The Heilbronn AI Fellowship, supported through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and research institutions on the Heilbronn campus, offers international AI researchers the opportunity to conduct research in one of Germany’s emerging technology hubs.

The fellowship supports research stays of 1 to 12 months and is designed for advanced researchers approaching or recently completing their PhD.

The Heilbronn AI Fellowship brings international research talent to Heilbronn, Germany, where researchers can work with academic and research institutions connected to the campus.

The fellowship is particularly suited to researchers working on high-impact Artificial Intelligence research who want international research exposure and collaboration with German institutions.

Rather than being a conventional degree scholarship, this is a research-stay fellowship.

The fellowship supports research stays ranging from:

1 month → 12 months

This gives researchers flexibility depending on their research project, host arrangement and intended research period.

The headline benefit is a €2,800 monthly fellowship payment.

Additional support can include:

• Health insurance
• Accident insurance
• Personal liability insurance
• International travel allowance
• Potential family-related benefits for eligible applicants
• Potential disability-related support where applicable

This makes the fellowship substantially more comprehensive than a simple monthly research stipend.

Important Funding Note

The €2,800/month should be treated as a fellowship stipend/living allowance, not a conventional employment salary.

Applicants should also check which personal expenses are not covered by the fellowship before planning their research stay.

If you’re still completing your PhD, this isn’t aimed at applicants who are just beginning their doctorate.

The program targets candidates who are in the final year before their dissertation defense.

Recent PhD graduates can also apply.

The doctorate generally needs to have been completed within the previous five years, subject to the current DAAD eligibility rules.

One of the most important eligibility filters is the residency requirement.

Applicants must have been continuously residing outside Germany for the required 15-month period immediately preceding the application deadline.

This means someone who is already living in Germany may not qualify simply because they are an international researcher.

Yes.

Applicants need to jointly develop their research proposal with an eligible host institution on the Bildungscampus Heilbronn.

Potential host institutions can include participating research and academic institutions such as:

• TUM Campus Heilbronn
• Heilbronn University
• Fraunhofer HNFIZ

The exact list of eligible hosts and research areas should be checked against the current DAAD call.

No specific age limit is stated as the primary eligibility criterion.

The fellowship instead uses career stage, PhD timing and research experience to determine eligibility.

Yes — there is no application fee.

Applications should be submitted through the official DAAD scholarship portal.

Be cautious of third parties charging administrative fees or claiming they can guarantee DAAD fellowship selection.

The opportunity accepts applications through the DAAD portal, with eligibility and timing tied to the intended research start date and the relevant call conditions.

Because research fellowships can have specific submission timelines, applicants should check the current DAAD listing well before their planned research stay.

€2,800/month + insurance + travel support + up to 12 months of AI research in Germany makes the Heilbronn AI Fellowship a particularly interesting option for researchers approaching the end of their PhD or in the early postdoctoral stage.

But don’t wait until you have everything ready to check eligibility — the host-institution requirement and 15-month Germany residency rule can determine whether you’re eligible in the first place.

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