The Humboldt Research Fellowship 2027 is the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s flagship award for researchers who want to carry out a research project in Germany. It pays EUR 3,000 a month for postdocs and EUR 3,600 a month for experienced researchers, is open to all nationalities including Indian researchers, and the foundation has announced that the next application round opens on 15 November 2026.
Unlike most scholarships, the Humboldt Research Fellowship has no single closing date. The foundation runs three calls a year and each round closes as soon as it reaches the current maximum of 800 applications – which is why the current round is already full and new applications can only be created when the next call opens.
Humboldt Research Fellowship (Germany)
Quick facts2026-27
| Scholarship from | Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung), Germany – the country’s central foundation for international academic cooperation, funded by the German federal government. Details are on the Humboldt Research Fellowship page. |
| Study level | Research stay, not a degree programme. The fellowship funds a 6 to 24-month research project at a host institute in Germany. It is for postdoctoral researchers and experienced researchers. |
| Who can apply | Researchers of all nationalities and all research areas, from all countries except Germany – Indian researchers are eligible. You must hold a research doctorate or a comparable academic degree. |
| What is covered | EUR 3,000 a month for postdocs and EUR 3,600 a month for experienced researchers, plus additional benefits: family allowances for children and partners, subsidies for private full health insurance and travel allowances. The host institute also receives a research costs allowance of EUR 800 a month (natural sciences and engineering) or EUR 500 a month (humanities and social sciences). |
| Last date to apply | No fixed closing date. The next call opens on 15 November 2026 and closes once the round reaches the maximum of 800 applications, so apply as soon as the call opens. |
| Official website | https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/apply/sponsorship-programmes/humboldt-research-fellowship |
What the Humboldt Research Fellowship pays
The Humboldt Foundation publishes the fellowship amounts and the extra allowances on the same page as the eligibility rules:
| Monthly fellowship | EUR 3,000 for postdoctoral researchers, EUR 3,600 for experienced researchers. |
| Maximum duration | 6 to 24 months for postdocs (usable as up to three stays within three years); 6 to 18 months for experienced researchers. |
| Research costs allowance to the host institute | EUR 800 a month for research in the natural sciences and engineering, or EUR 500 a month for the humanities and social sciences. |
| Additional support | Family benefits for children and partners, subsidies for private full health insurance and allowances for travel expenses. |
- Postdocs: the fellowship can last from 6 to 24 months and can be divided into up to three stays within three years.
- Experienced researchers: the fellowship runs from 6 to 18 months.
- When you can start: if your application succeeds, you may begin the fellowship between two and twelve months after being selected.
- What the money is for: the fellowship is a personal monthly stipend for you; the research costs allowance is paid to the host institute to cover the cost of hosting your project.
Humboldt Research Fellowship eligibility for Indian researchers
The foundation sets out clear formal conditions, and they are checked on the date the application is received:
- You must hold a research doctorate or a comparable academic degree. If a doctorate is not usual in your field, the foundation accepts equivalent evidence such as publications in internationally reviewed journals.
- Career stage: in general, postdocs may apply up to four years after completing the doctorate, and experienced researchers up to twelve years after the doctorate. Recognised career breaks and child-rearing periods extend these limits.
- Germany stay limit: in the 18 months before you apply, you must not have stayed in Germany for more than a total of 90 accumulated days.
- You must not have earned your living from German institutions in the last 18 months, or worked on a doctoral project at a German institution for more than 90 days.
- German citizens and educational residents are generally not eligible if they have been in Germany in the 18 months before applying, or are in Germany when they apply – unless they are permanently working abroad and intend to return abroad after the research stay.
- The programme is open to all research areas and all countries except Germany, so Indian researchers in science, engineering, humanities and social sciences can all apply.
Documents required for the Humboldt Research Fellowship
- A completed online application with your research outline (the foundation asks for a concise project description and a work plan).
- A detailed CV and a list of your publications, with the full text of your key publications attached.
- Doctoral certificate or proof of an equivalent academic degree.
- A host’s statement: a researcher at a German institute confirms that you will be hosted and comments on your project.
- Two expert reviews – postdocs submit reviews from their doctoral supervisor and one other academic, preferably from outside their own institute; experienced researchers submit reviews from collaborative partners and other academics.
- A statement about previous stays in Germany, since the 90-day rule in the 18 months before application is a formal condition.
How to apply for the Humboldt Research Fellowship
- Read the programme page and the PDF programme information before the call opens, and check that your doctorate date and your time spent in Germany fit the formal conditions.
- Find a host: identify a researcher at a German university or research institute who will agree to host your project and write the host’s statement.
- Prepare your research outline, CV, publication list, degree proof and the two expert reviews, and ask your reviewers early – the reviews take time.
- Register on the Humboldt Foundation’s application portal. The foundation advises new applicants to wait until the next call opens on 15 November 2026 before registering.
- Submit the complete application as soon as the round opens. The round closes when it reaches the maximum of 800 applications, so a late submission can miss the round entirely.
- Expect the selection meeting about eight months after the call opens, and a possible start date between two and twelve months after you are selected.
Important dates for the Humboldt Research Fellowship
- 15 November 2026: the next call for applications opens. The current round has already reached its maximum number of applications, so no new applications can be created before this date.
- Three calls a year: the foundation holds three selection rounds annually and each call opens about eight months before its selection meeting.
- Selection meetings: the call that opened on 15 March 2026 feeds the November 2026 selection meeting, with the earliest fellowship start in February 2027; the call that opened on 15 July 2026 feeds the March 2027 meeting, with the earliest start in May 2027.
- Start window: a successful applicant can begin the fellowship between two and twelve months after selection.
- 800 applications: the maximum number of applications a single round accepts before it is closed.
Frequently asked questions
It is the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s fellowship for postdoctoral and experienced researchers of all nationalities and all research areas, funding a 6 to 24-month research stay at a host institute in Germany. It pays EUR 3,000 a month for postdocs and EUR 3,600 a month for experienced researchers, plus additional benefits.
Yes. The programme is open to researchers from all countries except Germany, in all research areas, and the only academic requirement is that you hold a research doctorate or a comparable degree. The formal conditions to check are your career stage and the 90-day limit on previous stays in Germany.
There is no single closing date. The foundation holds three selection rounds a year, each call closing when it reaches the maximum of 800 applications. The next call opens on 15 November 2026, so that is the date to prepare for.
EUR 3,000 a month for postdoctoral researchers and EUR 3,600 a month for experienced researchers, plus family benefits for children and partners, subsidies for private full health insurance and travel allowances. The host institute separately receives EUR 800 or EUR 500 a month for research costs depending on the field.
Yes. The application includes the host’s statement, in which a researcher at a German institute confirms that you will be hosted there and comments on your project, along with two expert reviews – for postdocs, from your doctoral supervisor and one other academic.
A postdoctoral fellowship lasts between 6 and 24 months and can be split into up to three stays within three years. The fellowship for experienced researchers runs between 6 and 18 months. In both cases you may start two to twelve months after being selected.
Only for a limited time. The foundation requires that in the 18 months before your application is received you have not stayed in Germany for more than 90 accumulated days, and that you have not been funded by German institutions or worked on a doctoral project in Germany for more than 90 days in that period.
Official links
Related reading: Humboldt Research Fellowship (amounts, eligibility and calls)
Humboldt Research Fellowship programme information (PDF)
All Humboldt Foundation programmes A to Z
If you are comparing research and study funding abroad, see study abroad scholarships, international scholarships, fellowships and post graduation scholarships.
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