The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation grants the Georg Forster Research Fellowship to researchers in all disciplines from developing and emerging countries who have above-average qualifications.
With this fellowship the Humboldt Foundation acknowledges the important role of researchers from these countries in achieving the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals and thus provides them with sponsorship that is equivalent to the Humboldt Research Fellowship.
The Georg Forster Research Fellowship is exclusively for post-doctoral researchers with above-average qualifications from developing or transition countries. Your research must address questions relevant to the further development of your region of origin, regardless of your field.
Eligibility:
- Postdocs
Did you complete your doctorate – or equivalent academic qualification – during the last four years? Or are you within six months of completing your doctorate and can already provide a written summary of your findings? Have you been published in academic journals and by publishing houses that are reviewed according to international standards? If so, and if you fulfil the criteria under the “What is required of you” section, apply for the Georg Forster Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers.
- Experienced researchers
Did you complete your doctorate – or equivalent qualification – during the last twelve years? Is your academic profile substantiated by an extensive list of publications in academic journals and by publishing houses that are reviewed according to international standards? If so, and if you fulfil the criteria under the “What is required of you” section, apply for the Georg Forster Research Fellowship for experienced researchers.
If a doctorate in your field or country of origin is not possible or uncommon, you can still apply up to 16 years after completing your master’s or other postgraduate degree provided that you have a publication record commensurate with your career level.
Requirements:
To successfully apply for the Georg Forster Research Fellowship, your research should make a significant contribution to the further development of your region of origin. You must also fulfil the following criteria:
- Nationality: You must be a citizen of a developing or transition country – excluding PR China and India.
- Place of residence: You must have lived and worked in a developing or transition country for at least 12 months within the last 18 months (excluding PR China and India). If you are not living in a country from the list of countries at the time of application, you must additionally have at least a permanent job in one of the countries on the list.If you obtained your university entrance qualification and university degree or your university degree and your doctorate in Germany, you can apply if you have lived and worked in one of the developing or transition countries from the list for at least five years and you intend to do so long-term.
Please note: For your application to be successful, you may not have lived in Germany for longer than a total of six months within the 18-month period prior to submitting your application.
- Confirmation that research facilities are open: A researcher from an academic institution of your choice in Germany will provide you with a mentoring agreement and written confirmation that research facilities are available, and will compile a detailed review for you.
- Expert reviews: You can provide two expert reviews.Postdocs: Your doctoral supervisor and one other researcher – outside of your institute, if possible – should provide well-grounded information on your qualifications.
Experienced researchers: The reviews should be provided by important collaborative partners and/or researchers at your own institute as well as other institutes – outside your country of origin, if possible.
- Language Skills:Natural sciences and engineering: You must have a good knowledge of German or English.
Humanities, social sciences and medicine: You must have a good knowledge of German if this is necessary for conducting your research successfully. Otherwise, good knowledge of English will suffice.
You may not apply for the Georg Forster Research Fellowship if you have already received sponsorship from the Humboldt Foundation. In such cases, our alumni programmes are open to you.
Application:
If you would like to apply for the Georg Forster Research Fellowship, please submit the necessary documents to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation online only.
If you have any doubts or questions, please contact us (info[at]avh.de) before submitting your application. We are happy to help.
Please note that you may only submit your application once you have uploaded the following documents to the application form:
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- curriculum vitae (two pages max)
- research outline (five pages max)
- complete list of your publications
- list of key publications
- key publications
- doctoral certificate or proof that your doctorate has been completed successfully, or confirmation that this will be the case within the next six months
- German language certificate, if required
- if required: acceptance form and/or publisher’s acknowledgement of receipt and summaries/translations of key publications that are not available in German or English
- In addition: host’s statement and confirmation that research facilities are available, as well as two expert reviews. Please note that these documents can only be uploaded in a protected area by the host(s) and expert reviewers personally. You can only submit your application once these documents have been uploaded. Further information and explanations can be found on the application form.
As soon as we have received your online application, we will send you written confirmation by email. After reviewing your documents, we will notify you of the expected selection date.
