Humboldt Research Professorship
Offered by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
The Humboldt Research Professorship is an institutional nomination award for outstanding international researchers whose work promises further major breakthroughs. It supports a research move to Germany with an eligible German university as nominating host.
- Deadline
- 16 November 202633 days left
- Who can apply
- A university in Germany submits the nomination through its rector or president, optionally jointly with a German non-university research institution. The nominee must be an outstanding researcher established abroad and eligible for appointment as a professor in Germany.
- Last verified
- Checked today at the official source
Opportunity overview
The Humboldt Research Professorship is an institutional nomination award for outstanding international researchers whose work promises further major breakthroughs. It supports a research move to Germany with an eligible German university as nominating host. Funding is normally €1.5 million for theoretical research or €3 million for experimental research, available over five years. Two career-level tracks are offered. The nominee’s residence, employment and professorial-appointment conditions must be met; the current nomination deadline is 16 November 2026.
Who can apply
A university in Germany submits the nomination through its rector or president, optionally jointly with a German non-university research institution. The nominee must be an outstanding researcher established abroad and eligible for appointment as a professor in Germany.
Individual researchers cannot apply directly. A German university nominates through its rector/president; non-university research institutions can nominate jointly with an eligible German university. The proposal must set out the institution’s research strategy, the candidate’s integration and the resources and long-term academic position offered. The nominee must be an exceptionally accomplished international research leader established abroad and formally eligible for appointment as a professor in Germany. There are two career-level tracks: within 18 years of the doctorate, and later career stages. The nominee must have lived/worked predominantly outside Germany for at least five years and must have no current or already-agreed future employment relationship in Germany at selection. Close personal or family relationships between nominator and nominee exclude the nomination. Both must comply with scientific-integrity rules and the programme’s detailed nomination conditions.
Check the provider’s complete eligibility and country rulesBenefits and funding
How to apply
- The German university’s authorised nominator should use the official online nomination form and provide the institution’s strategy, appointment plan and required candidate/support documents. Submit by 16 November 2026; check the official nominator instructions for the closing time.
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