Current funding opportunities

With the Proposal Writing Grants, the University Alliance Ruhr supports international postdocs in developing new research projects together with researchers from the UA Ruhr. The program enables a three-month research stay at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Technische Universität Dortmund or the University of Duisburg-Essen in order to prepare a third-party funding proposal for a longer-term collaboration together with a host.

The Senior Fellowship Program is aimed at experienced humanities scholars and social scientists who have an internationally visible, outstanding research profile and work at a foreign research institution. Senior Fellows can work on their own research projects and network for six months at the interdisciplinary college. Thanks to the tandem principle, the program enables researchers from the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) to initiate new international collaborations or expand existing contacts with renowned colleagues abroad.

The College accepts up to ten Senior Fellows per semester for research stays starting in March and September 2027. In addition to outstanding academic achievements, the selection criteria include the quality of the collaborative research projects and their innovative potential for the UA Ruhr.

Research Explorer Ruhr 2026 is a two-week preparatory program for international postdocs. It offers the opportunity to discuss your own project ideas with researchers from the University Alliance Ruhr, gain insights into the German funding landscape and prepare targeted applications for postdoctoral funding.

The "Metropolises in Central, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe" scholarship program promotes study-related stays abroad for German students in the region. The aim is to strengthen international mobility, language acquisition and networking. Funding is provided for stays of up to one year, including a language course, internship and accompanying program. The program also offers long-term support from the Studienstiftung as well as access to an established alumni and expert network.

Partnerships with universities in East-Central, South-East and Eastern Europe as well as the Caucasus and Central Asia

The program strengthens long-term professional and regional expertise as well as international teaching and research cooperation between German universities and partners in the target region. Funding is provided for student and academic mobility in both directions within the framework of existing partnerships, including internships. New support will also be provided for exploratory trips for new collaborations and digital exchange formats.