Do you want to do AI research in Germany for up to a year? The Heilbronn AI Fellowship from DAAD pays a monthly instalment of 2800 euros. It supports research stays of 1 to 12 months at institutions on the Bildungscampus Heilbronn. It also includes payments toward insurance and a lump sum for international travel.
The fellowship is for international PhD candidates in their final year and postdoctoral researchers in artificial intelligence and related fields. There is no fixed deadline. DAAD asks you to apply at least 4 months before your planned start.
One warning before you plan. The DAAD page also shows a notice that you cannot apply right now. Check the DAAD portal first.
Last Information Checked: 25 October 2026
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funder | German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) |
| Programme | Heilbronn AI Fellowship |
| Location | Bildungscampus Heilbronn Germany |
| Who can apply | International PhD candidates in the final year and postdocs within 5 years of their PhD |
| Length of stay | 1 to 12 months (cannot be extended) |
| Monthly instalment | 2800 euros |
| Other support | Insurance payments and a travel lump sum |
| Deadline | Rolling with no fixed deadline (apply at least 4 months before start) |
| Language | Very good English |
| How to apply | Online through the DAAD portal |
About the Heilbronn AI Fellowship
This is a short research stay. It is not a full PhD scholarship. You must already be affiliated with a university or research institute. The fellowship then funds a project at a host institution in Heilbronn.
The Bildungscampus Heilbronn brings universities and research institutes and industry partners together. DAAD says the programme also encourages technology transfer and startup activity. So the fellowship suits researchers who want their AI work to reach real users.
DAAD says funding runs until the end of the programme’s funding period. The fellowship cannot be extended. Special cases may be looked at one by one.
Host Institutions
You carry out your research at one of these places on the campus. DAAD lists them.
- DHBW Center for Advanced Studies
- DHBW Heilbronn
- Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute
- Fraunhofer HNFIZ
- Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences (HHN)
- Technical University of Munich (TUM) Campus Heilbronn
- Max Planck Institute Heilbronn
- Campus Founders
You can ask DAAD to help you contact a host. Use the contact form on the DAAD page or write to heilbronn-ai@daad.de.
How Selection Works
- Selection has a single stage based on your documents.
- Independent experts chosen by DAAD review each application. Experts with a conflict of interest are removed.
- Partner institutions may propose candidates.
- Academic qualification counts. This covers grades and your doctoral record and publications and talks.
- The quality of your research project counts. Reviewers look at originality and relevance and your choice of host and a realistic plan.
- Suitability counts. They check how your profile fits the programme and longer term cooperation with Germany.
- Equal opportunity aspects are also considered.
Fellowship Benefits
- A monthly fellowship instalment of 2800 euros
- Payments toward health and accident and personal liability insurance
- A lump sum toward international travel costs
- A research stay in an AI ecosystem with universities and industry and startups
- Possible support for extra costs linked to a disability or chronic illness (assessed one by one)
- Possible family benefits for stays longer than 6 months (assessed one by one)
Who Can Apply
- You are an international PhD candidate in the final year before your defence. Or you are a postdoctoral researcher who got your PhD no more than 5 years ago.
- You have lived outside Germany for the whole 15 months before you apply.
- You have a strong academic background in AI or a related field.
- You are affiliated with a university or a research institute.
- You plan a research project at an eligible host on the Bildungscampus Heilbronn.
- You have very good English. No language certificate is needed. Your host invitation letter must confirm your language skills fit the project.
- You send only one application at a time.
The DAAD page asks you to pick your status and your country of residence. A long country list appears. Pakistan is on it. Germany is not.
You should apply if:
- You can find a host and write a joint proposal
- Your project has a clear plan and a clear link to your host
- You can start at least 4 months after you apply
You should skip if:
- You have lived in Germany during the last 15 months
- You finished your PhD more than 5 years ago
- You are not yet in the final year of your PhD
How To Apply Step By Step
- Open the DAAD scholarship database page and check if the portal is open for you.
- Choose a host institution and make contact. Use the DAAD contact form or email heilbronn-ai@daad.de.
- Write your research proposal together with your host.
- Prepare these documents in English as PDF files:
- Online application form
- Full CV in table form (maximum 3 pages)
- List of publications (maximum 10 pages) if you have one
- Letter of motivation (1 to 2 pages)
- Research proposal (2 to 3 pages) and a schedule of your planned work
- One recent reference
- Invitation letter and confirmation from your host in Germany
- Declaration from your scientific supervisor on safety and ethical aspects
- Register in the DAAD portal. Create the recommendation form in the portal and send it to your teacher. Upload it when it comes back.
- Upload all files and submit. Use a desktop computer because the portal works only to a limited extent on mobile.
- If a document is not ready add a short statement. Explain why it is missing and when you will send it.
Mistakes To Avoid
- Applying without talking to a host first
- Applying when you have lived in Germany in the last 15 months
- Starting too late when DAAD asks for 4 months before your start
- Sending a second application while the first is still open
- Leaving out the host invitation letter or the supervisor declaration
- Writing a proposal with no clear schedule
- Planning on an extension. The fellowship cannot be extended
Key Dates
- Application deadline: none (rolling basis)
- Recommended timing: send your application at least 4 months before your start date
- Length of stay: 1 to 12 months
- Time zone: not needed because there is no fixed deadline