20 Research Fellowships in Europe for Current Doctoral Students

Dec 22, 2020

If you are a current doctoral student looking for funding to do research in Europe, check out these programs! Many of these fellowships are open to all disciplines, including STEM subjects, creative arts, and the social sciences. There are long-term, short-term, and summer programs. If one of these sounds like a great fit for you, be sure to bookmark it to your ProFellow account! 

ASF Fellowships for Americans in the Nordic Countries

The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) offers year-long fellowships of up to $23,000 and short-term (1-3 months) fellowships of up to $5,000 to graduate students (preferably conducting dissertation research) and academic professionals interested in pursuing research or creative-arts projects in the Nordic region (Denmark, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sámpi, and Sweden). ASF’s award program for study and research abroad has been the Foundation’s most long-standing commitment to educational exchange. Awards are made in all fields.

BAEF Study and Research Fellowships in Belgium

The Belgian American Educational Foundation (B.A.E.F.) encourages applications for fellowships for advanced study or research during one academic year at a Belgian University or institution of higher learning. The B.A.E.F. will award up to ten fellowships as outright non-renewable grants carrying a stipend of $27,000 for Master’s or Ph.D. students and $32,000 for Post-doctoral Fellows. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Applicants must also either be registered in a graduate program towards a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in the U.S., plan to register in a graduate program (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Belgium, or currently hold a Master’s, Ph.D., or equivalent degree.

Boren Fellowships

Boren Fellowships provide up to $30,000 to U.S. graduate students to add an important international and language component to their graduate education through specialization in area study, language study, or increased language proficiency. Boren Fellowships support both language study and (optional) research and internships in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East, with a focus on studying less commonly taught languages. Boren Fellows apply their advanced degrees to work in the federal government for at least 1 year after graduation, and receive exclusive opportunities and preferential consideration for government careers.

Chateaubriand Fellowship – Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS)

The Chateaubriand Fellowship – Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) provides PhD candidates currently enrolled at a U.S. university the opportunity to conduct research in France in any discipline of the Humanities and Social Sciences. The fellowship lasts for 4-8 months and provides travel, health insurance and a monthly stipend of 1,500 Euros. Candidates do not have to be U.S. citizens, but they must be enrolled in an American university.

Chateaubriand Fellowship – Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM)

The Chateaubriand Fellowship – Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) provides funding for PhD candidates currently enrolled in a U.S. university to conduct research in France at a French university, a school of engineering, a national laboratory or a private enterprise, with a link to a Doctoral School. The fellowship is for 4-10 months, provides travel, health insurance and a monthly stipend of 1,400 Euros. Non-U.S. nationals are eligible to apply for a Chateaubriand Fellowship as long as they are currently enrolled in an American university.

CIMI Doctoral Fellowships

CIMI offers a 3-year support grant for up to 6 students starting a PhD in one of the teams related to CIMI. The fellowships are open to French and foreign students and awarded on the basis of the quality of the academic records. The research areas should be developed within the activities at the Institut de Mathématiques de Toulouse (IMT) and the Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse (IRIT). PhD subjects with interactions between mathematics and computer science will be closely examined.

DAAD Research Grant

Research Grants are awarded to highly qualified candidates who have completed either: a Master’s degree or Diploma, a Bachelor’s degree (by the time they begin their grant-supported research), or a  Ph.D. (postdoctoral candidates). Applications for long-term grants (7-10 months) are accepted annually in November. Short-term grants (1-6 months) accept applications in November and May.

DLR-DAAD Research Fellowships

DLR-DAAD Research Fellowships in the fields of Space, Aeronautics, Energy and Transportation Research. A new program implemented by the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) and DAAD. DLR is Germany’s national research center for aeronautics and space. This special program is intended for highly-qualified foreign doctoral and postdoctoral students as well as senior scientists. DLR-DAAD Fellowships offer outstanding scientists and researchers the opportunity to conduct special research at the institutes of the DLR in Germany. Check ‘Current Offers’ for opportunities.

EDUFI Fellowships

The EDUFI Fellowships programme is open to young Doctoral level students and researchers from all countries and from all academic fields. The primary target group in the EDUFI Fellowship programme are such Doctoral level students who will be doing their Doctorate (or Double Doctorate) at a Finnish university. The scholarship period may vary from 3 to 12 months. The monthly allowance is 1,500 Euros. The scholarship is intended to cover living expenses in Finland for a single person. The programme is open for candidates of all foreign nationalities.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program for Study/Research

A U.S. Student Fulbright Grant allows for individually designed study/research projects that will take place during one academic year (9-12 months) in a country outside the U.S. Applicants design their own projects and will typically work with advisers at foreign universities or other institutes of higher education. The study/research awards are available in approximately 140 countries. For recent BA/BS graduates, graduate and doctoral students, and young professionals including artists, musicians, writers, journalists, and those in law, business, and other professional fields. Undergraduate and graduate students must apply through their institution; professionals and former students can apply through their alma mater or At Large.

Geography and Spatial Sciences Program Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Awards (GSS-DDRI)

The Geography and Spatial Sciences (GSS) Program sponsors research on the geographic distributions and interactions of human, physical, and biotic systems on Earth. Investigators are encouraged to propose plans for research about the nature, causes, and consequences of human activity and natural environmental processes across a range of scales. GSS provides support to improve the conduct of doctoral dissertation projects undertaken by doctoral students enrolled in U.S. universities. GSS gives 30-40 awards each year. Awards may not exceed $16,000. An advisor or another faculty member must serve as the principal investigator (PI) of the proposal.

Lehmann-Haupt International Doctoral Programme

The transdisciplinary “Lehmann-Haupt International Doctoral Programme” is a joint project between Ilia State University Tbilisi (ISU) and Georg-August-University of Göttingen (UGOE) which gives 12 PhD students from various scientific fields (including social sciences) the opportunity to pursue their doctoral projects within a structured Cotutelle-based framework and obtain a PhD degree by each of the two universities (double degree). Students will spend time at both universities and must be proficient in English. Full funding is included for the duration of the PhD program including additional funding for research related expenses.

NORAM Scholarship for Americans to Study in Norway

NORAM scholarships provide financial support for Americans to study or conduct research in areas of mutual importance to Norway and the United States to strengthen the ties of friendship between the two countries. Every year, NORAM offers up to 10 scholarships ranging from $1,500 – $5,000 to American students, based on merit and need. The size of the individual grants depends on the research subject, purpose and the intended length of stay in Norway. Candidates must be U.S. citizens and have completed a Bachelor’s degree before the application deadline.

Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE)

RISE stands for Research Internships in Science and Engineering. RISE Professional offers summer research internships in Germany to Master’s and Ph.D. students from North America at companies and non-university research institutions with strong relations to industry. The program is open for students in the field of biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, engineering or a closely related field. All participants receive a scholarship from DAAD and an additional stipend from their host company/institution to help cover living expenses. Funding is possible for a period of three months in summer or fall. German language requirements vary according to the internship placement.

Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program

The Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program (RSMFP) provides support to developing country nationals who are PhD candidates from developing countries and working in academic and research institutions in a developing country who seek 6-10 months of funding to conduct PhD research in a World Bank member country other than their home country or country of residence. Research grants cover residence costs up to $25,000 USD for a 5 to 10 month period in a renowned university or research center. Fellows are expected to advance their research work mainly by using the facilities and resources provided by the host institution and by interacting with peers. Candidates must be under 35 years of age.

Rotary Foundation Global Grant Scholarship

Global grant scholarships fund international coursework or research at a graduate level or its equivalent for a term of one to four academic years. Global grants also may support vocational training teams, which are groups of professionals traveling abroad to either learn more about their profession or teach locals. The field of study must align with one or more of the following areas of focus: Peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy and economic and community development. Contact your local Rotary club for more information.

Spanish National Cancer Research Centre Summer Training Fellowship

The Spanish National Cancer Research Centre Summer Training Fellowship offers university students the opportunity to gain experience in a competitive laboratory in Madrid, Spain. Fellows will be placed within a research unit to work on various oncological research projects and will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Spanish culture. The summer program, lasting from June to early August, is for upper-level graduate biomedicine or life science students of any country; there is no citizenship requirement. A stipend is provided. 

Structural Engineering Travel Fellowship

The Structural Engineering Travel Fellowship is a $20,000 award that aims to foster an appreciation of the aesthetic potential in the structural design of buildings and bridges by enabling a gifted graduate to experience works of architecture and engineering first hand. The Foundation hopes that the Fellow will in turn influence the practice and teaching of structural engineering in the future. Applicants must be graduating with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or Ph.D. in Civil or Architectural Engineering with a specialization in Structural Engineering from a U.S. school. U.S. citizenship is not required.

Study Abroad Fellowships for UK Residents

Offering maintenance and research expenses to allow applicants to spend a period of 12-24 months on advanced study or research at a centre of learning in any overseas country (excluding the USA). Non-UK residents are not eligible. The Studentships comprise a basic annual maintenance allowance of £18,000, a partner allowance of £6,000 and return air fare. Applicants must have been resident in the UK for at least 5 years at the time of application, hold a degree from a UK institution, and either be a student at the time of application or have been registered as a student within the last 8 years.

The Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research

The Lewis and Clark Fund encourages exploratory field studies for the collection of specimens and data and to provide the imaginative stimulus that accompanies direct observation. Applications are invited from disciplines with a large dependence on field studies, such as archeology, anthropology, biology, ecology, geography, geology, linguistics, paleontology, and population genetics, but grants will not be restricted to these fields. Grants will be available to doctoral students. The competition is open to U.S. citizens and residents wishing to carry out research anywhere in the world.

© Victoria Johnson 2020, all rights reserved