External funding

Are you in the transition phase between two career stages and planning to apply for third-party funding for your own position at TU Darmstadt?
The Career Bridging Grant offers short-term financial support for outstanding early career researchers who are in the application phase for external funding and wish to continue their research activities seamlessly at TU Darmstadt.

The amount of funding depends on your research experience and the planned individual external funding:

•  Avanced PhD students/postdocs to (next) postdoc: expected funding of €1,800/month.
• Postdoc to junior research group leader: expected funding of € 2,100/month.

Further information and application

Reconciling an academic career with family responsibilities or working with a physical disability often poses particular challenges for doctoral candidates and postdocs. TU Darmstadt offers the Equality Grant to provide financial compensation.

Who can apply?
Doctoral candidates and postdocs who have to expect significant additional costs due to family obligations or physical impairments.

What is being funded?

• Funding for childcare or accompanying persons for research-related activities
• Extension of childcare during particularly stressful phases (e.g. final phase of the dissertation)
• Support from assistants after parental leave or in the event of health restrictions
• Subsidizing school or childcare costs during a research stay abroad

Further information and application

The FES doctoral scholarship is aimed at doctoral candidates from all disciplines (except medicine) who are admitted to a state or state-recognized German university for doctoral studies. In addition to financial support, scholarship holders benefit from an extensive network, interdisciplinary colloquia and socio-political conferences.

Who can apply?

• Doctoral candidates at a German university or university of applied sciences
• Very good academic record and a significant research project
• Socio-political commitment and strong identification with the values of social democracy

Funding benefits

• Material support: €1,550 per month (from October 2025: €1,650) + €100 lump sum for research costs
• Funding period: Usually three and a half years
• Non-material funding: Seminars, skills training, networking meetings and mentoring

Application up to approximately two years before submission of the dissertation.

Early application recommended in order to benefit from the funding for as long as possible.

Further information and application

The Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) awards the Herbert Walther Fellowship to outstanding international visiting scientists in the field of optics and quantum optics as well as to students interested in pursuing a doctorate at the MPL.

The MPL supports students who are interested in a doctorate at the institute.

Conditions:

• Monthly funding equivalent to a doctoral student's salary
• Maximum funding period: 6 months
• Tax-free according to §3, section 44 EStG

The Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light issues the scholarship contract. The scholarship regulations of the Max Planck Society apply.

Weitere Informationen und Bewerbung

The Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) awards the Herbert Walther Fellowship to outstanding international visiting scientists in the field of optics and quantum optics as well as to students interested in pursuing a doctorate at the MPL.

Suitable candidates must have a doctorate in a research-relevant subject area.

Conditions:

• Monthly funding from 2,500 euros
• Tax-free according to §3, section 44 EStG
• Independent health insurance required
• Submission of a scientific report at the end of the stay

The Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light issues the scholarship contract. The scholarship regulations of the Max Planck Society apply.

Further information and application

The Evonik Foundation supports outstanding young scientists in the natural sciences in the preparation of master's theses, doctorates and postdoctoral projects. In addition to providing financial support, the foundation places particular emphasis on providing scholarship holders with personal support.

Doctorates: 2 years (with option to extend by 1 year), €1,850 per month
Additional support: Grants for specialist literature and scientific conferences

The Werner Schwarze Scholarship is awarded annually to young scientists conducting research in the field of amino acids.

Requirements

• Research project must fit the current funding priority
• Outstanding academic achievements
• Scientific training cannot be financed by own funds or other grants

Further information and application

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom supports outstanding young academics who are pursuing an innovative and significant research project. The scholarship offers parent-independent funding that does not have to be repaid. Around 150 doctoral candidates from Germany and abroad are supported each year.

Scope of funding:

Duration: Initially 1 year, extension of up to 3 years possible (in exceptional cases up to 1.5 additional years in the event of illness or childcare)

Non-material support:

•  Workshops, seminars and training in scientific and practice-oriented areas
• Topics: academic writing, presentation techniques, career planning, project management
• Financial support for stays abroad:
• Research, field and archive work
• Conference participation

Requirements for the application:

• Admission to doctoral studies at a university
• Above-average academic and examination results
• Commitment to liberal values and an open society

Applications are possible at any time.

The scholarships are funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Federal Foreign Office.

Further information and application

The Daimler and Benz Foundation supports young scientists on their academic career path with its scholarship program for postdocs and junior professors. The aim is to strengthen their scientific autonomy and support them in the early phase of their research activities.

Scope of funding

• Duration: 2 years
• Funding amount: € 40,000

Possible purposes:

• Research trips & conferences
• Organization of own scientific events
• Hiring of scientific assistants
• Acquisition of research equipment & special materials

Important notes

• The scholarship may not be used to cover living expenses
• Applicants must have temporary employment or alternative funding
• Scholarship holders take part in the foundation's network meetings

Application requirements

• Own institutional affiliation with an academic institution in Germany or a German research institution abroad
• Proof of academic autonomy, e.g. as a junior professor or head of a junior research group
• Scientific excellence and clear academic career plans

Further information and application

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA PFs) support postdoctoral researchers in advancing their careers through international mobility and interdisciplinary research projects. The program aims to foster research excellence, enhance skills, and provide networking opportunities.

Duration

• European Fellowships: 1–2 years
• Global Fellowships: 2–3 years (1–2 years in a Third Country + 1-year return phase in Europe)

Non-Financial Support

• Research stays abroad for professional development
• Networking and interdisciplinary collaborations
• Opportunity for up to 6-month placement in the industry

Financial Support

• Living and mobility allowances
• Additional support for family-related expenses, long-term leave, and special needs
• Research, training, and management costs

Eligibility Criteria

• PhD degree at the time of application
• Maximum of 8 years of research experience (career breaks and non-research activities do not count)
• International mobility requirement: Applicants must not have lived or worked in the host country for more than 12 months in the last 36 months before the deadline
• Open to researchers of all nationalities and disciplines

Application & Selection Process

• Next call opens: May 8, 2025
• Applications must be submitted jointly with a host institution (university, research center, business, SME, etc.)
• Proposals scoring ≥85% but not funded receive a ‘Seal of Excellence’

These fellowships are funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe Program.

FORTHEM MasterClass on MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025

Further information and application