Postdoc Funding in Germany: Fellowships and Funding Opportunities
Finding the right postdoc funding in Germany is not always easy. Eligibility often depends on your discipline, career stage, and how much time has passed since your PhD. To make the search a little easier, we have collected funding opportunities for postdocs at different career stages.
This list will continue to grow as we come across new opportunities, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. For a broader search, funding databases such as ELFI, FIT Kassel, the DAAD funding database, Research in Germany, Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space and scientifyRESEARCH are also useful places to look for current funding opportunities.
1 to 3 years after your PhD
HITS Independent Postdoc Program
By Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies
DKFZ Postdoctoral Fellowships
By German Cancer Research Center
Zukunftskolleg Postdoc Fellowships
By Zukunftskolleg Universität Konstanz
TUM Global Postdoc Fellowship
By Technical University of Munich
KVC Young Clinician Scientists
Karl und Veronica Carstens-Stiftung
Up to 4 years after your PhD
Max Planck-Weizmann Joint Postdoctoral Program
By Max Planck Gesellschaft / Weizmann Institute of Science
DAAD Postdoc Research Grant
By DAAD
DFG Emmy Noether Programme
By Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
DFG Walter Benjamin Position
By Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Einstein Starting Researcher
By Einstein Foundation
Humboldt Research Fellowship
By Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung
Up to 5 years after your PhD
Kohli Fellowship
By Kohli Foundation
Leibniz Junior Research Group
By Leibniz Association
Nexus
By Carl Zeiss Stiftung
Up to 6–10 years after your PhD
Max Planck Research Groups
By Max Planck Society
NRW Returning Scholars Program
By Ministry of Culture and Science of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
Helmholtz Investigator Groups
By Helmholtz Association
Thyssen@KWI Fellowship
Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen
KWI International Fellowships
Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen
FRIAS Early Career Fellowship Programme
By Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies
Lise Meitner Excellence Program
By Max Planck Society
ERC Starting Grant
By European Research Council
Later postdoc / moving towards independence
FRIAS Senior Fellowship Programme
By Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies
Einstein Professorship Track
By Einstein Foundation
Heisenberg Programme
By Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
ERC Consolidator Grant
By European Research Council
Einstein Independent Researcher
By Einstein Foundation
No fixed post-PhD window / other eligibility criteria
Klaus Tschira Boost Fund
By Guidance, Skills & Opportunities for Researchers e.V.
Fraunhofer ATTRACT
By Fraunhofer Gesellschaft
Max-Eder Junior Research Group Program
By Deutsche Krebshilfe
Max Planck Postdoc Program
By Max Planck Foundation
Daimler Benz Postdoc Scholarship
By Daimler und Benz Stiftung
Lore-Agnes-Fellowship
By RUB Research School
Constructive Advanced Thinking (CAT) Programme
By Institutes for Advanced Study (IASs) across Europe
CNV Foundation Scholarships
By CNV Foundation
Wiko Early Career Call
By Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin
ARISE2
By EMBL
EMBL-EBI–Sanger Postdoctoral (ESPOD) Programme
By EMBL
VolkswagenStiftung Postdoc Funding Opportunities
By VolkswagenStiftung
Add-on Fellowships for Interdisciplinary Science and Transfer
By Joachim Herz Stiftung
Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship
By Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Fritz Thyssen Project Funding
By Fritz Thyssen Foundation
Exploration Grants
Boehringer Ingelheim Stiftung
