Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship

Duration

• for post-doctoral researchers (up to four years after completing a doctorate):6 to 24 months
• For experienced researchers (up to 12 years after completing a doctorate):6 to 18 months, divisible into a maximum of three visits over three years

Sponsorship amount

The sponsorship amount varies according to the respective target country and personal situation. Travel expenses are paid in addition. A single post-doctoral researcher (31 years of age) heading for the USA, for example, currently receives approx. 2,800 EUR per month; a 40-year-old professor with a marital partner and two children receives approx. 4,400 EUR. An optional return fellowship is also available for a period of up to 12 months.

Please use the fellowship calculator to estimate your own sponsorship amount.

Alumni sponsorship

After your fellowship – and throughout your entire academic career – you will be able to benefit from Humboldt Foundation sponsorship. You can apply for funding for further research collaborations with international partners and join a network of more than 26,000 Humboldtians across the globe.

Here you will find a complete overview of alumni sponsorship opportunities.

Application requirements

• above average academic history and academic record
• mentoring agreement with an academic host

Experienced researchers also require:

• their own academic profile
• professional experience at least at the level of assistant professor or junior research group leader or several years‘ independent scientific employment

Academic host abroad

Your academic host must be a member of the Humboldt Network abroad or have been granted a specified international academic award and be employed abroad.

Click here to search for potential hosts in the Humboldt Network.

Application

At any time. A Humboldt Foundation selection committee meets in February, June and October to decide on applications. Every year, approx. 100 fellowships are granted. In the last few years, the success rate was roughly 40 per cent. Click here for more information on the selection procedure.

Financial involvement of host abroad

It is assumed that the host will contribute to financing the fellowship, providing approx. one third of the fellowship amount. Hosts in developing and transition countries as well as certain other countries will not be expected to contribute. Waiver agreements may be made with hosts in countries that have demonstrable difficulties in raising the sum.