learning how to cook, shopping on a budget, making friends and connections. Hope this section helps you with some of your questions.

How do I find accommodation?

Germany offers various types of accommodations:

• Students hall of residence:  Here you can rent rooms provided by  Student Services Organisation ( Studentenwerk ). They are low in cost and preferred by many students. Studentenwerk also provides specially designed Service Kits for international students. Get in touch with Studentenwerk of your city know more.
• Shared Flats ( Wohngemeinschaft – WG) : Shared flat or WG is another affordable accommodation, where you have your own room in a flat and share the kitchen and the bathroom with other flatmates. Living in a shared flat is cheaper as the rent and other expenses  get shared. You can find advertisements for vacancies in WGs online on social media groups or on student-friendly websites.
• Private apartments:  If you prefer living alone, private apartments can be an option for you.  You can find them with the help of Studentenwerk, on boards in the university foyer or even on social media groups and websites for rental real estate.

Make sure to be on the lookout from early on, so that you find the best place at an affordable price.

How do I connect with other students?

Connecting with other students can help you to learn from their experience. It may also help you get acquainted with the lifestyle, once you are in Germany.

• Get in touch with  DAAD Young Ambassadors . They have studied or carried out their research in Germany. Contact them with your questions, they will be happy to guide you!
• You can also find out about various student associations and groups formed by students of your country/ region.
• You can contact students on various socials media platforms as well. There are groups based on nationalities or interests and activities.
• Many universities arrange introductory events. Ask the international office of your university about them. Research institutions too generally run such initiatives.

You can of course work in Germany as long as you follow the regulations, which are not complex and are easy to understand.

Can I work in Germany as a student?

As an international student, you are permitted to work for 120 full days or 240 half days in a year. This will help you in getting a bit of extra pocket-money!OK

Can I work in Germany after my studies?

After completing your degree in Germany, you can choose from amongst a wide range of options:

You can stay on in the country for up to 1.5 years to look for a job that is in keeping with your education. Once you find a job, the residence permit issued to you for the purpose of studying, can be converted into a residence permit for taking gainful employment.

Germany has always had a very strong industry-academia linkage. A lot of scientific research is funded by the industry as well. During your studies you can get the opportunity to do internships with German companies, which can open new vistas for your professional career.

In Germany, a doctorate is a prerequisite for a career in research or higher education. Your options include:

• Teaching/Research Assistantships
• Postdoc Positions
• Research Positions in Industry

The portal  www.academics.com has Germany’s biggest online job market for researchers. There are also scholarships for Postdocs offered by the  Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation  and other organizations.

Whether you are in India, Nepal or Bhutan, the DAAD is there to help you with your study in Germany plans. Check out how you can reach us!

Individual Appointments

You can connect with the DAAD offices online or offline in Bengaluru ,  Chennai ,  New Delhi  and  Pune .

Information Sessions

The DAAD offers free of cost information session about studying in Germany regularly. Check which dates and topics suit you, register and join!

Click here for dates, timings and registration links: www.daad.in/events .

Writing a Research Proposal

Take a look at the DAAD’s guidelines for writing research proposal

Research Proposal writing: Guidelines 2023

PhD Proposal Writing Workshop

Wondering how to write a PhD proposal? The DAAD offers PhD Proposal Writing Workshop on various topics for aspirants who intend to pursue their doctorate in Germany!

Early Career Research Symposia

The  Early Career Research Symposia offer you a platform to help you propel your research, amplify its reach and get inspired by exchange of ideas.

• Did you find the information about  doctoral studies in Germany useful? Keep the digital  PhD brochure with you, so that it is all handy!
• You will also find the digital brochure Research Proposal Guidelines 2023 useful.
• There is comfort  and certainty in numbers. With the fact sheet Germany India 2022 you can check out actual number of Indian students, what fields they are opting for and which universities they have preferred.

• PhD online application
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PhD fellowships

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) awards PhD fellowships of 2 to 3.5 years to outstanding junior scientists worldwide who wish to pursue an ambitious PhD project in basic biomedical research in an internationally leading laboratory.

The peer-review selection process evaluates the applicant's achievements, as well as the scientific quality of the project and host laboratory. The process is highly competitive, with less than 10% of applicants receiving a fellowship.

On top of the monthly stipend, we offer our fellows seminars, travel allowances, individual and personal support, and a worldwide network of fellows and alumni.

• What we offer
• Who can apply
• How to apply
• How we decide

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Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience

DAAD's PRIME (Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience) supports international mobility in the postdoctoral phase through fixed-term positions at German universities. This includes a 12-month posting abroad and a six-month integration phase at a German university. Fellows gain an important qualification step with their independent research project and the stay abroad for their career in academia. The programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

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• { expandedNavigation=true; activeIndex=0; }"> Research landscape
• { expandedNavigation=true; activeIndex=1; }"> Your goal
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• { expandedNavigation=true; activeIndex=3; }"> Success stories
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Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Postdoctoral Fellowships

European Union

European Commission

Postdoctoral researchers of any nationality can enhance their qualifications and diversify their competences by conducting a research project at a host institution (universities, research institutions, companies or international organisations) in Germany (or another EU member state or associated country).

Who can apply?

Researchers who

• completed their PhD
• have a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research at the call deadline 
• have not resided or carried out their main activity in the country of the host institution for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call deadline (MSCA mobility rule)

Type and extent of funding

Employment contract (usually full-time) with a monthly salary consisting of living and mobility allowances and, if applicable, a family allowance. Host institutions receive funds for research, training, networking, management and indirect costs.

12 to 24 months. If justified in the proposal, an additional period of up to 6 months can be awarded to researchers who will spend that period in a non-academic organisation established in an EU member state or associated country.

Application

Applications must be submitted online by the host institution and the researcher through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Postdoctoral Fellowships are advertised once a year. For more information see links below.

www.nks-msc.de

www.kowi.eu

Host offers from German institutions

EU Funding & Tenders Portal

Find all funding programmes and tenders managed by different EU bodies here.

Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

At michigan state university, international research team uses wavefunction matching to solve quantum many-body problems, new approach makes calculations with realistic interactions possible.

FRIB researchers are part of an international research team solving challenging computational problems in quantum physics using a new method called wavefunction matching. The new approach has applications to fields such as nuclear physics, where it is enabling theoretical calculations of atomic nuclei that were previously not possible. The details are published in Nature (“Wavefunction matching for solving quantum many-body problems”) .

Ab initio methods and their computational challenges

An ab initio method describes a complex system by starting from a description of its elementary components and their interactions. For the case of nuclear physics, the elementary components are protons and neutrons. Some key questions that ab initio calculations can help address are the binding energies and properties of atomic nuclei not yet observed and linking nuclear structure to the underlying interactions among protons and neutrons.

Yet, some ab initio methods struggle to produce reliable calculations for systems with complex interactions. One such method is quantum Monte Carlo simulations. In quantum Monte Carlo simulations, quantities are computed using random or stochastic processes. While quantum Monte Carlo simulations can be efficient and powerful, they have a significant weakness: the sign problem. The sign problem develops when positive and negative weight contributions cancel each other out. This cancellation results in inaccurate final predictions. It is often the case that quantum Monte Carlo simulations can be performed for an approximate or simplified interaction, but the corresponding simulations for realistic interactions produce severe sign problems and are therefore not possible.

Using ‘plastic surgery’ to make calculations possible

The new wavefunction-matching approach is designed to solve such computational problems. The research team—from Gaziantep Islam Science and Technology University in Turkey; University of Bonn, Ruhr University Bochum, and Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany; Institute for Basic Science in South Korea; South China Normal University, Sun Yat-Sen University, and Graduate School of China Academy of Engineering Physics in China; Tbilisi State University in Georgia; CEA Paris-Saclay and Université Paris-Saclay in France; and Mississippi State University and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University (MSU)—includes  Dean Lee , professor of physics at FRIB and in MSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and head of the Theoretical Nuclear Science department at FRIB, and  Yuan-Zhuo Ma , postdoctoral research associate at FRIB.

“We are often faced with the situation that we can perform calculations using a simple approximate interaction, but realistic high-fidelity interactions cause severe computational problems,” said Lee. “Wavefunction matching solves this problem by doing plastic surgery. It removes the short-distance part of the high-fidelity interaction, and replaces it with the short-distance part of an easily computable interaction.”

This transformation is done in a way that preserves all of the important properties of the original realistic interaction. Since the new wavefunctions look similar to that of the easily computable interaction, researchers can now perform calculations using the easily computable interaction and apply a standard procedure for handling small corrections called perturbation theory.  A team effort

The research team applied this new method to lattice quantum Monte Carlo simulations for light nuclei, medium-mass nuclei, neutron matter, and nuclear matter. Using precise ab initio calculations, the results closely matched real-world data on nuclear properties such as size, structure, and binding energies. Calculations that were once impossible due to the sign problem can now be performed using wavefunction matching.

“It is a fantastic project and an excellent opportunity to work with the brightest nuclear scientist s in FRIB and around the globe,” said Ma. “As a theorist , I'm also very excited about programming and conducting research on the world's most powerful exascale supercomputers, such as Frontier , which allows us to implement wavefunction matching to explore the mysteries of nuclear physics.”

While the research team focused solely on quantum Monte Carlo simulations, wavefunction matching should be useful for many different ab initio approaches, including both classical and  quantum computing calculations. The researchers at FRIB worked with collaborators at institutions in China, France, Germany, South Korea, Turkey, and United States.

“The work is the culmination of effort over many years to handle the computational problems associated with realistic high-fidelity nuclear interactions,” said Lee. “It is very satisfying to see that the computational problems are cleanly resolved with this new approach. We are grateful to all of the collaboration members who contributed to this project, in particular, the lead author, Serdar Elhatisari.”

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the German Research Foundation, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Fellowship Initiative, Volkswagen Stiftung, the European Research Council, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Security Academic Fund, the Rare Isotope Science Project of the Institute for Basic Science, the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Institute for Basic Science, and the Espace de Structure et de réactions Nucléaires Théorique.

Michigan State University operates the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) as a user facility for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC), supporting the mission of the DOE-SC Office of Nuclear Physics. Hosting what is designed to be the most powerful heavy-ion accelerator, FRIB enables scientists to make discoveries about the properties of rare isotopes in order to better understand the physics of nuclei, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and applications for society, including in medicine, homeland security, and industry.

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of today’s most pressing challenges. For more information, visit energy.gov/science.