Programme Information

Capes-Humboldt Research Fellowships

for post-doctoral researchers

In providing Capes-Humboldt Research Fellowships for postdoctoral researchers, the Alexander

von Humboldt Foundation and Capes (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível
Superior) enable highly-qualified scientists and scholars from Brazil who are just embarking on
their academic careers and who completed their doctorates less than four years ago1 to spend
extended periods of research (6-24 months) in Germany. Scientists and scholars from all
disciplines may apply.

The research outline is carried out in cooperation with academic hosts at research institutions in
Germany. Applicants choose their own topic of research and their host in Germany. Details of the
research outline including information on the intended duration of the fellowship must be agreed
with the intended host before applying. The duration of the research fellowship is 6-24 months.
Short-term visits for study and training purposes or for attending conferences are not eligible for
sponsorship.

Candidates are selected solely on the basis of the evaluation of their academic qualification. There
are no quotas for individual disciplines. A candidate’s academic qualification is assessed on the
basis of the following criteria:
- academic record and academic performance to date (mobility, determination, breadth of
research activities, academic productivity)
- quality of key publications specified in the application (originality, degree of innovation,
applicant’s contribution in cases of multiple authorship)
- originality and innovation potential of the suggested research outline (significance for the
advancement of the discipline, convincing choice of academic methods, prospects for
academic development of the applicant, clear focus and feasibility of realization within the
requested funding period and at the chosen host institution)
- the applicant’s future potential (academic potential, further academic development, career
prospects)

Applications are assessed on the basis of independent peer reviews requested by Capes and the
Humboldt Foundation. The final decision is taken by a committee composed of academics from all
disciplines in the framework of the funding available.

Fellowship specifications

The fellowship is worth 2,600 EUR per month. Capes will pay 2,100 EUR of the monthly fellowship
rate for postdoctoral researchers, as well as a subsidy towards the cost of medical insurance, an
initial lump sum and a subsidy towards mobility from and to Brazil. The Humboldt Foundation will
pay the remaining difference to the fellowship amount of 2,600 EUR including a mobility lump sum
amounting to 100 EUR per month.

1
Researchers who completed their doctorates less than twelve years ago may apply for a “Capes-Humboldt Research
Fellowships experienced researchers”.

as of July 2017
Additional benefits for research fellows:

- language fellowship for an intensive language course lasting two to four months at selected
language institutes in Germany immediately prior to the actual period of research; language
fellowships may also be granted to accompanying marital partners;
- family allowances for accompanying family members staying at least three months (monthly
allowance: up to 326 EUR for marital partners and up to 240 EUR for each child);
- for single parents: flat-rate allowance for accompanying children (under the age of 18) for
stays of at least three months (400 EUR per month for the first child and 100 EUR per month
for every additional child);
- additional extension of the fellowship up to 12 months for research fellows accompanied by
children under the age of 12;
- a subsidy towards research costs to be paid to the hosts in Germany amounting to 800 EUR
per month (for research in the natural sciences and engineering) and 500 EUR (for research in
the humanities and social sciences);
- Europe allowance for a research stay at a research institute in another European country; for
a designated period in the course of the fellowship if necessary to ensure the success of the
research;
- extensive alumni sponsorship once a successful research stay has come to an end,
especially for maintaining contacts with collaborative partners in Germany during the
Humboldtian’s entire academic career.

Application requirements

1. Doctorate in Brazil or abroad with an official revalidation in Brazil completed less than four (4)
years prior to the date of application. PhD diplomas and, for diplomas obtained abroad, also the
revalidation in Brazil, must be submitted with the application to both organizations.
2. Academic publications reviewed according to international standards and printed in journals
and/or by publishing houses.
3. Confirmation that research facilities are available and mentoring agreement and a
detailed expert’s statement by an academic host at a research institution in Germany.
4. Necessary language skills: humanities or social sciences and medicine: good knowledge of
German if it is necessary to carry out the research successfully; otherwise a good knowledge of
English; natural sciences and engineering: good knowledge of German or English.
5. Brazilian nationality or permanent residence visa in Brazil. Potential applicants of German
nationality are eligible to apply provided that their habitual place of work and residence has been
located in Brazil on the assumption of permanence for at least five years.
6. Eligible applicants must have lived outside Germany for a minimum of 12 months in total in
the 18-month period prior to submission of the application.
7. Applicants must reside in Brazil at the time of application.
8. Identical applications have to be submitted to the Humboldt Foundation’s and Capes
online systems in time; Capes may request additional documents from the applicants (see
Capes homepage for details). If the application is only submitted to one of the two organizations,
it will be formally rejected.

Academics who have already been sponsored by the Humboldt Foundation are not eligible to
apply for the Capes-Humboldt Research Fellowship Programme but should turn to the
Foundation’s Alumni Programme for support for further research stays.

as of July 2017
Application procedure

Identical applications, including all the necessary additional documents, have to be submitted online
to Capes and the Humboldt Foundation according to the deadlines in the table below.

Visit the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s website https://www.humboldt-

foundation.de/web/capes-humboldt-fellowship.html and Capes’ website http://www.capes.gov.br/
cooperacao-internacional/alemanha/humboldt for further information on the online application process
and all necessary documents as well as access to the online application system for each
organization.

All applicants must comply with all rules of both Capes and the Humboldt Foundation.

Applications can be submitted as follows (until 11.59 p.m. Brasília time):

Selection Registration Result Start of fellowship or

process language course

Call 12 1 August 2017 – until September 2018 –

30 November 2017 25 May 2018 May 2019

Call 13 1 December 2017 – until March 2019 –

31 May 2018 25 November 2018 November 2019

Call 14 1 June 2018 – until September 2019 –

30 November 2018 25 May 2019 May 2020

Call 15 3 December 2018 – until March 2020 –

31 May 2019 25 November 2019 November 2020

Call 16 3 June 2019 – until September 2020 –

29 November 2019 25 May 2020 May 2021

Call 17 2 December 2019 – until March 2021 –

29 May 2020 25 November 2020 November 2021

Capes and the Humboldt Foundation will confirm receipt of the application. It is the applicant’s
responsibility to ensure that he or she has submitted identical and complete application documents
to both organizations. Incomplete applications will be excluded from the selection procedure.

The application documents will then usually be forwarded to independent reviewers appointed by
Capes and the Humboldt Foundation for written review. On the basis of these independent peer
reviews a selection committee composed of about 12 academics reaches a decision on approving
research fellowships. The selection committee meets twice a year, in spring and in autumn.

If an application has been approved,

a) the fellow will be asked to fill in a link at Capes system and send additional documents to
be able to receive benefits of the scholarship;
as of July 2017
 b) the fellow arriving from Brazil may start the fellowship as indicated in the table above.
Otherwise the fellowship will be forfeited.

Applicants who have been rejected may submit a revised application provided that fundamental
aspects of the original application have been significantly improved. The committee will determine if it
has been significantly improved. In the case of unanimously rejected applications, a new application
will be accepted only after 3 calls.

The Humboldt Foundation assumes that candidates will abide the Rules of Good Scientific Practice
and the legally binding principles of scientific ethics during the application and sponsorship periods.
For further information on this, please refer to section D of the Guidelines and Information for
Research Fellows, which also include further details pertaining to the fellowship and to the research
stay.

as of July 2017