1. Doctorate or comparable academic degree (Ph.D., C.Sc. or equivalent), completed with distinction less than six years prior to the date of application. Should it not be possible or customary to take a Ph.D. in your subject or country of origin, you may apply up to ten years after completing your Master's or Diploma Degree provided that your publication record is commensurate with a Ph.D. and your current career stage.
2. Cutting-edge academic achievements documented by a comprehensive list of academic publications for internationally-reviewed journals and publishing houses.
3. Detailed expert's report by an academic host at a research institution in Germany as well as the host's agreement and the administrative agreement from the host institution.
4. Expert references by important collaborative partners and academics at the applicant's own institute and other institutes, if possible not all located in his/her country of origin.
5. Language skills: scholars in the humanities or social sciences and physicians must have a good knowledge of German if it is necessary to carry out the project successfully; otherwise a good knowledge of English; scientists and engineers must have a good knowledge of German or English.
6. Origin: Foreign academics staying in Germany are eligible to apply if they been in Germany for less than 24 months at the time of application. German academics are eligible to apply if they have been working in an academic capacity abroad for a longer time. If in doubt, please check first with the FAQ and contact the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation before submitting an application as formal grounds might militate against the application.
7. No previous Sofja Kovalevskaja Award: This award can only be granted once to any individual researcher.
8. The Humboldt Foundation assumes that candidates will abide by the Rules of Good Scientific Practice during the application and sponsorship periods.

The deadline for application is September 1, 2011.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that he or she has submitted all the necessary documents. Applications not submitted as a single entity will take longer to process. The documents required in addition to the application documents, i.e. the signed host's agreement and the administrative agreement, can be submitted at the same time as the application to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation directly. The same applies to the expert references. Subsequently, independent peer reviewers assess the applications.

On the basis of these peer reviews, an independent Selection Committee composed of academics from all disciplines makes the final decision on the applications received.

Candidates will be notified about the Selection Committee's decision immediately after the meeting, which will take place in March 2012.

• Complete application documents (PDF/RTF/DOC/XLS)

Specifically

• Programme information (PDF)
• Application form (DOC)
• Guidelines for completing the application (PDF)
• Research area index (PDF)
• Sample publication list (PDF)
• List of questions for host's statement (DOC)
• Information for the host (PDF)
• List of questions for expert reviewers (DOC)
• Sample Financial Plan (PDF)
• Financial Plan (XLS)
• Regulations on the use of funds (PDF)
• German and English Language Certificate (RTF)

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

Further information

• Regulations on the use of funds (PDF)
• Information booklet: Information and Recommendations for Award Winners (PDF)
• Support during research stay

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

Further information

• Alumni programmes