The Humboldt Research Fellowship by the numbers, 2021-2025 (Germany)
Competition for the Humboldt Research Fellowship tightened over the five years to 2025: applications rose from 1,847 to 2,248 while the ordinary programme's success rate fell to its lowest point in the period, 22.0%, once the separately funded 1,000-Köpfe-Plus awards are set aside [2]. The foundation says as much itself — applications "increased significantly since 2024" — and has responded by capping each call at 800 and closing it early when it fills [1].
The money is a flat monthly rate rather than a salary: EUR 3,000 a month for postdocs and EUR 3,600 for experienced researchers, plus allowances, for a stay of 6 to 24 months [1].
The rule most often misread is the mobility test. It is not "twelve months outside Germany": it is at most 90 accumulated days in Germany during the 18 months before you apply, and the foundation counts any time there "regardless of duration or reason" [1] — a conference and a holiday included.
Applications, awards and the success rate
The annual report publishes applications decided and awards granted each year. Both figures are for the whole Humboldt Research Fellowship, across both career lines.
| Year | Applications decided | Awards | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,847 | 554 | 30.0% |
| 2022 | 1,711 | 440 | 25.7% |
| 2023 | 1,711 | 466 | 27.2% |
| 2024 | 1,860 | 451 | 24.2% |
| 2025 | 2,248 | 633 | 28.2% |
Source: Jahresbericht_2025.pdf, p. 26, Table 2, Gesamt row [2]. Success rates are awards divided by applications decided; the report publishes the two counts, not the ratio.
Data for this chart
| Year | Applications | Awards | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1847 | 554 | 30.0 |
| 2022 | 1711 | 440 | 25.7 |
| 2023 | 1711 | 466 | 27.2 |
| 2024 | 1860 | 451 | 24.2 |
| 2025 | 2248 | 633 | 28.2 |
Source: the table above this figure
2025's 633 awards include 138 made under the 1,000-Köpfe-Plus programme, which the report carries in parentheses and defines separately [2]. On the ordinary programme alone 2025 awarded 495 of 2,248 — a success rate of 22.0%, below every other year in the table. The headline rise and the underlying fall are both real, and they are different statements.
Where successful applicants come from
Awards in 2025, the ten countries with the most. China and India together account for 204 of the 633 awards, roughly a third.
| Country | Applications | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| China | 382 | 120 |
| India | 376 | 84 |
| United States | 167 | 64 |
| Italy | 115 | 44 |
| Brazil∗ | 153 | 35 |
| Spain | 72 | 33 |
| France | 64 | 26 |
| United Kingdom | 75 | 26 |
| Israel | 42 | 19 |
| Canada | 35 | 15 |
Source: Jahresbericht_2025.pdf, Table 2 — Canada, United States, Brazil, France and Italy p. 23; Spain and United Kingdom p. 24; Israel, China and India p. 25 [2]. Each row carries all five years; the pair above is 2025.
∗ Includes the Capes-Humboldt Research Fellowship Programme (2022-2025), the foundation's own footnote on the same table, p. 26 [2].
Data for this chart
| Country | Applications | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| China | 382 | 120 |
| India | 376 | 84 |
| United States | 167 | 64 |
| Italy | 115 | 44 |
| Brazil | 153 | 35 |
| Spain | 72 | 33 |
| France | 64 | 26 |
| United Kingdom | 75 | 26 |
| Israel | 42 | 19 |
| Canada | 35 | 15 |
Source: the table above this figure
Which disciplines win
The report groups every field into four broad areas. The four subtotals add to the published total exactly, so these are the whole programme rather than a selection.
| Area | Applications | Awards | Share of awards | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences | 829 | 254 | 40.1% | 30.6% |
| Humanities and social sciences | 590 | 146 | 23.1% | 24.7% |
| Life sciences | 458 | 130 | 20.5% | 28.4% |
| Engineering | 371 | 103 | 16.3% | 27.8% |
Source: Jahresbericht_2025.pdf, Table 3, pp. 27-28, Summe rows [2]. 254 + 146 + 130 + 103 = 633.
Data for this chart
| Area | Awards |
|---|---|
| Natural sciences | 254 |
| Humanities and social sciences | 146 |
| Life sciences | 130 |
| Engineering | 103 |
Source: the table above this figure
Humanities and social sciences is the hardest area to win in, at 24.7%, and natural sciences the easiest at 30.6% — a spread of six points.
The two lines, and what each pays
The line you apply to is set by how long ago you finished your doctorate, not by your job title.
| Postdocs | Experienced researchers | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fellowship | EUR 3,000 plus allowances | EUR 3,600 plus allowances |
| Duration | 6 to 24 months | 6 to 18 months |
| May be split | up to three stays within three years | up to three stays within three years |
| Years since doctorate | up to 4 | up to 12 |
Source: programme page [1].
The annual report does not publish separate application or award counts for the two lines; its own list of tables splits the fellowship by country and by discipline only [2]. The figures above are therefore the two lines combined.
The host institute is funded separately: EUR 800 a month for research in the natural sciences and engineering, EUR 500 in the humanities and social sciences [1].
How the calls work
Three selection rounds a year, three calls, each opening eight months before its meeting. A call closes when it reaches 800 applications, whichever comes first [1]. An application already started can be saved, but cannot be submitted until the next round opens.
As of 27 October 2026 the current call is full and the next opens on 15 November 2026 [1].
Questions
Am I a postdoc or an experienced researcher?
Count the years since your doctorate was awarded, not your current title. Up to four years is the postdoc line; up to twelve is the experienced-researcher line [1]. If a doctorate is not possible or is uncommon in your field or country, you may apply up to 16 years after a master's or other postgraduate degree, with a publication record matching your career level [1].
How do child-rearing periods extend the window?
Recognised child-rearing periods extend the four-year and twelve-year limits by the same amount, capped at six years in total. Fathers and others responsible for raising children are credited with verifiable parenting periods [1].
How exactly are the 90 days counted?
Add up every day you were physically in Germany during the 18 months before you apply. The limit is 90 accumulated days, and the foundation counts the time "regardless of duration or reason" — so a week at a conference and a fortnight on holiday both count [1]. There is no separate twelve-month rule.
Does a conference trip count against the 90 days?
Yes. The wording is explicit that duration and reason do not matter [1]. Short visits accumulate.
When is the safest time to submit?
Early in a round. There is no deadline to work back from — the binding constraint is the 800-application cap, and once it is reached nobody can submit until the next call opens [1]. One grace provision exists: if the portal closes before you submit, the application counts as received on the closing date provided you submit it within 14 days of the next call opening [1].
How do I find a host?
The host is required before you apply: you need a confirmation from an academic host in Germany that research facilities can be made available [1]. The foundation's own figures are one way to narrow the search — its Humboldt Rankings list the German institutions most often chosen by fellows and award winners [3].
What language do I need?
Natural sciences and engineering: a good knowledge of German or English. Humanities, social sciences and medicine: German where the research requires it, otherwise English. Physicians working with patients need German with a language certificate. No certificate is required if English or German is your native language [1].
How to read this: every figure is quoted from the source linked beside it and is never recomputed; where a number is derived here, the cell says so. Totals that are this post's own arithmetic are marked as such.
Sources (3)
Sources and what is not covered
[1] Humboldt Research Fellowship — programme page. The two lines and their rates, durations, the four/twelve-year windows, the child-rearing extension and its six-year cap, the 16-year alternative route, the three rounds and the 800-application cap, the eight-month call opening, the 14-day grace provision, the 90-day/18-month mobility rule, the host confirmation, the host's EUR 800/EUR 500 research-cost allowance, the language requirements, the "increased significantly since 2024" wording and the 15 November 2026 call date. https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/apply/sponsorship-programmes/humboldt-research-fellowship — read 27 October 2026. The page is one long page with FAQ accordions, so each item is cited by its section rather than by a page number.
[2] Jahresbericht_2025.pdf (Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, annual report 2025, 99 pages). Table 2, Humboldt-Forschungsstipendien 2021 bis 2025 — Entschiedene Bewerbungen und Bewilligungen nach Ländern: title p. 23, country rows pp. 23-25, Gesamt row p. 26. Table 3, …nach Fachgebieten: title p. 27, Summe rows pp. 27-28. The 1,000-Köpfe-Plus share is the parenthesised figure in both tables, defined p. 23. The list of tables is p. 17. https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/fileadmin/Entdecken/Zahlen_und_Statistiken/Finanzen_und_Jahresberichte/Jahresbericht_2025/Jahresbericht_2025.pdf
[3] Humboldt Rankings. https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/explore/figures-and-statistics
Not covered: the annual report does not break the fellowship down by career line, by sex within this programme, or by host institution, and publishes no cut-off score, so none is given here; no comparison is made against German salary scales, which would need a non-official source.