The Daimler and Benz Foundation offers awards a total of twelve scholarships to postdoc researchers in a position of leadership and to junior professors. The funding, which amounts to € 50,000 per scholarship for a period of two years, can be used at their own discretion for research trips, participation in conferences, organization of their own conferences, temporary involvement of academic assistants, for computers, laboratory equipment, and special chemicals – but not for covering their own living expenses. The deadline for applications is September 30, 2026.
Applications, in German or English, must be complete, i.e. including the confidential letters of recommendation (see below), and must be received via the online application portal (www.daimler-benz-stiftung.de) by September 30, 2026 (11:59 p.m.). The Foundation does not provide a template for applications, but the margins must be at least 2 cm wide and a clearly legible font size (at least 11 pt Arial) must be chosen. Applications with a smaller font size (especially in illustrations or charts) will not be taken into consideration.
Please submit the following documents for your application:
a) Proof of affiliation with an institute for the entire scholarship period, e.g. confirmation from the head of the institute or its administrative office (in the event of a positive decision by the Foundation, the scholarship period can commence no earlier than March 1, 2027; in this case, proof of institutional affiliation would have to cover the period up to February 28, 2029);
b) Title and description of the research project for the specialist reviewers, including information on the intended methodology (maximum four A4 pages; references may be added on subsequent pages);
c) Title and brief description of the research project in readily comprehensible form for the non-specialist reviewers; this text should be formulated in such a way that a reader without specialized knowledge can understand the scientific and, if applicable, societal relevance of the research project (one A4 page; no references);
d) A rough time schedule for the project (one A4 page),
e) Indication of the planned use of the grant, in tabular form (one A4 page);
f) Curriculum vitae with academic career, in tabular form (including publications, scholarships, awards, third-party funding already received, achievements in the field of academic communication);
g) Copies of the applicant’s Master’s certificate and doctoral certificate (provisional certificates will not be accepted; in the case of foreign certificates, please include a certified German or English translation);
h) Two confidential letters of recommendation, which include statements relating to both the applicant himself/herself and the project applied for. The Foundation makes no specifications concerning the choice of referees for these letters of recommendation, although the two referees should not be from the same academic institution; it is also advisable that one of these letters be from the institution where the applicant is currently working or intends to undertake research. The letters of recommendation must be printed on the official letterheads of the institutions at which the referees are active. Informal or unsigned letters of recommendation will not be considered and will lead to the applicant’s disqualification.
For details, visit https://www.daimler-benz-stiftung.de/uploads/2026/06/DBS-2026-Ausschreibung_PostDoc-2027_en.pdf