Funding programmes (selection)

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (AvH)

Annually the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) grants up to 600 research fellowships for scientists from all over the world to carry out research projects of their own choice in Germany, and awards up to 100 prizes for research to internationally renowned academics from abroad (each prize is allocated up to 75.000 Eur). Additionally it supports stays of German junior scientists abroad with Feodor Lynen Research Fellowships. The host has to be a former scholarship holder of the AvH. The essential pillar for the support of research since 1953 is a network of about 23 000 scientists of all disciplines in more than 130 countries.

Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures

The Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation supports projects which foster the intercultural dialogue among the 35 member countries of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, these include the EU countries, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian authorityž Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. Projects can be fostered with EUR 10.000 to EUR 35.000. In order to apply two partners from different member states of the EU have to get together with two partners from different MEDA countries to build a multilateral network.

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds supports projects aimed to research basic phenomena of human life. PhD scholarshien_mit_internationalem_bezug/info_wissenschaft_46_07.ps are granted for at least two years and can be extended for up to another twelve months. Nationality is irrelevant. European citizens are supported in Europe or overseas. Non-European citizens receive support when working in Europe.

Cooperation between BMBF, BMU, MOST and MOITAL

The bilateral cooperation between Israel and Germany is focused on natural sciences and applied technological research in the field of Biotechnology, Cancer Research, Environmental Research, IC Technoloy etc. It is sponsored primarily by two collaborative programs: Since 1973 the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in Germany and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in Israel fund projects between academic partners, whereas the BMBF and the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labour (MOITAL) support cooperations between industrial partners. More information can be found here.

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) / German Research Foundation

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is the central, self-governing research organisation which promotes research at universities and other publicly financed research institutions in Germany. The DFG finances international collaborative research centres, bilateral projects and international research cooperation and the Mercator programme for visiting professors and thus promotes international research cooperation. Since 1995 the trilateral cooperation between Germany, Israel and Palestine obtains special promotion. One of the partner organisations of the DFG is the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. It also coordinates the German Israeli Project Cooperation (DIP) as an essential pillar of bilateral cooperation

Erasmus MUNDUS

Erasmus MUNDUS is a programme run by the EU which aims to link European institutions of higher education with those in non-EU countries. 100 joint master's degree programmes and more than 5.200 grants for graduates and visiting professors from third countries as well as 4.800 bursaries for graduates and visiting lecturers from European countries support exchange of human resources. There is a budget of EUR 230 million provided for the period between 2004 and 2008. The German contact for this programme is the DAAD.

Ernst Schering Foundation

The Ernst Schering Foundation supports talented young scientists worldwide through fellowships. These fellowships are granted to doctoral and postdoctoral students who want to carry out research projects in the fields of biology, medicine and chemistry at renowned institutes in their home countries or abroad.

Fritz Thyssen Foundation

The purpose of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation is the direct support of scholarship and research in universities and non-profit research institutions, primarily in Germany, with special emphasis on giving help to young scholars and scientists. The support of international cooperation is a further important factor in the work of the Foundation. The Foundation achieves its purpose by financing specific research projects in selected areas of emphasis - projects which can be completed in predictable periods of time, and which are within the financial possibilities of the Foundation.

Gerda Henkel Foundation

The Gerda Henkel Foundation intends primarly to support science of history, archeology, history of art and other historical branches. Research projects are funded by taking over the costs of human resources, travelling, material costs etc. Applications are filed by universities, other research institutions or other comparable institutions.

German Academic Exchange Service / Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD)

The 200 and more programmes with which the DAAD pursues its goals range from short-term research or teaching exchange through to doctoral scholarships for (post)graduates. Programmes for foreigners focus on funding (post)graduates and doctoral students. Essentially, DAAD funding programmes are open for all countries of the world and for all disciplines. In some cases, the exchange frameworks and procedures have been embedded in international cultural agreements or defined in arrangements reached between the DAAD and its partner organisations abroad.

German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF)

The German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF) supports scientific and technological cooperation between Germany and Israel. It has at its disposal EUR 160 million annually, contributed in equal parts by the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (BMBF) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). GIF supports basic and applied research projects in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. Active collaboration between member institutions of the German Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK) and comparable Israeli institutions for research is a prerequisite for application.

German-Israeli Project Cooperation / Deutsch-Israelische Projektkooperation (DIP)

The The German-Israeli Project Cooperation, established as a pillar of bilateral cooperation in 1997, was coordinated by the International Bureau of the German Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (BMBF), and is now being continued by the DFG. Joint German-Israeli research projects are supported preferably if they consist in innovative and highly competitive research of larger scale. Eligible for the submission of proposals are the six universities of the State of Israel and the Weizmann Institute. Funding is complementary, the contribution by the Israeli institution and the BMBF grant for the Israeli institution should strictly match and not exceed EUR 255.000 a year.

Gottlieb Daimler- and Karl Benz-Foundation

The Gottlieb Daimler- and Karl Benz-Foundation program is open to all disciplines, subjects and countries. German students wishing to pursue a research stay abroad and foreign students intending to work in Germany in connection with their PhD may apply. The support provided by the Foundation is for a maximum period of 2 years.

Heinrich-Hertz-Foundation

The Heinrich-Hertz-Foundation is an institution of the German federal state of North-Rhine Westphalia. It fosters the international exchange of professors and other scientists, of scientific junior staff and particularly qualified students with grants for NRW applicants who intend to research abroad, as well as for foreign applicants who plan a stay in North Rhine-Westphalia for research purposes. The foundation's focus is on mathematics and natural sciences. PhD projects are not taken into consideration.

Helmholtz Association

The Helmholtz Association supports research in six areas: Energy, Earth and Environment, Health, "Key Technologies", Structure of Matter, Transport and Space. The coordinationg institution for the Israeli-German cooperation is the International Bureau of the Research Centre Jülich. Since 2004 it has been overseeing the BIO-DISC programme which funds the cooperation of Israeli and German companies in the field of biotechnology. Both countries provide EUR 3 million a year for this programme. Preferred objects of funding are so called "2+2 projects" with participation of universitary and non-universitary research institutions. Israeli contact for BIO-DISC: MATIMOP (Israeli Industry Centre for R&D); German contact: Research Centre Jülich.

Minerva Foundation

The Minerva Foundation was established after first scientific contacts between members of the Max Planck Society and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, in 1959. Its central pillars are exchanges and research cooperation between young German and Israeli scientists and researchers. The programmes, such as Minerva Fellowships, Minerva Short-term Research Grants, Minerva Schools, Minerva Gentner Symposia, and Minerva Junior Scientist Groups, are financed by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) with EUR 3,65 million a year, and the Israeli Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).

Neuberger Scholarship

The Neuberger Scholarship scholarship, in memory of the late Josef and Ilse Neuberger, was founded in cooperation with the state of Nordrhine-Westfalia, Germany, with the purpose of assisting students from Israel and Nordrhine-Westfalia. The scholarship is awarded once a year and is intended for graduate students doing research in the following subjects: history of the Jews in Germany, relationship between Jews and Germans, relationship between Israel and Germany. Applications are to be submitted to the Minerva Institute for German History including: curriculum vitae, grades list, research proposal and recommendations. For further informationen view the website of the Minerva Institute for German History or the "funding guide" of the Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf.