Extending the Humboldt fellowships
Germany's Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers supports outstanding international applicants, having a recent PhD, to conduct research in Germany. Studies have no restrictions regarding topic and may be undertaken at any German university, while placements last between six and 24 months. The EU boosted the scheme by funding the 'Boosting research and integration in Europe through Humboldt fellowships' (B.R.I.G.H.T) project. This EU co-funding increased the total number of fellowships and provided larger amounts to each applicant, while also offering expanded benefits for recipients accompanied by families. The project ran from November 2009 to October 2013. B.R.I.G.H.T was intended to provide 145 additional fellowships over its 4-year duration. However, given that fewer than expected candidates needed the family support, the project was able to offer 165 places in total within the same budget. The benefit of projects such as B.R.I.G.H.T is that bringing together talented researchers means shared expertise and enhanced research skills. The mixing leads to higher quality European research.
Keywords
Humboldt fellowship, postdoctoral research, fellowship scheme
