Application requirements

I have worked in an English-speaking country for several years. Do I need an English language certificate?

No, a 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@avh.de).

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. If you already held an academic position equivalent to or higher than an Associate Professor/ Senior Lecturer/ Reader before completing your PhD/C.Sc. the relevant date is the one on which you assumed this position.

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 (Ph.D./C.Sc.).

I obtained my doctorate more than twelve years ago. Can I still apply?

We cannot consider your application if you obtained your doctorate more than twelve years ago. If you have narrowly missed 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@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 a clearly recognisable own 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.

Will you take into consideration the time I devoted to bringing up my children?

If you have ever interrupted your academic career for child-rearing purposes, either partially or completely, please list all periods of leave on the application form. We will assess whether these periods can be taken into account in calculating your eligibility in relation to your career stage. The time limit set by the programme for the period after completing a doctorate may be extended by a maximum of two years per child if you did indeed interrupt your academic career for the periods stated and claim for these periods. If you have any further questions please contact info@avh.de.

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

If your primary life focus (nationality and permanent residence) is in a developing or threshold country (see list of countries) and the project you plan to carry out in Germany is of relevance to the future development of your country of origin and, in this context, particularly suited to transferring knowledge and methods, you should apply for a Georg Forster Fellowship.
If your project is more oriented towards basic research, we recommend that you apply for a Humboldt Research Fellowship. If in doubt, please contact us before submitting your application so we can advise you (info@avh.de).

I already am or recently have been in Germany. Are there any formal grounds militating against my application?

You can apply if In all other cases we regret that we cannot consider your application. For information about other funding opportunities please refer to the Internet Portal EURAXESS Germany, which is maintained by the Humboldt Foundation.

Can I apply as a German living abroad?

If your principal place of residence and work has been abroad for more than ten years, you can apply even if you are a German national. If you have a permanent residence permit in your principle place of residence and work, an application might be possible even before ten years of residence. Please send us your CV and a list of your publications before you apply so we can advise you (info@avh.de).

Do I need to know German in order to apply?

1. Natural scientists and engineers: good knowledge of German or English is sufficient (language certificate required). 2. Scholars in the humanities and social sciences: should have knowledge of German if it is necessary to carry out the project successfully. In this case, a German language certificate confirming proficiency must be submitted. Otherwise, a good knowledge of English is sufficient (language certificate required). 3. Physicians: If the research project involves work with patients, the candidate must have a good knowledge of German (language certificate required). Otherwise, a good knowledge of English is sufficient (language certificate required).

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.

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 proposed research stay.

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. You can, however, start your search for research institutions in Germany on the Internet Portal EURAXESS Germany which is maintained by the Humboldt Foundation.

Can I conduct my research project 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?

The host institute will receive an allowance for research costs of 800 EUR per month for research projects in the field of natural sciences and engineering, and 500 EUR for research projects in the field of humanities or social sciences.

Preparation/Planning

Are there deadlines for submitting applications?

No, we process all applications as we receive them and present them to the Selection Committee at the first possible selection meeting. Since an application takes three to six months to process, the complete application should be submitted in good time prior to the Selection Meeting at which you would like your application to be presented

When and how often do Selection Committee Meetings take place?

There are three Selection Committee Meetings each year: in March, July and November.

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 conduct 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 the Europe Research Stay may not exceed 25 percent 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 not, on principle, exceed half the duration of the respective fellowship period. Research stays in the fellow´s country of origin will, however, normally result in a temporary suspension of the fellowship. Further information regarding Europe Research Stays.

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.

How soon can I begin the fellowship period?

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.

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 project 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.

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.

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.

Application documents

Where should I send my application?

Please send your application directly to the Selection Department of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Jean-Paul-Str. 12, 53173 Bonn, Germany. If this is not possible, you may submit your application via the branch offices of the DAAD or the German Embassy or Consulate, which will then forward them to the Humboldt Foundation.

Can I submit my application via e-mail?

No. Please send your application by air mail or surface mail.

What form should the application documents take?

You should submit three stapled or bound copies of publications. Please submit a single loose copy of all other documents. Please refer to our Guidelines for completing the application for researchers coming to Germany and researchers going abroad.

Should my expert references be sent directly to the Humboldt Foundation or enclosed with the application?

Expert references may be submitted with the application or be sent directly by the reviewers to the Selection Department at the Humboldt Foundation. Please ask your reviewers to use the form for expert reviewers. References should not be more than six months old at the time of application.

What happens if references are submitted before the complete application is received?

References that cannot be immediately matched to an application will be kept on file for up to six months.

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

Expert references should address your development as a researcher, your potential, and your academic accomplishments to date. Therefore it is important that reviewers are really familiar with your academic work. You should submit three references. Please note: The host's statement does not count as an expert reference! For further important details on how to select reviewers effectively, please refer to our Guidelines for completing the application for researchers coming to Germany and for researchers going abroad.

Which publications should I enclose with my application?

You should submit copies of three publications, one of which must have appeared in the last two years. Please choose the most important and recent publications that include as much of your own work as possible. Applicants for a postdoctoral research fellowship should please submit their doctoral thesis, too (on CD-Rom, if possible). For more important details please refer to our Guidelines for completing the application for researchers coming to Germany and for researchers going abroad.

Should I include manuscripts that I have already submitted or planned for publication on the list of publications?

You should only include manuscripts that have already been submitted for publication. Once your manuscript has been accepted, please send us a copy of the publisher´s letter of acceptance. We cannot include rejected manuscripts in our evaluation of your publication record.

Selection procedure

Will you confirm receipt of my application, as well as other documents and references?

As soon as we receive your application, we will notify you (usually by e-mail). Due to the number of applications, we cannot confirm the receipt of further documents and references separately. If, however, important documents or information should be missing from your application, we will notify you.

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

You should submit a complete application. References should be sent either together with or as soon as possible after submitting the application in order to avoid unnecessary delays. If any of your manuscripts are accepted for publication while the application is being processed, you should immediately send us a copy of the publisher´s letter of acceptance. Addenda to the list of publications can be taken into consideration until the date of the Selection Committee Meeting. Please send us these additions by e-mail as a separate attachment to your list of publications.

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

As soon as the formal examination of your application has been completed, you will be notified of the anticipated decision date. Should the specialist review of your application take longer than expected, you will be notified if it proves necessary to postpone the decision. We shall inform you and your academic host of the selection committee’s decision by email in the days immediately following the selection committee meeting. If there have been a large number of applications it may take a few days longer to inform all the candidates and hosts.

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?

Because the top 30-35% of applicants are selected for a fellowship in each selection round, approval or rejection of an application is always directly related to the qualifications of the other applicants. Thus, it is often impossible to provide detailed reasons for a rejection. If, in principle, the Selection Committee considers an applicant´s qualifications to be among the top third, but certain aspects militate against the application, the committee may issue a rejection note inviting the candidate to submit an amended application at a later stage. In such cases, applicants are notified of those aspects of the application which the Selection Committee believes to be in need of improvement, such as the publication record or the research plan.

Will my application documents be returned to me at the end of the selection process?

No. Some of the documents will be archived, the rest will be destroyed. Please only submit copies, no originals. Books that you submit as part of your publication record will be returned to you at the end of the selection process.

Selection

How high is the success rate?

Currently, approximately one third of the applications are approved.

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.