Research Stays for University Academics and Scientists

Eligibility

Who can apply?

University teachers and established academics and scientists who have usually completed a doctoral degree and work at a university or research institute in their home country can apply.

Note:
Former holders of fellowships from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation are requested to contact first the Humboldt Foundation.

What requirements must be met?

Please check if the following criteria are fulfilled:

• You must work at a university or institute of higher education in your home country.
• The research project must be coordinated with an academic host institute in Germany. You must be provided with a workplace.
• Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada. German nationals must have been affiliated with a United States or Canadian institution in full-time employment for at least ten consecutive years.

NOTE: Language skills

• Applicants must possess adequate knowledge of the German language to carry out the proposed research project. In your proposal, please refer to the language skills needed for your research.

Summary

Objective

This programme offers you the opportunity to network amongst colleagues and exchange experience in the framework of short-term research stays in Germany. The scholarships are funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
 

What can be funded?

The programme provides funding for research stays at state or state-recognised institutions of higher education or non-university research institutes in Germany. A research stay can also take place at several host institutions.
Funding may only be claimed once within three years.
Lecture tours or visits to congresses are not funded.

Duration of the funding

• Funding is provided for one to three months. Please indicate in your application how long you wish to receive funding. The funding period will then be determined during the selection process by a selection committee. The committee takes into account your work plan.
• The grant is non-renewable.

Value

• Monthly payments of
  2,000 euros for assistant teachers, assistant professors and lecturers,
  2,150 euros for professors
• Travel allowance, unless these expenses are covered by the home country or another source of funding
• In case of a disability or chronic illness: on application, a subsidy may be provided for justified additional costs, incurred in Germany due to the disability, that are necessary to realise the project in Germany and that are not covered by a third party; whether and to what extent a subsidy will be paid, will be reviewed and determined on an individual basis (see important information for scholarship applicants, section F, point 8)
• Green Mobility Top Up (Support for climate-friendly travel) or partial reimbursement of carbon offset payments for air travel

Please note: Health insurance coverage is mandatory in Germany. If you do not have a corresponding home health insurance, you will be insured by the DAAD. The costs will be deducted from the scholarship payment.
 

Selection

An independent selection committee reviews applications.

The most important selection criteria are:
 

• academic achievements and recent publications which must be documented in the curriculum vitae and a list of publications
• a convincing and well-planned research project

The selection committee also gives due consideration to equal opportunities; you can provide relevant information in the application form.
For more information on the selection procedure, go to Important Scholarship Information / Section E.

Application deadline

Application deadlines are updated annually in the second quarter. In most cases, they are in the same period as the previous year. You can find the current dates here:

October 15th, 2024
Selection date spring 2025
Funding period between May 1st and September 30th, 2025

May 15th, 2025
Selection date summer 2025
Funding period between October 1st, 2025 and January 31st, 2026

Please click the following link for important country-specific application information: https://www.daad.org/en/find-funding/country-specific-information-for-us-applicants/

Application documents

Documents to be uploaded to the DAAD portal:

• Online application form
• Full curriculum vitae in tabular form (max. 3 pages)
• List of academic publications (max. 3 pages)
• Comprehensive statement about research project (max. 10 pages). Please also read our important information for scholarship applicants / section B, point 2.
• Time schedule and itinerary (host institutes / academic hosts) of the planned research stay (to be uploaded under ‘time schedule’ in the DAAD portal)
• Confirmation from the academic host in Germany; the confirmation must refer to your project and guarantee that the host institute in Germany will provide you with a workplace.

The application procedure occurs online through the DAAD portal.
Please note that the access to the application portal only appears while the current application period is running. After the application deadline has expired, the portal for this programme is not available until the next application period.
 

Please note

• Your application is only valid if you submit all the required documents to the DAAD portal by the application deadline.
• (If documents are to be submitted by post, please send them as soon as possible. The postmark date serves as proof that they have been dispatched on time.)
• The DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs. (CET or CEST) on the last application day.
• Incomplete applications cannot be considered. You are responsible for ensuring that your applications are complete.
• The application documents remain with the DAAD. Your personal data is saved by the DAAD in accordance with the Federal Data Protection Act and with the EU Data Protection Regulation insofar as this data is needed to process the application.

Overhead

As a German public donor agency, it is a firm and consistent DAAD policy not to fund office overhead or indirect costs at North American universities.

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Support for projects involving Indigenous Research:

Support with the development of your grant application is available internally through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST). Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage.

Support for Knowledge Engagement:

Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation is available internally through the Knowledge Engagement Team. Applicants can reach out by email to the KE team at knowledge.engagement@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information, please visit the KE team webpage.

Support for Research Data Management:

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@libanswers.ucalgary.com and/or visit https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/researchdatamanagement.

Support for EDI in Research:

RSO can provide resources and support to research teams on the integration of equitable and inclusive practices in research design and research practice. Contact Erin.OToole@ucalgary.ca for more information.

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award LOI

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application