1. Citizenship of the USA, the Russian Federation, or the People's Republic of China.
2. Bachelor's or comparable academic degree, completed less than twelve years prior to the start date of the fellowship (September 1st of the year following the application).
3. Confirmation of support and a detailed statement by the host/mentor in Germany; details of the planned project must be discussed with the prospective host/mentor prior to application.
4. Expert references (no more than three) from individuals qualified to comment on the applicant's professional, personal, and academic eligibility.
5. The applicant may not have spent an extended period outside his or her home country prior to application. Applications by candidates who have spent more than six months away from their own countries at the time of or shortly before application may be rejected on formal grounds. If you have questions reqarding your eligibility, contact the Selection Department of the Humboldt Foundation info(at)avh.de before submitting an application.
6. The Humboldt Foundation assumes that candidates will abide by the Rules of Good Scientific Practice during the application and sponsorship periods.

Complete applications must reach the following address by the application deadline:

 

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

Applications must reach the Foundation by application deadline at the latest. This submission date is not an absolute deadline; however, in the event of a late or incomplete submission it may be possible to process and assess the application in the time available.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that he or she has submitted all the necessary documents. The confidential letter of recommendation by the host/mentor may be sent directly to the Humboldt Foundation by the host/mentor. As soon as we receive your application, we will send a confirmation. Please note that only complete and duly submitted applications can be processed. As a rule, we will not notify you of any missing documents. Late submissions or incomplete applications may be excluded from the selection procedure.

In order to ensure the fastest communication, an email address should be provided that is checked by the applicant regularly.

Upon review of all applications, an independent Selection Committee will select candidates for an interview. These interviews will take place at a Selection Committee meeting in the applicant's home country. Candidates will be notified about the Selection Committee's decision within days after the meeting. You can find additional information on the selection procedure in the FAQ.

• Complete application documents (PDF/DOC)

Specifically

• Programme information (PDF)
• Application form and guide to a complete application (DOC)
• Form for the proposed host (mentor) and confirmation of support (DOC)
• Form for expert reviewers (DOC)
• Guidelines and information for German Chancellor Fellows (PDF)
• German and English language certificate (RTF)
• Research area index (PDF)

One of our hallmarks is the degree of support we try to provide for every single guest researcher. This is why we offer you extra benefits in addition to the monthly research fellowship: from invitations to events, via language courses to family allowances.

Further information

• Support during research stay
• First-hand reports
• Portraits of German Chancellor Fellows 2010/2011 (PDF)

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

Further information

• Alumni programmes