ERS - Theodore von Kármán Fellowship – visiting scholars program for incoming international researchers
The Exploratory Research Space (ERS) and the International Office invite applications for their Theodore von Kármán Fellowship to support research stays of internationally recognized researchers in 2027. The aim of this funding program is to establish new collaborations and promote international exchange and interdisciplinary dialogue at RWTH Aachen University. Existing, established contacts are not funded by the program.
General conditions
The duration of the research stays can range from at least one full working week to two months. During their stay, guests can be involved in existing projects or generate and develop new research ideas in collaboration with RWTH professors. The research projects should be interdisciplinary, i.e. several faculties are actively involved in the implementation of the project and hosting the guest. In addition, each applying chair describes its involvement in a separate paragraph signed by the applicant.
Funding
ERS funding can be used to cover travel expenses, accommodation costs (e.g. at the RWTH guesthouse or comparable price category), workshops and other events. If you are planning a joint publication, please indicate the expected costs in the proposal. Up to a maximum of one year after completion of the project, you can then receive 50% of the publication costs upon proof of publication. The visiting fellow’s research stay may start in January 2027 and must be completed and all expenses be paid by December 31, 2027. The budget for the Kármán Fellowships is provided by the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Länder and aims for an equal distribution of funds between researchers of all genders. The total budget for all new Kármán Fellowships (incoming and outgoing) is at most 60.000 €. Only RWTH researchers are eligible to apply for the fellowship. Proposals that are not submitted by RWTH applicants will not be considered.
Eligibility criteria
• Interdisciplinarity: at least two RWTH professors from different faculties jointly invite and mentor the guest during the stay.
• Scientific reputation of the visiting scholar. • Newness of the cooperation
• Subsidiarity: no other sources of external or internal funding exist. During the visit, the fellow is supposed to: 1. Give a talk, to which the whole RWTH community will be invited. In this talk, the fellow should also present their home university.
2. Hold a lecture and be available for interested students.
The proposal (in pdf format) may be up to 4 pages long and can be written in English or German. It must contain:
1. Names of the inviting and responsible RWTH professors and their respective institutes
2. A short summary outlining the motivation to invite the international researcher
3. Confirmation, that the exchange will establish a new cooperation
4. Signed description of the participation of each individual chair
5. A short CV of the visiting scientist including the five most important accomplishments
6. A short and generally understandable description of the research topics and planned activities for the stay (including talk and lecture of visiting scholar)
7. A budget plan (please note that VAT is due for all payments made to accounts outside Germany; daily rates may be covered, but only up to a maximum of 25%)
8. The planned time period for the stay
Please note: Proposals that do not comply with the formal criteria will be excluded from the reviewing process.
Deadline
Please submit your application by September 15, 2026 through our online submission platform at http://portal.ers.rwth-aachen.de, call "Theodore von Kármán Fellowship - incomings 2027". All applications will be assessed by the enlarged ERS steering committee.