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Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
As an intermediary organisation of German foreign cultural and education policy, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation aims to promote international cultural dialogue and academic exchange. The Humboldt Foundation offers flexible sponsorship programmes for researchers at all stages of their careers. Its research fellowships and awards enable outstanding scientists and scholars from abroad to complete long-term research stays in Germany. There are no quotas for specific countries or subjects; only personal academic achievement counts. The foundation also maintains close links with its alumni, the Humboldtians, after their stay in Germany. It offers numerous alumni support programmes for that purpose.
© Humboldt Foundation/Oliver Rüthe
Facts and figures
The headquarters of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is located in Bonn
More than 250 employees
Network of over 31,000 Humboldtians in more than 140 countries worldwide, including 57 Nobel Prize winners
Some 2,300 collaborative research partnerships between international and German researchers in 2021
Annual budget: roughly 149 million euros (2022)
Source: Humboldt Foundation
Budget
The budget of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation amounted to roughly 149 million euros in 2022. The foundation receives approx. 97 per cent of its funding from federal sources. The following ministries contribute to its budget:
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (51%)
- Federal Foreign Office (AA) (36%)
- Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) (8%)
- Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) (2%)
Funding programmes:
Capes-Humboldt Research Fellowships for Postdoctoral Researchers
This fellowship enables outstanding researchers from Brazil to carry out research in Germany for up to two years.
Alexander von Humboldt Professorship
Award winners receive the opportunity to carry out long-term and groundbreaking research in Germany.
Capes-Humboldt Research Fellowships for Experienced Researchers
This fellowship enables outstanding researchers from Brazil to carry out research in Germany for up to 18 months.
Fraunhofer-Bessel Research Award
Award winners are invited to work closely with a partner at one of the Fraunhofer institutes in Germany. They become part of a global network of researchers maintained by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award
Outstanding international researchers are invited to spend a period of 6 to 12 months cooperating on a research project with fellow experts at a research institute in Germany.
Georg Forster Research Fellowship
Early career and experienced researchers with above-average qualifications from developing and transition countries can carry out a research project in cooperation with an academic host of their choice in Germany.
Georg Forster Research Award
Established researchers from developing countries, emerging economies and transition states are invited to cooperate on a long-term research project with fellow experts at a research institute in Germany.
Humboldt Research Award
Researchers from abroad are invited to cooperate on a research project with fellow experts at a research institute in Germany.
Humboldt Research Fellowship
International junior and senior researchers in all disciplines can carry out their own research project in cooperation with an academic host of their choice at a research institute in Germany.