Grants & Fellowships

PDI welcomes researchers at all career stages. If you are interested in carrying out research with us, the programmes listed below may support your visit or longer-term stay. We are happy to discuss your options and assist with applications. Please contact the person most relevant to your area of research.

All career stages

• DAAD Scholarships
  A database of DAAD scholarship programmes for international students and researchers.
• Global Minds Initiative Germany
  Launched by the BMFTR, this initiative offers international research talent clear career prospects within the German science system. Building on existing programs from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the German Research Foundation, it enables top international researchers to quickly establish careers in Germany. The initiative spans all career stages, from early postdocs just after completing their PhDs to established scientists and top-level professors.
• Humboldt Research Fellowship
  Enables highly qualified international researchers to conduct independent research at a German institution of their choice. Available at two career stages: postdoctoral (PhD within last 4 years, 6–24 months) and experienced researcher (PhD within last 12 years, 6–18 months). Three calls per year; each round closes once the application cap is reached.
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA PF)
  Supports experienced researchers in carrying out an independent research project at a host institution of their choice. Two fellowship types are available: European Fellowships (1–2 years, open to researchers of any nationality) and Global Fellowships (open to EU citizens or permanent residents; 2–3 years including an outgoing phase outside Europe and a mandatory return phase). Applicants must hold a PhD and have no more than eight years of research experience. Applications are submitted jointly with the host organisation; PDI is eligible to host.
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) — Staff Exchanges
  Funds secondments and exchanges between research institutions and industry across countries. Supports both incoming and outgoing mobility for researchers at all career stages as part of a collaborative network project.

Early career / postdoctoral

• DAAD RISE
  Offers summer internships in Germany for North American, British and Irish undergraduate students at German universities and research institutes.
• Walter Benjamin Programme (DFG)
  Funds postdoctoral researchers to independently conduct their own research project at a host institution of their choice, in Germany or abroad. Supports up to two years of independent research and is designed to promote mobility and thematic development in the early postdoctoral phase. Applications can be submitted at any time.
• Wilhelm und Else Heraeus Research Fellowships
  Supports early career researchers with fellowships for research stays at German institutions, with a particular focus on physics and related fields.
• Stanisław Lem European Research Prize
  A European prize for young scientists (up to 40 years old) who have made a significant discovery or outstanding achievement in the technical sciences in the last three years. Organised by Wrocław University of Science and Technology.
• Emmy Noether Programme (DFG)
  Gives exceptionally qualified early career researchers the opportunity to lead an independent junior research group for six years, qualifying them for a professorship. One of Germany's most prestigious routes to research independence. Applications can be submitted at any time.
• Daimler und Benz Stiftung Postdoctoral & Junior Professor Scholarship
  The Daimler und Benz Stiftung awards twelve scholarships annually to outstanding postdoctoral researchers in leadership positions and junior professors across all disciplines. Each scholarship provides €50,000 over two years to support research-related costs such as travel, conferences, temporary research assistants, equipment, and specialized materials.

Mid-career & Senior

• Humboldt Research Award
  Awarded to internationally recognized senior researchers in acknowledgement of their academic career. Recipients are invited to spend periods of up to one year collaborating with colleagues at German research institutions. Candidates must be nominated by a researcher at a German institution. PDI can put forward nominations.
• Heisenberg Programme
  The Heisenberg Programme is directed primarily at those researchers who have qualified for professorship via the Emmy Noether Programme, leadership of a junior research group, DFG project staff positions, private-sector research or mid-level faculty positions. The target group also includes junior professors who have received positive evaluations, those who have achieved their habilitation or an equivalent qualification, and German researchers returning from abroad, as well as appropriately qualified foreign researchers (who have not yet achieved a full professorship) looking to pursue careers in Germany.

Fellowships and awards

• For Women in Science Germany (L'Oréal–UNESCO)
  Promotes four female early career scientists working in Germany each year with an award worth €25,000. A tripartite partnership between the German Commission for UNESCO, L'Oréal Deutschland, and the German Humboldt Network, committed to recognising and supporting excellent female scientists in the German research landscape.
   
• Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard Foundation
  Supports female doctoral researchers and postdocs with children working in experimental natural sciences and medicine. Grants of €200–400 per month are provided for household help and additional childcare, awarded for one year (extendable), from the second year of the doctoral thesis onwards while the project is still in its experimental stage.
   
• German Association of Women Academics — Funding Committee (DAB)
  The DAB funding committee supports female doctoral researchers and early career scientists across all disciplines by subsidising scientific publications, print costs, and conference travel. The association is committed to equal rights in family, career, and public life, and promotes female academics as role models for the next generation.
   
• European Prize for Women Innovators (EIC)
  An annual prize celebrating women entrepreneurs behind Europe's most ground-breaking innovations, jointly awarded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Three prize categories: Women Innovators (open to all ages, top prize €100,000), Rising Innovators (under 35), and the EIT Women Leadership Award. Open to women from EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries. 

Professorships and institutional programmes

• BMFTR Professorinnenprogramm
  The central federal and state instrument for promoting gender equality in higher education, now running as Professorinnenprogramm 2030 with three funding rounds through 2030. Supports female researchers on their path to tenured professorships by co-funding first appointments to permanent W2 and W3 positions, with the aim of increasing the proportion of women in senior academic positions.
   
• DFG Equity and Diversity measures
  The DFG offers a range of measures to promote gender equality within its funding programmes, including a standard allowance for gender equality measures, support for career development activities, and provisions for family leave. These apply across DFG-funded projects and are relevant to any researcher holding or applying for DFG funding.