Career Paths for Postdocs and Experienced Professionals

There are loads of opportunities for funding your research stay with Fraunhofer. Which financier or grant is the best fit depends on your individual background, situation, and needs. Here is an overview of some of the most important ones.

DAAD - the world's largest international exchange organisation:

Research Stays for University Academics and Scientists: University teachers and established academics and scientists who have usually completed a doctoral degree and work at a university or research institute in their home country can apply.

Monthly payments:

• 2,000 euros for assistant teachers, assistant professors and lecturers,
• 2,150 euros for professors
  
• plus some other costs covered, e. g. travel costs

Funding is provided for one to three months.

DFG - the central self-governing research funding organisation in Germany:

The DFG supports international cooperation in all its funding programmes. In order to facilitate transnational research cooperation, it maintains relations with a large number of foreign partner organisations. Click here for an overview of the DFG International Cooperation approach.

The DFG Latinamerica is based in São Paulo − click here to get directly to their website!

Specifically for postdocs: The Walter Benjamin Programme enables researchers in the postdoctoral training phase to independently conduct their own research project at a location of their choice.

For vacancies in ongoing projects funded by the DFG for doctoral or post-doctoral candidate: Consult the GEPRIS platform
On the platform, it is possible to search for names of projects, people or even institutions. The submission process for vacancies is done directly through the Principal Investigator (PI) of the project and not through the DFG.

EURAXESS - Researchers in Motion:

A one-stop shop for researchers and innovators seeking to advance their careers and personal development by moving to other countries. The European commision's web portal offers job, funding and hosting opportunities, career development guidance and free tools.

Humboldt Foundation

The Fraunhofer-Bessel Research Awardis directed at internationally recognized researchers working in applied research.
The award amount is €45,000. Award winners are also invited to conduct a research project of their choice at a research institution in Germany in cooperation with specialist colleagues there. The award enables a total stay of between six months and a full year, which can be split into multiple stays. 

The Capes-Humboldt Research Fellowship is directed at Brazilian postdocs and experienced researchers and can help you finance your research at a Fraunhofer institute:  

Postdocs 

Benefit from research sponsorship in Germany at the beginning of your academic career. The Capes-Humboldt Research Fellowship for Brazilian postdoctoral researchers enables  you to conduct research in Germany. The monthly fellowship amount is €2,600. Fellowships may last from 6 to 24 months. 

Experienced researchers

You can still apply for research sponsorship in Germany even if you are already well advanced in your academic career. The Capes-Humboldt Research Fellowship for experienced Brazilian researchers enables you to conduct research in Germany. The fellowship amount is €3,100. Fellowships may last from 6 to 18 months and can be divided into up to three stays within three years.

Get to know all Fraunhofer's opportunities at our job website.

The most recent scholarships / opportunities...

... can be found on the DWIH São Paulo's website.