--- title: "Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds PhD Fellowships 2027" description: "A monthly stipend of EUR 2,200 to 3,800, depending on host country, for a 2 to 3.5 year PhD in experimental basic biomedical research. Three deadlines a year; the next is 1 February 2027." url: "https://worldwide-scholarships.com/scholarships/boehringer-ingelheim-fonds-phd-fellowships/" type: "website" --- [All scholarships](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/scholarships/) Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) # Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds PhD Fellowships A monthly stipend of EUR 2,200 to 3,800, depending on host country, for a 2 to 3.5 year PhD in experimental basic biomedical research. Three deadlines a year; the next is 1 February 2027. Checked 2 Oct 2026 [Apply on the official site](https://www.bifonds.de/fellowships-grants/phd-fellowships.html) - **Deadline:** Earliest round closes 1 Feb 2027 - **Study in:** Various - **Level:** PhD - **Covers:** Living costs, Travel, Other costs **Why there is no date here.** BIF publishes three deadlines every year: 1 February, 1 June and 1 October. The 1 October 2026 round has passed, so the next is 1 February 2027; BIF lists these as recurring annual dates rather than year-specific announcements. An application must reach BIF by midnight Central European Time on the day of the deadline. The two recommendation letters must also be submitted by the deadline, although BIF's FAQ says supervisors may exceptionally send them later, no later than six weeks after the deadline. What you get A monthly stipend that varies by host country and usually includes a fixed amount for minor project costs, for example EUR 2,400 in Germany, EUR 2,200 in Spain, EUR 2,450 in Austria, EUR 2,900 in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, EUR 3,800 in the USA, and EUR 3,500 in Switzerland; stipends are usually tax-free. Depending on personal circumstances, an additional childcare allowance of up to EUR 500 a month and/or a spouse allowance of EUR 200 a month may apply. Separate travel allowances are available for scientific conferences, methods courses, and research stays in cooperating laboratories. Granted initially for 2 years, with the possibility of one extension of up to 1.5 years. Tuition fees are not covered. Covers - Living costs - Travel - Other costs ## Who can apply - European citizens (may work in Europe or overseas) or non-European citizens pursuing the PhD in Europe - The project must be experimental basic biomedical research, including in silico work, aimed at elucidating basic biological phenomena of human life - First university entrance qualification (secondary/high school leaving certificate or equivalent) completed no more than 8 years (96 months) before the deadline - Natural scientists should already hold their final degree (BSc, diploma, MSc or equivalent) before starting the PhD, though the certificate can follow up to 4 months after the deadline if the degree itself was completed on time; physicians, veterinary surgeons and pharmacists should have passed their state examinations - Apply when about to start, or having just started, the PhD project; not eligible if the project began more than 6 months before the deadline - If two candidates from the same laboratory apply at the same time, only one may receive a fellowship; applying at different deadlines is recommended - Must notify BIF if applying to any other research-sponsoring institution; taking up another institution's award before BIF's decision withdraws the BIF application, except for awards covering only tuition fees - Cannot hold a regular personal income from an employer while funded, though one working contract of up to 5 hours a week for marginal income is acceptable ### A stipend that scales with where you actually do the PhD The stipend is not one flat figure across every fellow. It scales with the host country and usually bundles in a fixed amount for minor project costs, running from EUR 2,200 a month in Spain up to EUR 3,800 a month in the USA. Applicants heading to Austria, Denmark, Norway or Switzerland specifically should read BIF’s own fellowship conditions document before applying, since those countries treat the stipend under stricter legal or tax rules than the rest. The base stipend can also grow with a childcare allowance of up to EUR 500 a month or a spouse allowance of EUR 200 a month, depending on personal circumstances, neither of which is automatic. ### Three deadlines a year, and a strict six-month application window Unlike a single annual round, BIF runs three deadlines every year: 1 February, 1 June and 1 October. That gives more flexibility than most PhD funders, but it comes with a strict timing rule in the other direction: you can only apply when you are about to start, or have just started, your PhD project, and you are no longer eligible if the project began more than six months before the deadline. There is no route to apply for funding partway through an established PhD. ### The project has to be experimental basic research, not applied science Read BIF’s own “what we do and do not fund” list closely before you build an application around this. Applied research is explicitly excluded, biotechnological and pharmaceutical development, drug-screening or drug-delivery work, clinical studies, and studies on the course of a disease or the treatment of symptoms all fall outside what BIF supports. What it does fund is experimental basic biomedical research, including in silico projects, aimed at understanding basic biological phenomena rather than turning that understanding into a product or treatment. ### Two colleagues from the same lab, one fellowship If two candidates from the same laboratory apply for a PhD fellowship in the same round, only one of them can actually receive it. BIF’s own guidance is to apply at different deadlines rather than the same one if you know a lab-mate is applying too, since submitting together does not improve either candidate’s odds and only guarantees one of you is competing against the other for nothing. ### Two specific referees, not just any two The two required letters of recommendation are not interchangeable. One has to come from the supervisor of your PhD thesis and the other from the supervisor of your Master’s (or equivalent) thesis; if the same person supervised both, or you never completed a final experimental thesis, the second letter instead comes from the supervisor of your most relevant laboratory internship. Both letters go directly from the supervisors themselves, by email, as a specifically named PDF, not bundled into your own application materials, so line up both referees well before the deadline rather than after you submit. Where this comes from Every fact above was read on **bifonds.de**, the awarding body's own website, and last confirmed on **2 October 2026**. Nothing here is taken from another directory. Funding bodies change deadlines and eligibility rules without notice, and we are not affiliated with Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF). Always confirm on the official site before you apply. Reviewed by the [Worldwide Scholarships editorial team](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/about/) [Apply on the official site](https://www.bifonds.de/fellowships-grants/phd-fellowships.html) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MonetaryGrant","name":"Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds PhD Fellowships","description":"A monthly stipend of EUR 2,200 to 3,800, depending on host country, for a 2 to 3.5 year PhD in experimental basic biomedical research. 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