Humboldt Research Fellowship

Who can apply

Researcher of any nationality except Germany, at postdoctoral or more experienced career stage, in any research field
A host at a German research institution of your choice, who may separately apply for a subsidy toward research costs
Brazilian researchers should first check the separate CAPES-Humboldt Research Fellowship; if not eligible there, the general Humboldt Research Fellowship applies
Complete, accurate application documents that fully match the Foundation's own specifications (for example, its required publication-list format); applications with missing documents or that diverge from these specifications are formally rejected without further review

An 800-application cap, and why it exists

The three-call, 800-application-cap system here is a genuinely unusual structure, and it means the fellowship’s real deadline is whichever comes first: a fixed calendar date, or simply running out of room. The Foundation introduced this cap because application volume increased significantly from 2024 onward, and it restructured into three annual calls specifically to keep applications processed in a reasonable time and give reviewers a predictable workload. As of this check, the Foundation’s own page confirms the current call has already hit its cap and is closed to new applications, with the next one not opening until 15 November 2026. If you want a shot at an earlier round, register early once a call opens rather than waiting, since a round can close well before its calendar date if enough applications come in.

You can still draft an application while a call is closed

One practical point worth knowing if you’re reading this during a closed call: applicants who already started an application before the cap was hit can keep saving and editing it, they just can’t submit until the next round opens. There’s no reason to wait until 15 November to begin drafting if you already have an account and a host lined up.

The difference between the two fellowship levels

There’s a real difference in what postdocs and experienced researchers get, beyond just the monthly amount. Postdocs can stay 6 to 24 months and get 3,000 euros a month; experienced researchers get a shorter maximum window of 18 months but a higher rate of 3,600 euros. Both levels let you split the fellowship into up to three separate stays across three years rather than one continuous block, which is worth knowing if you can’t clear six months away from your current position in one go.

Applications are rejected outright, not just downgraded, for non-compliance

Incomplete or non-compliant applications are rejected outright here, not just downgraded. The Foundation states plainly that applications missing required documents, or that diverge from its specifications, such as its required format for a publication list, are formally rejected without further review, and that ambiguities needing clarification usually push your decision to the following selection meeting rather than the current one. Read the application specifications closely before you submit, since there’s little room here for a document to be fixed after the fact.

Part of a wider German government initiative, with an explicit diversity invitation

The fellowship sits within the Global Minds Initiative Germany, run by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, rather than being a standalone Humboldt Foundation programme. The Foundation is also explicit about wanting gender balance and diversity among its fellows, stating it “expressly invites” female scientists and members of underrepresented groups to apply, and that it welcomes applications regardless of ethnic, cultural or social background, gender identity, age, religion, worldview, disability, or sexual orientation.

One nationality-specific redirect worth knowing

If you’re Brazilian, check the separate CAPES-Humboldt Research Fellowship first; the Foundation’s own page directs Brazilian applicants there before the general programme. If you’re open to research locations across the EU rather than Germany specifically, the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships run on a comparably prestigious, any-nationality basis, worth comparing against this one.