Fulbright Scholarships: Doctoral Program
Are you working on your dissertation and interested in further deepening your research in your doctoral topic at a U.S. university or another academic institution in the United States? Fulbright Germany offers you the opportunity to do so through a four- to six-month research fellowship.
Applicants must be pursuing a doctorate at a higher education institution (university or university of applied sciences authorized to grant doctoral degrees). After completing the fellowship, doctoral candidates will finish their dissertation at their home institution.
Requirements (among others):
Applicants must be German citizens*.
They must be willing to promote German-American understanding (particularly to strengthen transatlantic academic relations).
At the time of application, applicants must have completed a university degree (Diplom, Magister, Erstes Staatsexamen, Master’s) and be pursuing a doctoral degree at a university or university of applied sciences authorized to award doctoral degrees. The planned U.S. research project must be directly related to the dissertation project and must be feasible to complete within the intended funding period.
To apply, applicants must submit an official written invitation from the intended (accredited) U.S. host institution, which must address the implementation and supervision of the research project.
Notes on the Fields of Law and Medicine
Specialized training and research projects in the field of human medicine. For visa-related reasons, applicants from the field of medicine (human, dental, and veterinary medicine) may only be considered for research projects in related fields within the natural or health sciences (e.g., immunology, virology, public health). The host institution must confirm in writing that the research stay does not involve the treatment of patients or comparable interaction with patients. Applicants must be able to provide proof of having passed the Second State Examination at the time of the scholarship application.
The 2027–28 doctoral program is currently open for applications, with a deadline of October 7, 2026. For more information, please visit:
German-American Fulbright Commission: Program | German-American Fulbright Commission