Who awards the scholarships?

A research fellowship helps academics, and to finance their research. It enables them to fully focus on their academic or scientific projects.

These funding lines are awarded by foundations, universities or research institutions. They are usually for a fixed term and thematically restricted. Research fellowships are essential in funding and academic and scientific progress.

What is a research fellowship?

A research fellowship is a form of funding that provides financial resources to implement research projects. There are various forms, including:

• Full fellowship: covers all costs incurred, including living costs, travel costs and research costs
• Partial fellowship: covers some of the costs, such as research expenditure
• Project-related fellowship: finances a specific research project

Which research fellowships are available in Germany?

Whether it involves studies, a or c and whether or not employed at the university: there is funding available for all career stages. For example, the:

• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation): offers various funding programmes for research projects
• : offers among others fellowships for outstanding academics, scientists and researchers
• : support research stays by German academics, scientists and researchers in the USA
• German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst – DAAD): offers a wide range of scholarships and fellowships for international and German researchers.

There are special programmes for doctoral candidates who wish to cover their costs during a PhD. In addition to financial support, they offer access to networks that are beneficial in terms of academic and scientific careers. They are frequently awarded by foundations. Examples of these are the PhD fellowships awarded by the DFG and the scholarships awarded by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation ().