Recognizing
the Boundary Breakers
Identifying outstanding scientific talents & breakthrough research topics in the life sciences, and providing unique opportunities for collaboration in science
Outstanding scientists
Fellowships & Stipends
The next generation: Our fellowships & stipends provide unique opportunities for brilliant young people to develop essential skills, gain new perspectives, and build important relationships around the globe. Through this support, we aim to provide exceptional individuals the opportunity to have a positive impact on the world and become the boundary-breakers of tomorrow.
With equity and collaboration at the core of our fellowships, our varied programs offer fantastic opportunities or support for a wide range of individuals. We have fellowships for young scientists from around the globe, opportunities for teachers, apprentices & young professionals in scientific industries and physicians, as well as offering support for young women with families in academia.
Our commitment to equity: At Bayer Foundation we believe actions speak louder than words. We are committed to ensuring that selection for our fellowships is not only based on excellence but reflects our ambition to achieve equity in science. More information on our specific actions will be coming soon.
When eligible for a given program, we strongly encourage applications from women, individuals from low- & middle-income countries, parents with caring responsibilities for young children, and individuals working within Germany with German as a second language.
For Master, PhD and Medical Students
The next generation of boundary-breaking scientists
Our fellowships are designed to foster interdisciplinary interaction and collaboration across borders and organizations as well as provide unique opportunities for personal and professional development
We offer three fellowships for outstanding masters, PhD, and medical students to undertake international research projects, internships & more. These fellowships are designed to enhance existing study programs by providing additional funding for international placements, that are complimentary to current or future scientific studies.
Otto Bayer Fellowships in Drug Discovery
For master or PhD students from all scientific disciplines including pharmacy and data science, with fundamental or applied studies with relevance to the pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare (over-the-counter) industries.
Jeff Schell Fellowships for Agricultural Science
For master or PhD students from all scientific disciplines including data science, with fundamental or applied studies with relevance to the Crop Science industry.
Carl Duisberg Fellowships for Medical Sciences
For all students of human & veterinary medicine, or master and PhD students in medical engineering, applied medical sciences, data science in medicine and public health.
Applicants are eligible for up to 10,000€ in funding and can undertake fellowships for between 2 weeks and six months. People studying in Germany must undertake placements in second country & those studying outside Germany must undertake their fellowships at a German research institution. For more detailed information please see our guidelines and frequently asked questions.
How can I apply?
You can find our 2024 guidelines here.
Application phase: February 12 - April 8, 2024. Applications can only be made through our digital portal below (click the button).
Here you can find a preview.
Please contact us with any questions at: bayer.fellowship@bayer.com
Some of our 2023 awardees
Nicole Gottscheber
Otto Bayer Fellowship for Drug Discovery Sciences
Project: Conditional activation of IL-2 by using peptide crosslinkers for cancer immunotherapies.
Rashi Tyagi
Jeff Schell Fellowship for Agricultural Sciences
Project: Synthetic microbial communities for biocontrol of Fusarium: Harnessing the functional potential of microbiome.
Leopold Klein
Carl Duisberg Fellowship for Medical Sciences
Project: Transformation of the implant paradigm in breast reconstruction surgery.
For Student Teachers & Teachers
Science is for everyone, not just scientists
We believe that trust in science begins with making science education exciting and inclusive for all pupils, regardless of whether they want to become scientists or not. Through our actions at Bayer Foundation, we want to give all children and young people the ability to understand the science that effects their lives as well as inspire the next generation of scientists.
This fellowship is designed for teachers that will shape the perspectives of future generations and provides funding for internships, research projects, further training and science communication relating to STEM (science, technology, engineering & mathematics)-education.
The Kurt Hansen Fellowship for STEM-Education
This fellowship is for:
• Trainee teachers or students of pedagogy (postgraduate) with a focus on STEM subjects
• Newly qualified teachers (< 3 years) with a primary focus on STEM subjects
• Grundschule or Förderschule teachers seeking to enhance their capacity and knowledge regarding STEM education.
This fellowship is only available to applicants currently working or studying in Germany!
How can I apply?
You can find our 2024 guidelines here (in German only).
Application phase: February 12 - April 8, 2024. Applications can only be made in German and through our digital portal below (click the button).
Here you can find a preview.
Please contact us with any questions at: bayer.fellowship@bayer.com
For Apprentices and Young Professionals
You do not need a degree to change the world
Not everyone thinks the same way, and by providing opportunities for brilliant young people without an academic background, we want to bring a diversity of perspectives to the forefront of science.
This unique fellowship can be used for internships, research projects, personal development (including language courses), as well as to support young parents undertaking further training.
Hermann Strenger Fellowships
This fellowship is for apprentices or young professionals without a university education and less than five years of employment. Applicants must pursue their current apprenticeship or profession in a German-speaking country (Germany, Austria or Switzerland).
We particularly encourage applications from parents with young children and people with German as a second language Time taken for parental leave or other exceptional circumstances does not contribute to the five-year period.
How can I apply?
You can find our 2024 guidelines here (in German only).
Application phase: February 12 - April 8, 2024. Applications can only be made in German and through our digital portal below (click the button).
Here you can find a preview.
Please contact us with any questions at: bayer.fellowship@bayer.com
For Healthcare Professionals
The Young Physician Leaders Program
The development of leadership capabilities for healthcare professionals often occurs on the job, as young professionals progress through positions of increasing responsibility. As formal leadership training is often neglected, the Inter-Academy Partnership (IAP) launched the Young Physician Leaders Program (YPL) to address this gap and build capacity in leadership for healthcare professionals.
The program trains emerging healthcare leaders under the age of 40 from around the world and participants are subsequently integrated into a unique global network of more than 200 leading young professionals. Each year, selected participants come to Berlin to participate in the World Health Summit. While in Germany, they receive leadership training at the world class business school, ESMT Berlin, and explore opportunities for collaboration with Bayer Foundation.
The application process is managed by the Inter-Academy Partnership and is independent of Bayer Foundation. Find out more here.
For scientists in sub-Saharan Africa
Alexander von Humboldt Collaboration
As equity in science came to the forefront of our actions, in 2021, we built an exciting new program in collaboration with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation with the ambition to address inequalities in scientific capacity around the world. Our new program specifically supports scientists from sub-Saharan Africa and you can read more about this exciting initiative here: Empowering Scientists.
From 2013-2020, the Humboldt-Bayer-Research Fellowship program gave outstanding early career scientists the independence to develop their own scientific ideas. As part of our work supporting academic excellence, every year, ten of the top up-and-coming postdoctoral scientists from around the world were selected to become Humboldt- Bayer Fellows and undertake research at in Germany. These fellowships offered a platform for scientists to work independently, develop their scientific creativity and generate cutting-edge science at leading institutes across the country.
For young women in academia with children
Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard-Foundation
Together with the Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard-Foundation, we offer fellowships for outstanding young female scientists (PhD or postdoc) with children. You can find more information here: Empowering Scientists.
For early career academic researchers
Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting presents an unmatched opportunity for young scientists to interact directly with Nobel laureates. Participants, both students & laureates, are able to learn from each other, share knowledge and insight across scientific disciplines, different cultures, and across generations.
This unique event brings together outstanding young researchers from universities around the world with scientific leaders who have been recognized for making some of the most important scientific discoveries in our history.
Each year, we support 20 young researchers from around the world to attend the conference as Bayer Foundation-Lindau Fellows. In addition, we host a unique evening of scientific exchange between our fellows and leading industry personalities.
How can I apply?
The application process is managed by the Lindau Nobel Foundation and is independent of Bayer Foundation.
Find out more here.
