Scholarships for stays in Germany for cultural workers, scientists and scholars

The research and academic foreign relations policy aims to secure the framework conditions for international cooperation, exchange and networking, builds bridges between countries and their societies and creates partners and friendships worldwide. It promotes synergies between science, research and industry and strengthens Germany as a location for innovation and excellence. Through this, it contributes to the goals of German foreign cultural and education policy, to intensifying bilateral, regional and multilateral relations and to the internationalization of education, science and Research.

A special task is the worldwide commitment to scientific freedom and the protection of persecuted scientists and scholars.

Scholarship programmes that support residence by foreign students and scientists in Germany are a cornerstone of the foreign science and higher education policy. The Federal Foreign Office works closely with intermediary organisations in this field.

One of the core concerns of German foreign cultural and education policy is to create pre-political space in which intercultural exchange and joint work on social issues can take place. In the following we present some of the scholarship programmes that support stays in Germany (and partly in third countries).

DAAD

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is a joint institution of German universities and student bodies. Its task is to promote international academic cooperation, primarily through the exchange of university members. Within this framework, the DAAD awards a large number of different scholarships for highly qualified university graduates, scientists and university teachers. Funding is available for study and research residences as well as language courses.

Application procedure and deadlines

For current calls for applications, please refer to the scholarship database.

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH)

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) is a foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany. As an intermediary organisation of German foreign cultural and educational policy, its task is to promote academic cooperation between excellent foreign and German researchers. To this end, the AvH awards numerous research fellowships and research prizes that enable outstanding international researchers from the postdoctoral level onwards to carry out a research project with hosts and cooperation partners in Germany. The foundation's funding programmes also include the Philipp Schwartz Initiative, which enables universities and research institutions in Germany to accept at-risk researchers from all subject areas and countries of origin who hold a doctorate or comparable academic degree as part of a full scholarship for 24 months.

Application procedure

Current information on application procedures can be found here.

The following deadlines apply to the Philipp Schwartz Initiative: Applications for the 8th call for proposals can be submitted until 11 September 2020. The application documents can also be found here. Researchers cannot apply directly to this programme. Please contact potential host institutions in Germany who can take on the application. Numerous German universities, research institutions and science organisations that are committed to supporting and protecting endangered researchers and the freedom of science have joined forces in the Scholars at Risk network Germany: . Interested parties can contact the universities directly.

Martin-Roth Initiative

In 2018 the Federal Foreign Office founded the Martin-Roth-Initiative (MRI), which enables endangered intellectuals, artists and cultural workers to work temporarily in Germany or within their home country via host organisations (e.g. museums, theatres, festivals, non-governmental organisations, etc.).

The scholarship holders are thus given the opportunity to continue working effectively within their field of activity. Prospects for the continuation of individual commitment in the home country should be maintained and improved in the medium term. The Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) and the Goethe Institute are jointly responsible for the MRI as implementing organisations.

Application procedure and deadlines

Funding is available for residences in Germany of up to 12 months and for residences in third countries of 3-6 months. Direct scholarships without a host organisation are not possible. For detailed information on the application procedure, please refer to the MRI Website.

Due to current events in the course of the worldwide corona pandemic, the application deadlines for stays in Germany have been suspended until further notice. The MRI continuously accepts applications for stays in third countries.