Fellowships and Awards

Grants, Fellowships, and Awards

It is always beneficial to secure your own fellowship, grants, or awards. These opportunities add significantly to your CV and provide independence. Consider applying even while you are a fully-funded group member, as the experience and recognition are valuable regardless of your current funding status.

Postdoctoral Fellowships

International Programs

• Humboldt PostDoc Fellowship - Prestigious German fellowship for international researchers
• MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Union mobility fellowships
• DAAD PRIME Fellowship - Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience

German Foundations

• Walter Benjamin Programme (DFG) - Takes approximately 6 months for processing
• Daimler Benz Stiftung - Postdoctoral scholarships
• Fritz Thyssen Foundation - ⚠️ Currently paused
• Fonds der Chemischen Industrie - Liebig Scholarship - For chemistry-related research

Local/Regional

• Jena Excellence Fellowship - University of Jena program
• FSU Scholarships for Female PostDocs - Gender-specific funding
• Helmholtz Visiting Researcher - Visiting positions

PhD Fellowships

Industry Fellowships

• Meta PhD Fellowship - Technology and AI research
• Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship - Computing and technology
• IBM PhD Fellowship - Technology and research

Mixed Programs

• Evonik Foundation Scholarships - Supports Master's, PhD, and travel

Project Grants

Specialized Foundations

• Andrea von Braun Foundation - Supports interdisciplinary, sustainable, and practically implementable projects
• Klaus Tschira Boost Fund - Up to €80,000, check applications in spring
• DECHEMA e.V. Research Grant - Up to €10,000 per year

Regional Funding

• Thüringer Aufbaubank - Regional development funding
• FCI - Additional project funding option

Awards and Recognition

• Die Junge Akademie - Young academy membership
• CAS Future Leaders - For PhD students and postdocs in chemistry

Travel Grants

• G Research Travel Grant - Conference and research travel support
• IMPULSE Conferences - Supporting conference travel for PhD students and postdocs

Computational Resources

HPC Access

• Gauss Centre - High-performance computing resources