The sole purpose of the Foundation is the direct support of research and scholarship at universities and non-profit research institutions, primarily in Germany, with special emphasis on the support of young academics. The support of international cooperation is also one of the aims of the Foundation. These aims are reached through the support of specific projects which can be completed in a limited and predictable period of time in areas which have been selected by the Foundation. The projects to be supported must lie within the financial possibilities of the Foundation.

The stipends offered by the Foundation are awarded to young scholars and researchers with a doctoral degree, normally within a year or two following completion of the doctorate. Stipends for students working towards a doctorate or a habilitation are not available.

Applications can only be submitted from a university or other non-profit research institution. Applicants for research stipends must have completed the doctorate with a disputation or an oral examination.

Applications should be organized as follows:

• Application form (original form, signed)
• Curriculum vitae in tabular form
• Full description of the research project (goal of project, present state of research, preparatory work carried out by the applicant, planned method of proceeding, time schedule, research associates, publications on the topic)
• Confirmation of the possibilities of working in the research institute of choice
• If relevant, budget for costs such as planned stays abroad

Applicants for support in the area of biomedical research should refer to the special leaflet entitled "Molecular Basis of the Genesis of Disease".

Deadlines for Applications:
Applications for stipends can be submitted to the Foundation at any time. Normally six to eight weeks are required to process applications.

The stipend is given for a project arising from the applicant´s own initiative, and should not be subject to directives. The project must be carried out at a university or a research institution, and should contribute to the further education of the applicant.

The stipend does not involve a work-relationship with the Foundation, nor is the stipend-holder obligated to provide any particular scholarly work in return. But the stipend is given with the expectation that the recipient will devote all his or her efforts to the chosen project.

The recipient of a stipend is not subject to compulsory social welfare insurance. Before making use of the stipend, the recipient must prove that he or she has adequate health insurance. 

The stipend is tax-free under the conditions of Par. 3, 44 EstG (income tax law). In doubtful cases a binding decision will be made by the tax office responsible for the stipend holder.

It is assumed that the recipient will publish the results of his or her work. However, in awarding the stipend the Foundation accepts no responsibility for providing financial support for such a publication. In exceptional cases it is possible to submit an application for a subsidy towards printing costs, should such help be necessary and not available from other sources.

The stipend is made up of a basic payment and payments for additional costs.

Basic payment

The basic payment, which is not dependant on age, is € 1,700 monthly. Income from secondary academic work of not more than € 500,- per month play no part in the calculation of the basic payment. In exceptional cases, the basic payment can be set at a different level.

"Kindergeld" (child-benefit supplement) is not included in the stipends but can, in cases where the applicant is normally resident in Germany, be applied for at the responsible "Arbeitsamt" at the stipend-holder´s place of residence. The "Arbeitsamt" is also responsible for stipend-holders normally resident in Germany who will use their stipends abroad; the office to which they should apply is the one in the district in which they maintain their normal residence during their stay abroad.

The Foundation can provide no financial help in the case of illness or accident. The recipient of a stipend is therefore strongly advised to continue payments on an existing insurance policy; if the stipend holder (and/or husband or wife) has no medical insurance or is not adequately covered by the "Beihilfe" paid by the institution from which he or she comes, then a health insurance policy must be acquired. Before making use of the stipend, the recipient must prove that he or she has adequate health insurance.

If a stipend-holder has no adequate health insurance to cover the period of the stay abroad, it is expected that he or she will acquire the necessary insurance policy to cover this period.

Additional Payments

To cover material and book costs, as well as extra travel costs (for instance, to visit other groups working on the same theme), a monthly lump sum of € 100,-can be granted. Costs covered by this payment must be directly related to the work for which the stipend was awarded. Beyond this, particularly high costs (for instance, substantial course fees) can be taken into account only if applied for in advance.

A subsidy for the costs of travel to the place where the research is to be carried out can be granted; this subsidy can cover, but not exceed, the actual costs, using second class train fares and economy flights. Reduced prices and cheap flights should be made use of wherever possible.

An application for a monthly subsidy of up to about € 200,- can be made in particular cases, where evidence can be presented that continuing financial commitments are unavoidable (for instance, for rent, when the stipend holder is not accompanied by his family to his temporary place of work). Saving schemes (for instance life insurance or building society savings plans) cannot be subsidized.

The Foundation pays supplements to cover the higher costs of living abroad. The amount of the supplemet varies from land to land, and is set by the Foundation.

Application can be made for an additional payment to cover the costs of child care for children not older than 12 years.

Partial stipends (at least 50%) can be awarded in order to give the recipient not only the possibility of carrying out their scholarly or scientific activities, but also of looking after their children. The period during which the stipend is paid is correspondingly prolonged.

The recipient of a stipend is not obligated to deliver any particular research work in return, nor is he subject in his work to directives from others. The Foundation assumes, however, that in accepting the stipend, the stipend-holder agrees to use the funds for the purposes applied for, to devote his full efforts to his research project, and at the end of the period of support to submit a report. The Foundation must be informed if the conditions under which the award was granted change, or if the personal or financial situation of the stipend-holder (or of their husband or wife) change, or if the project is altered or abandoned. The Foundation reserves the right to abrogate the stipend if the information in the application proves to be false or if required reports fail to be provided. The Foundation is also entitled to adjust the amount of the grant in case of altered circumstances.

The Foundation always sets out the amount of the stipend in a Letter of Grant, which is sent to every successful applicant. In the same letter the conditions governing the grant are also set forth. In accepting the stipend, the applicant agrees to the conditions governing the grant.
The stipend is awarded for a limited period of time, usually for a period of up to a year.

The stipend is paid out monthly in advance to the account named by the stipend-holder, or to a university or institute, to be forwarded to the stipend-holder. Accounts do not have to be submitted for the basic payment and the lump sum for additional costs. Other additional costs, for instance travel costs, must be accounted for.

The payment of the stipend can only begin after proof of adequate health insurance has been provided.