Mobility for researchers

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) grants funding for lectures (website in German only) and active congress participation (website in German only) abroad for all career levels and disciplines (currendly paused funding option). The FAZIT Foundation (website in German only) also offers funding for doctoral researchers. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation supports the participation of former Humboldt research fellows of all disciplines in conferences in Germany. In addition to these open funding formats, some specialist societies offer grants, such as the “Fonds der Chemischen Industrie” (“Funds of the Chemical Industry”; in German only), and the organizers of the congresses themselves may also offer fellowships. Please note that the application must usually be submitted about six months before the conference trip.

During a shorter research stay, you can do research in laboratories and archives, conduct experiments and field research, and expand your networks. The German Academic Exchange Service offers you a funding of the Postdoc Program (website only in German) with short-term scholarships for three to six months. In addition, there are numerous funding programs for specific regions, such as the Fulbright Commission for the USA, and for certain subjects, such as the Travel Subsidies of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation (humanities and social sciences, biomedicine), the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (basic biomedical research) and the Max Weber Foundation (humanities, social and cultural sciences). Early career researchers at TU Dortmund University can also apply for the Rudolf Chaudoire Prize.

Especially for postdocs there are several possibilities to do research abroad for a longer time. Research stays abroad of up to 24 months are funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation with the Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship and the DFG within the Walter Benjamin Programme in the Fellowship funding line. The DFG’s Heisenberg Programme offers another option for stays abroad for several years. You can find more information on our overview page on research fellowships. You can find more information on our overview page on research fellowships. 

Would you like to have an intensive exchange with international researchers in Dortmund? Travel and mobility expenses are incurred for such research stays, which can be covered in full or in part by various funding agencies. For example, the Gambrinus Fellowship of TU Dortmund University might be interesting for the initiation of new research contacts. It allows you to invite international researchers for a period of up to six weeks. For a longer exchange, the Heinrich Hertz Foundation (in German only) offers a fellowship for up to twelve months. A number of other funding agencies offer funding options for different career levels, disciplines, and regions of origin.

Formats such as the EU-funded program “COST” (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) or the German Academic Exchange Service funded “Bilateral exchange of researchers” (website only in German) support the mutual exchange of researchers: Researchers from two or more partner institutions conduct research or teach at the respective institution. This will strengthen the networking of individual researchers as well as the exchange between institutions.