The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation promotes research collaborations between excellent foreign and German researchers. It grants more than 700 research fellowships and research awards every year.

The DAAD is the world’s largest funding organisation for the international exchange of students and researchers.

The DFG is the central research funding organisation in Germany. It supports research projects and funds cooperation between researchers – also at an international level.

The EU is funding research in a variety of ways through Horizon 2020, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. These measures do not only include support for basic and applied research, but also funding programmes for collaboration and exchange in higher education.

The German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) offers various opportunities for project funding for small and medium-sized enterprises.  

More than two-thirds of the annual funds invested in research come from industry. Companies either conduct research themselves or collaborate with research partners. (Junior) researchers are supported not only with job offers, but also with scholarships and prizes from corporate foundations.

Federal and state governments are the main sponsors of research in Germany alongside industry. Many federal ministries support specific research projects.

Public and private foundations enable research through the provision of funding. The range of different foundations is very wide. Many of them specifically aim to promote young talent.

Thirteen organisations that work nationwide have come together to form StipendiumPlus under the umbrella of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. They support outstanding undergraduate and doctoral students.

Non-university research institutions are also active in fostering talent. In particular, they support doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers with scholarships or research jobs.