Postdocs | Current announcements

Scholarships, Fellowships, Research Grants
On this page, we refer to a selection of current calls for applications for scholarships, prizes, research grants, or fellowships. Despite great care, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.
Research Information Service (FIT)
As a member of the UDE, you can subscribe to the Research Information Service (FIT) free of charge. FIT is an e-mail service that provides you with tailored information on research funding. This service is only available in German.
January 2025
Call | Deadline | Career stage | Subject group(s) |
Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia: Programme to promote the return of highly qualified young researchers from abroad (NRW Return Programme 2024) | 09.01.2025 | Postdoc, Junior Faculty (doctorate 2-6 years ago, at least 12 months abroad, centre of life before and after stay abroad: Germany) | future computing |
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD): Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS | 14.01.2025 | Postdoc | Reference to the roles of the USA and Germany at a crucial moment in world history |
Karg-Foundation: William Stern Programme | 15.01.2025 | PhD, PhD+Postdoc | talent research (psychology, educational science, pedagogy; interfaces with disciplines from the social, educational and human sciences) |
Volkswagen Foundation: Call for papers: Conference 'Universities and the Public Good' | 19.01.2025 | all (PhD see Young Scholars Forum) | history of colleges and universities in the transatlantic region as centres of education and research since 1945 |
AMA Association for Sensor Technology and Measurement Technology e.V.: Innovation Award 2025 | 23.01.2025 | all | sensor technology/measurement technology and associated technologies with recognizable market relevance |
Semikron Danfoss & European ECPE Network: Innovation Award and Young Engineer Award | 31.01.2025 | all (Innovation Award) all under 30 years (Young Engineer Award) |
power electronics |
February 2025
Call | Deadline | Career stage | Subject group(s) |
Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) - Foundation basic research in biomedicine: PhD fellowships | 01.02.2025 | PhD | natural sciences, biomedicine |
CAST e.V. and the 'Security - Protection and Reliability' department of the Society for Informatics e.V. (GI): PhD Prize IT Security 2025 | 02.02.2025 | PhD (shortly before completion), Postdoc (max. 2 years after dissertation) | security in computer science |
Information Technology Society in the VDE Association for Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Information Technology e.V. (VDE ITG): Dissertation Award 2025 | 05.02.2025 | Postdoc (dissertation in 2024 and max. 32 years) | information technology |
Schering Foundation: Ernst Schering Prize 2025 | 09.02.2025 | Postdoc, Junior Faculty | basic research in life sciences/biomedicine (biology, medicine or chemistry) |
Schering Foundation: Schering Young Investigator Award 2025 | 09.02.2025 | Postdoc (max. 6 years after dissertation; working in Germany) | basic research in life sciences |
Society for Computer Science e.V. (GI) in cooperation with Austrian Computer Society (OCG) and Swiss Informatics Society (SI): Dissertation Award | 14.02.2025 | Postdoc (dissertation in 2024) | computer science |
Kurt Eberhard Bode Foundation in Stifterverband: Junior Research Group ‘Water - Research for Sustainable Resource Utilisation’ | 15.02.2025 | PhD, Postdoc | water and x; networking and dialogue between medicine, biology, chemistry, physics and computer science |
DECHEMA, Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology e.V.: Industrial Bioprocess Award | 15.02.2025 | Postdoc (dissertation between Dec. 2023 and Dec. 2024) | bioprocess engineering |
Information Technology Society in the VDE Association for Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Information Technology e.V. (VDE ITG): Literature Award | 15.02.2025 | all (for dissertations see Dissertation Prize 2025) | information technology |
Bernd Rendel Foundation in Stifterverband and German Research Foundation (DFG): Bernd Rendel Prize | 20.02.2025 | PhD | earth sciences |
Klaus Tschira Foundation: PlainText Prize for Science Communication | 28.02.2025 | Postdoc (dissertation in 2023 or 2024) | biology, chemistry, geosciences, computer science, mathematics, neuroscience and physics (including related fields) |
Marianne and Dr. Fritz Walter Fischer Foundation in Stifterverband: Junior Research Group ‘BEN - Biodiversity, Ecology, Nature in National Parks and Biosphere Reserves’ | 28.02.2025 | Postdoc (max. 6 years after dissertation + time off) | biodiversity, ecology, nature |
March 2025
Call | Deadline | Career stage | Subject group(s) |
Körber-Foundation: German Study Award | 01.03.2025 | Postdoc (dissertation in 2024 with magna or summa cum laude) | all |
German Chemical Industry Association (VCI): Kekulé Scholarship | 01.03.2025 | PhD (start) (EU nationality) | chemistry and chemistry-related subjects |
Daimler and Benz Foundation: Bertha Benz Prize 2025 | 01.03.2025 | Postdoc (dissertation not older than 2 March 2024 and magna or summa cum laude) | engineering |
Hamburg Foundation for Science, Development and Culture Helmut and Hannelore Greve and Academy of Sciences in Hamburg: Hamburg Science Prize 2025 ‘Immunomodulation’ | 15.03.2025 | all (with several years of internationally recognised research achievements) | immunomodulation |
Wissenswerkstadt, Bielefeld Marketing GmbH: FameLab Germany: 'Talking Science' | 17.03.2025 | all 21 years and older | natural or social sciences, technology or medicine |
ARD.ZDF media academy: Women + Media Technology Award 2025 | 31.03.2025 | PhD | audiovisual media production and distribution or related subject areas |
Tyczka Energy Foundation, Technical University of Munich, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and Research Centre for Energy Economics e.V.: Dr Tyczka Energy Prize | 31.03.2025 | PhD | energy (especially practical or implemented energy saving concepts) industrial gases and hydrogen (innovative applications of technical gases as well as the extraction, storage and applications of hydrogen) |
Goldschmidt Foundation: Karl Goldschmidt Prize | 31.03.2025 | PhD (without high school diploma and without university entrance qualification) | engineering (mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, electrical engineering, industrial engineering) |
April 2025
Call | Deadline | Career stage | Subject group(s) |
VolkswagenFoundation: 'Scoping Workshops' in Hannover | 01.04.2025 | Postdoc, Junior Faculty | all |
May 2025
Call | Deadline | Career stage | Subject group(s) |
German-American Fulbright Commission: PhD program (university and university of applied sciences) | 01.05.2025 | PhD (start) (German nationality) | all |
June 2025
Call | Deadline | Career stage | Subject group(s) |
Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) - Foundation basic research in biomedicine: PhD fellowships | 01.06.2025 | PhD | natural sciences, biomedicine |
Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation: Heinrich Wieland Prize | 01.06.2025 | all (if outstanding research) | biologically active molecules and systems in the areas of chemistry, biochemistry, and physiology as well as their clinical importance |
July 2025
Call | Deadline | Career stage | Subject group(s) |
German Chemical Industry Association (VCI): Kekulé Scholarship | 01.07.2025 | PhD (start) (EU nationality) | chemistry and chemistry-related subjects |
Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes Association (FSK): Innovation Award for Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes | 15.07.2025 | all | all disciplines related to foam plastics and polyurethanes |
October 2025
Call | Deadline | Career stage | Subject group(s) |
Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) - Foundation basic research in biomedicine: PhD fellowships | 01.10.2025 | PhD | natural sciences, biomedicine |
November 2025
Call | Deadline | Career stage | Subject group(s) |
German-American Fulbright Commission: PhD program (university and university of applied sciences) | 01.11.2025 | PhD (start) (German nationality) | all |
German Chemical Industry Association (VCI): Kekulé Scholarship | 01.11.2025 | PhD (start) (EU nationality) | chemistry and chemistry-related subjects |
April 2026
Call | Deadline | Career stage | Subject group(s) |
German Society for Biomedical Engineering in the VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (VDE DGBMT) and Klee Family Foundation: Prize for Innovation in Biomedical Technology | 30.04.2026 | all | medical issues solved through technical transfer |
Anytime
Call | Deadline | Career stage | Subject group(s) |
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD): Scholarship Program 'ERA Fellowships - Green Hydrogen' | Master: spring/autumn; PhD/Postdoc: anytime | Master, PhD, Postdoc | Natural sciences, engineering, economics, social sciences and law in regard to hydrogen |
Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation: Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship (Information event on 24.09.2024) |
anytime | Postdoc, Junior Faculty | all |
Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation: Henriette Herz-Scouting-Programme | anytime | Postdoc, Junior Faculty (without German citizenship) | all |
Chemical Industry Fund: Liebig Scholarship for the start of a university teaching career (3-year funding, equipment for the working group and a doctoral scholarship for one research assistant) | anytime | Postdoc | chemistry |
Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) - Research scholarship (funding period: 6-24 months) | anytime | PhD, Postdoc | all |