Humboldt Research Fellowship: Next Call 15 Nov 2026

Is the Humboldt Research Fellowship open now?

Not for new applications at present. The official Humboldt Foundation page states that the maximum number of applications has been received for the current call, so new applications cannot currently be created. The next call is officially scheduled to open on 15 November 2026.

What is the Humboldt Research Fellowship?

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation supports qualified postdoctoral and experienced researchers from abroad who plan their own research project with a German academic host. The Foundation ordinarily targets applicants outside Germany; special criteria can apply to German nationals and researchers whose degrees were obtained in Germany. Duration and monthly funding differ by career stage.

Monthly Funding and Research Stay

Additional support may include travel expenses, private health-insurance subsidies, family allowances and a pre-fellowship German language course for the fellow and partner, subject to programme terms. Fellowships can be split into up to three research stays within three years.

Who Can Apply? Doctoral and Residency Requirements

Postdoctoral researchers: In general, applicants should have finished their doctorate within four years of the application date and show an internationally reviewed publication record appropriate to their field. A doctorate that will be completed before the selection meeting can also qualify, subject to formal proof before the fellowship starts.

Experienced researchers: In general, applicants should have completed their doctorate within twelve years and have a distinct independent research profile with leadership as an assistant professor, lecturer, research group PI or comparable position. Key publications must demonstrate thematic leadership, such as sole or corresponding authorship.

Career interruptions: The Foundation may recognise qualifying periods of parental care, serious illness, caregiving or other documented interruptions, with time-limit adjustments under its rules. A candidate should seek case-specific advice from the Foundation.

Nationality / established overseas residence: The fellowship primarily targets researchers whose academic careers are based abroad. German nationals and some Germany-educated researchers are subject to special rules for their established residence and employment abroad; the general ‘excluding Germany’ programme label is not an absolute prohibition in all exceptional cases.

Language: Applicants in natural sciences and engineering need good English or German skills. In humanities, social sciences and medicine, adequate German may be necessary for the proposed research; otherwise good English may suffice.

Researchers who have already received direct Humboldt Foundation fellowship or award funding should check the separate alumni opportunities rather than assume they can receive another Research Fellowship.

Required Application Materials

The applicant submits through the online Humboldt Foundation application platform, subject to the current call cap. The official checklist requires:

• Curriculum vitae, maximum two pages.
• Independent research outline developed with the host, maximum five pages, including the bibliography.
• Complete publication list following the Foundation’s sample.
• Separate list of one to three selected key publications, with explanations of their academic relevance and the applicant’s contribution; corresponding publications must be uploaded.
• Doctoral certificate or qualifying proof of doctorate completion, or confirmation that completion will occur before the envisaged selection meeting.
• German language certificate where required, plus any applicable publication acceptance letters or translations.
• Two independent expert reviews, uploaded directly into protected applicant-specific reviewer accounts. For postdocs, one is normally from the doctoral supervisor; the host statement cannot substitute for these reviews.
• German host’s detailed statement and formal confirmation that research facilities are available, uploaded by the host through a separate process.

German Host: Submission and Facilities Confirmation

The applicant should agree on the scope and feasibility of an independently developed research project with an eligible researcher employed at a German research institution before applying.

1. Applicant identifies the host and completes the personal research application online, including the two expert reviews.
2. Once the applicant submits, the Humboldt Foundation gives the German host a secure link to the application.
3. The host uploads a detailed academic assessment and confirms the availability of research space, equipment, materials and supervision as required.
4. The application is not forwarded for substantive review until all required host documentation and declarations have been received.

If the host will no longer be employed at the host institution throughout the planned stay, an additional institutional assurance may be required. Ask the host to consult the official information for hosts.

Humboldt Research Fellowship call schedule

The Foundation introduced a structured call system corresponding to three selection meetings per year. It currently limits each call to a maximum of 800 applications.

A call may stop accepting submissions before the corresponding selection meeting once the application cap is reached. Applicants should therefore not treat the selection-meeting date as an application deadline.

What applicants should do before 15 November 2026

1. Confirm that the Humboldt Research Fellowship is the correct programme. Check the postdoctoral or experienced-researcher requirements on the official page.
2. Develop the research project with a host in Germany. The host’s required documents are part of the submission process.
3. Prepare all required documents to the Foundation’s specifications. The Foundation warns that materially incomplete or non-compliant applications can be formally rejected without review.
4. Do not rely on an old “rolling application” description. Plan around the next official opening on 15 November 2026.
5. Check the official page again when the call opens. Requirements and call capacity should be verified at the point of submission.

Why the application process changed

The Foundation reports that application volume increased substantially from 2024 onward. To make processing more predictable, the programme moved to three calls aligned with its selection meetings and introduced a current cap of 800 applications per call.