Else Kröner Memorialstipendien 2026

Scientific work also presents particular challenges and problems for doctors at university institutions. One of these is that the demands of clinical work at the beginning of a professional career do not allow for any continuous research time to concentrate on a scientific research project.

The Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung aims to support particularly talented and motivated doctors working in clinical and scientific fields at the beginning of their careers by granting them a two-year leave of absence from clinical duties to significantly advance a particularly promising medical research project. The aim is to lay the foundation for scientific independence and a career as a clinician scientist.

To this end, the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung generally awards up to six individual scholarships with a duration of two years to young physicians in further training in all fields of medicine. The scholarship is endowed with a total of €250,000 and is primarily intended to finance the recipient's own position (gross annual salary) during the leave of absence.

Applicants are expected to submit an application that demonstrates the scientific significance and quality of the research project and highlights the applicant's previous scientific achievements and potential for a successful academic career.

Applicants must be doctors with a PhD who are in further training at university hospitals or other research institutions with patient care responsibilities in Germany. Applications from individuals who have completed their specialist training (at the time of submitting the application outline) are not eligible; for this, we refer to the Else Kröner Excellence Scholarship funding line, which is advertised by the foundation in the second quarter of each calendar year. During the scholarship, a maximum of 10% of working time may be spent on clinical activities related to clinical research.

The application process is a single-stage process: Applications can be submitted by email to antrag-wissenschaft@ekfs.de until February 25, 2026; information on how to apply can be found in the download area at the bottom of the call for applications page. After review and recommendation by the foundation's scientific committee, the foundation board is expected to make a decision in May 2026.