The University of Bonn in Germany offers a distinguished opportunity for international researchers through theBonn International Fellowshipsprogram. It aims to host outstanding researchers from various disciplines for a short period (up to 12 days) on campus, actively engaging them in the academic life of the University of Bonn with dedicated financial support.
Program Objective
The program aims to invite distinguished researchers from all fields of expertise to spend a short period at the University of Bonn, giving priority to researchers coming fromstrategic partner universitiesorpriority countries for international cooperation.
The fellowship encourages effective integration of visiting researchers into the university's academic life and contributes to building future research collaborations between them and their hosts at the University of Bonn.
Who Can Apply?
- Researchers holding a PhDor faculty members working abroad at a university or research institution.
- Applicants must havea strong international reputationin their field of expertise.
- The program requires the researcher to beinvited by a faculty member at the University of Bonn.
- Researcherscannot apply directly; the application must be submitted by the host faculty member from the University of Bonn.
Note:The program team cannot facilitate contact between interested researchers and university members.
Funding Details
The fellowship includes financial support as follows:
- Travel allowancebased on the country of origin.
- Daily allowanceof 160 euros per day (for a maximum of 12 days, including arrival and departure days).
- Event organization expensesby the host institute (up to 500 euros per project), which may include:
- Hospitality costs (up to 50 euros for guests, 40 euros for university members).
- Funding for public relations and outreach activities.
The visit must begin betweenJanuary 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026, andthe funding must be fully spent by the end of 2026.
Timeline
- Application opens:May 29, 2025
- Application deadline:September 22, 2025 (5:00 PM Central European Time)
- Results announcement:By early December 2025
- Project start date:From January 1, 2026
- Project end date:By December 31, 2026
Selection Criteria
- The researcher's academic reputation in their field.
- The extent of the researcher's contribution to the academic life of the University of Bonn (public lectures, seminars, workshops...).
- The expected long-term impact of the visit and the plan for future cooperation between the researcher and the host.
Who Submits the Application?
The application is submitted byUniversity of Bonn faculty membersholding a PhD, and it must include aninformal letter of approval from the visiting researcher so you should contact a faculty member before applying.
Application Components
The application consists of:
- Online application form.
- Project description(PDF, no more than 6 pages + approval from the researcher), including:
- The planned period of visit (month).
- Reasons for the invitation, highlighting the researcher’s achievements and reputation.
- If applicable: an overview of existing collaboration between the researcher and the host.
- Plan for integrating the researcher into academic life at Bonn.
- Expected short- or long-term outcomes of the visit.
- Informal letter of approval from the visiting researcher.
- CV of the researcher(PDF).
- Signed invitation letter from the host at the University of Bonn(PDF).
- Detailed funding plan.