Guest Stays for Research, Teaching and Administration
Internal Funding: Global Faculty, Humboldt Fellowship Preparation, Test Scholarships
Freie Universität Berlin offers a number of programs for international guest in teaching and research and to attract potential international doctoral candidates.
Please note that applications may only be submitted by professors or group leaders at Freie Universität Berlin and require a lead time of three months. When planning, please also take into account other factors such as potential lead times for visas, etc.
Contact and information: Bertram Welker, +49 30 838 73942, funding@international.fu-berlin.de
> Application Test Scholarships / Humboldt Fellowship Preparation / Global Faculty
Test scholarships are available for potential international doctoral researchers which are not yet admitted at FUB. The program is open to all Departments, the maximus stay is three month. Funding includes an allowance of 1,450€ per month and travel allowance.
> Application Test Scholarships / Humboldt Fellowship Preparation / Global Faculty
The AvH start-up funding supports applications for new fellowships from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and enables applicants to invite potential fellows to jointly prepare the application. The program is open to all disciplines, the maximum length of stay is one month. The funding includes an allowance of 2,000€ and travel expenses.
Please note that AvH has introduced formal calls for the three annual funding rounds. For each call a maximum of 800 applications is accepted before the call is closed and further applications have to be submitted in a later round.
| Call Opens | Selection Committe | Earliest Start Date for Scholarships |
| 15. March 2026 | November 2026 | February 2027 |
| 15. July 2026 | March 2027 | May 2027 |
| 15. November 2026 | July 2027 | September 2027 |
Source: https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/apply/sponsorship-programmes/humboldt-research-fellowship
Welcome Services for Visiting Scholars and Scientists
Freie Universität Berlin warmly welcomes its visiting scholars and provides them and their hosts with information and support regarding the most common questions about entry and residence.
Website and Registration
> Application Test Scholarships / Humboldt Fellowship Preparation / Global Faculty
The Global Faculty program promotes the internationalization of Freie Universität Berlin through stays by international academic staff. The aim is to expand the international network beyond existing partnerships and to actively involve guest in into the regular teaching as well as the academic life at FUB and in Berlin in order to make their stay as fruitful as possible for both sides.
The focus is on cooperation in regular teaching and stays must take place during the lecture period. The program is open to all departments, the length of stay is one month. Funding includes an allowance €2,500 and a travel allowance.
Active participation in teaching is mandatory for guests, and long-term teaching cooperation beyond the duration of the stay is desirable, for example, within the framework of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) or similar projects.
In addition, the following elements are provided for as part of the funding, two of which must be included in the application:
- a public lecture at Freie Universität Berlin
- a networking event organized by the host department / central institute, preferably with wider participation from the academic community in Berlin-Brandenburg
- joint work on a research project, ideally linked with a teaching format
Welcome Services for Visiting Scholars and Scientists
Freie Universität Berlin warmly welcomes its visiting scholars and provides them and their hosts with information and support regarding the most common questions about entry and residence.
Website and Registration
Funding applications for stays in 2027 will be accepted starting July 1, 2026. Projects funded by the International Affairs Department must be implemented and accounted for by December 31, 2026.
Further Options for Staff Exchange
In addition to internal funding opportunities, Freie Universität Berlin offers the option of inviting guests from partner institutions for short-term stays in the areas of teaching and administrative exchange.
Our annual International Staff Training Week is a cornerstone of internationalization; in June 2026, over 200 guests from our partner institutions will come to Freie Universität for a week to engage in exchanges across eleven thematic tracks.
For short-term teaching stays (usually one week), teaching mobility grants from Erasmus+ can be used. For guests from other European countries, these funds must be applied for at the home institution; non-European partners can be invited worldwide under existing Erasmus+ funding programs.
As part of the University Alliance Una Europa, the regular program Una Europa Live My Life offers the opportunity for “blended job shadowing” with a one-week exchange with colleagues from Una Europa partner universities. You can find testimonials and a podcast on the topic on the Una Europa website.