German Chancellor Fellowship

Q: Can I get the fellowship before the completion of Bachelors (or equivalent) degree?

Ans: You can apply only if the date of your Graduation is before October 01 of the year of application.

Q: I have previously spent time in Germany, can I apply for this fellowship?

Ans: Only if you have been to Germany for less than 6 months at the time of the application deadline (October 15). If you are staying in another country for a longer period of time and belong to the eligible countries.

Q: If I have a degree in English or German at the university level, do I need to appear for the language tests?

Ans: If your expertise is documented in your certificate, then you do not have to appear for the exams.

Q: What are the advantages of networking with German Chancellor fellows?

Ans: The advantages of creating a network with the fellows from the same year group are:Participation in networking activities providing the candidate to organize small network designs with peer groups.The applicant will be able to participate in joint events of personal and professional exchange of culture with their fellow applicants.This will also boost their acclimatization with the German culture as well and will open the route towards working in Germany for the long term.Expenses of travel and total cost of private health insurance are provided.

German Chancellor Fellowship is an opportunity for selective students to work on their research projects and contribute towards the development of society and their countries. Eligible students get a chance to conduct research with a host university in Germany and execute their area of expertise.

Applications for German Chancellor Fellowship 2023 will be accepted till October 15, 2023.
Recipients get an opportunity to work on an individual project for upto 12 months starting from October.
Up to 60 German Chancellor Fellowship (10 per country) are awarded every year.
Offers an intensive course of the German language (July to September) in the city of Bonn for 3 months along with other alternatives.
Institution of the host will receive a monthly subsidy of EUR 500 for any requirement of the project.
Deliberations or evaluations of the applications will be conducted in 2022 only. The committee will make decisions in the month of April.

Want to know the benefits of German Chancellor Fellowship? Click Here.

Highlights

Scholarship Type	Merit-Based
Offered by	Government bodies
Organization	Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Application Deadline	Oct 15 ,2023
Number of Scholarships	60
Amount	Variable Amount
Renewability	No
International Student Eligible	Yes
Scholarship Website Link	https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/apply/sponsorship-programmes/german-chancellor-fellowship

Eligibility Criteria

Eigibility Criteria for Applicants

The German Chancellor Fellowship programme finances people from any industry, as long as they have a desire to work on a self-sustaining project together with a host they want in Germany. However, there are certain eligibility criteria to get selected for the fellowship. We’ve made a tally for your help here:

Eligible Nationalities: India, China, Brazil, Russia, South Africa or the USA.
Academic Interest: Work in a field such as politics, media, business, society, culture or administration.
Academic Qualification: Undergraduate degree in a relevant academic field.
Experience & Skills: Demonstration of leadership in some capacity.
Language Requirements: English or/ and German language proficiency. Check: Language scores to study in Germany.

Note: For the last few years, 25-30% of the applicants have received the fellowships.

Eligibility for German Chancellor Fellowship Host

Someone who works in a private or public sector in Germany can help as a German chancellor fellowship host. Some other requirements for the Host are:

Host institution or the advisor need to accept the fellows with travel and accommodation facilities in Germany.
A host needs to confirm that the applicant receives a recommendation letter for their application.
Host needs to provide the applicant with a well-deserved position.
In return, the host will become a part of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and will be able to avail the advantages of the sponsorship even after the end of that particular project.

Application Process

The application timeline for the German Chancellor Fellowship is March 15 to October 15 of every year. Candidates who establish their eligibility must apply for the fellowship within this period only. The candidate must submit the necessary documents for the application online to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation only.

Documents Required

Letter of Motivation: In this letter, the applicant needs to describe what kind of leadership experience they have, what motivates them and what are their future plans and goals.
Plan of Project: The applicant has to make a structure of the project that they have discussed with their host before applying. They will have to define the pros of their project. They will also have to explain what are their plans to make a connection between their home country and Germany in the future.
Extensive Statement: A statement needs to be provided where the host from Germany has agreed to mentor the candidate.
Letter of Recommendation: At least 2 letters of recommendation are required from individuals that give clear information about their academic, personal and professional background.

Wondering where to submit documents? The online application for German Chancellor Fellowship will include where the applicants can upload the statement and recommendation letters. While applicants are required to submit the statement themselves, they must forward the link to their respective referees for recommendations. A confirmation mail is sent once all the asked documents are received by the authorities.

Selection Process

Since the deadline for the German Chancellor Fellowship is October 15, the applications are evaluated post that. The selection process is coducted in April (of the following year) and take place in two rounds: Shortlisting of Candidates (based on documents) and Interview of shortlisted candidates. The details of both the rounds are mentioned below:

Round I:

Shortlisting takes place primarily on the basis of their academic merit. Other factors taken into account while selecting recipients are:

Knowledge and potential to successfully complete the ongoing research project.
Leadership skills and prior professional/field experience
Potential to promote connections between Germany and (applicant’s) origin country.

Round II:

Shortlisted candidates are invited for an interview session in their respective countries. The interview comprises a group discussion and a personal interview. While the GD round focuses on the general topics, the PI round focuses on the applicant’s personality, knowledge and approach towards their respective research projects.

Grant Details

German Chancellor Fellowship Benefits

Unlike most of the scholarships in Germany for international students, the German Chancellor Fellowship allows the applicant to visit Germany for 1 year and implement their self-developed project idea. Here’s a glance at the offerings of the project:

Fellowship Grant: EUR 2,170 (1.8 Lakhs), EUR 2,470 (2.3 Lakhs) or EUR 2,770 (2.4 Lakhs) per month, based on the level of career and training.
German Language Course: An intensive language and the fundings for German courses during the fellowship.
Accommodation Expenses: Finances for the applicant’s stay in Germany.
Family Allowance (per month): Funding for family of up to
- EUR 346 (INR 30,000)for spouse
- EUR 289 (INR 25,000)for the stay of their child.
Europe allowance is offered if a stay is required at an institute in another European country for 1 or 2 months if required for the success of the project they are working on. Not applicable for home visit.
Work Study Tour: An excellent opportunity of meeting German organizations of business by taking part in a 2-week study tour through Germany.
Sponsorship of extensive alumni will be provided to strengthen the knot of the applicant with their host institute in Germany throughout their whole professional career.

Due to the abundance of all the resources along with working in a profitable environment, the German Chancellor Fellowship stands with glory as a boon for the bright international aspirants.

FAQs

Ques. Can I get the fellowship before the completion of Bachelors (or equivalent) degree?

Ans: You can apply only if the date of your Graduation is before October 01 of the year of application.

Ques. I have previously spent time in Germany, can I apply for this fellowship?

Ans: Only if you have been to Germany for less than 6 months at the time of the application deadline (October 15). If you are staying in another country for a longer period of time and belong to the eligible countries.

Ques. If I have a degree in English or German at the university level, do I need to appear for the language tests?

Ans: If your expertise is documented in your certificate, then you do not have to appear for the exams.

Ques. What are the advantages of networking with German Chancellor fellows?

Ans: The advantages of creating a network with the fellows from the same year group are:

Participation in networking activities providing the candidate to organize small network designs with peer groups.
The applicant will be able to participate in joint events of personal and professional exchange of culture with their fellow applicants.
This will also boost their acclimatization with the German culture as well and will open the route towards working in Germany for the long term.
Expenses of travel and total cost of private health insurance are provided.