Research in Germany: Open Study/Research Award

If you are a US PhD student the Open Study/Research Grant facilitates your access to science and research at German universities or pertinent non-university institutions, or scientific archives. The grant will help you to further develop your doctoral project, to gain important skills for successful intercultural team work, to acquire additional scientific working methods, and to expand your international research networks. The six to ten-month scholarship usually starts in mid-September and requires formal matriculation at a German university.

US students who are enrolled in a PhD program at a US university. They have a consistent and focused plan for the intended study or research project, which must be directly related to the doctoral thesis, and they possess the German language skills to be able to fully perform the project.

Fulbright Germany strives to embed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) in all aspects of its work. Applications are open to all individuals regardless of their race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity.

• US citizenship; applicants with US-German dual citizenship are not eligible
• A high level of academic achievement
• A meaningful letter of invitation from the intended German host institution
• Demonstrated willingness to actively engage in academic and cultural exchange between Germany and the US through shared interests and joint activities

Full maintenance grant:

• Stipend of currently Euro 1.200/month  
• Health insurance
• One-time international travel allowance  
• Other benefits include a semester incidental allowance, a monthly family allowance for grantees accompanied by their spouse and/or family, participation in Fulbright orientation meeting, the administrative support through Fulbright Germany, and access to the international network of Fulbright grantees and alumnae:i

Travel-only grant:
Travel only grant status refers to candidates funded from non-Fulbright resources, for instance through award benefits provided by the Germanistic Society of America (administered by the Institute of International Education, see below) or through scholarships provided within the framework of German-American university partnerships. In such cases, Fulbright Germany´s grant benefits are limited to international travel, participation in orientation/mid-year meetings, and administrative support.

The application cycle usually opens in April and ends in October. During this time the Institute of International Education (IIE) through which US students must submit their Fulbright application publishes the respective current application guidelines.  For preliminary guidance about the Open Study/Research Grant in Germany, you might want to check here.

If you are enrolled at a US university we recommend to consult your university´s Fulbright Program Advisor.

Applications must be prepared in the spring/summer preceding the year in which the scholarship is due to begin. For example, the application for a Fulbright grant in the academic year 2026-27 (begins September 2026) must be submitted in October 2025. If you are interested to apply make sure to get in touch with your Fulbright Program Advisor well in advance.

All applications will be reviewed by special selection committees, with the final assessment made by a selection panel in Germany. All grant nominations are made after the completion of the award competition and depending on funds available.

Please note Fulbright Germany’s data protection declaration.

American Programs
Fulbright Germany
Lützowufer 26
10787 Berlin
Germany

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