Bayer Foundation Scientific Fellowships 2026: Deadline, Eligibility, Benefits

Bayer Foundation Scientific Fellowships support currently enrolled master's, PhD and medical students who want to carry out a research placement abroad in the natural sciences, medical sciences or agricultural sciences; bachelor's students and postdoctoral researchers are not eligible. The placement rule works in both directions: students who are based outside Germany must carry out their fellowship placement at a German research institution, while students already studying in Germany must complete their placement in a different country. Placements can run for up to six months and cannot take place at a commercial company or other industry organisation; the fellowship is intended for academic and public research institutions only. Funding of up to EUR 10,000 covers costs connected to the placement, such as travel, accommodation and a living contribution, though the foundation does not publish one single fixed figure per fellow since the amount depends on the specific placement and its costs. The Bayer Foundation actively encourages applications from women, students and researchers from low- and middle-income countries, parents with caregiving responsibilities and people building a scientific career in a second language. For the 2026 cycle the application portal was open from 18 February to 15 April 2026; the foundation has run this fellowship call annually, and interested students should watch bayer-foundation.com for the opening of the next round.