DAAD/AGI Research Fellowship Program 2026

The DAAD/AGI Research Fellowship Program is a postdoctoral research fellowship jointly run by Germany's DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) and the American-German Institute (AGI) in Washington, D.C. It funds scholars already working on transatlantic issues — foreign policy, geoeconomics, society and politics — to spend two to six months in residence at AGI, producing policy analysis and presenting their research to Washington's policy community.

This is not a scholarship for students planning an undergraduate or master's degree abroad, and it isn't open to Indian applicants in general. It's aimed at doctoral candidates and PhD holders who are either German nationals, non-German nationals permanently based in Germany, or researchers affiliated with a DAAD Center for German and European Studies. For an Indian student or early-career researcher without one of those specific connections to Germany, there's currently no path into this fellowship — so Subraxo would be doing readers a disservice by presenting it as a general "study in Germany" opportunity.

To apply, a candidate must:

• Be a German national who is a doctoral candidate or has completed a PhD, and be active at an academic institution, think tank, or policy/research organisation or
• Be a non-German national permanently residing in Germany, meeting the same academic criteria or
• Be a doctoral candidate or researcher affiliated with a DAAD Center for German and European Studies network site (for US citizens, only centers outside the US qualify)
• Have completed, or currently be working on, a PhD (exceptions for MA holders are rare)
• Not have received DAAD funding within the last three years (this restriction doesn't apply to those affiliated with DAAD Centers)
• Submit application materials in English, be proficient in English, and be prepared to secure a J-1 visa for the US if selected

There's no formal application form - applicants email a combined PDF (cover letter, CV, 5–7 page project proposal, two reference letters) directly to AGI's Director of Programs and Grants.

Full Funding , Monthly stipend + Travel support + Other benefits

• Monthly stipend of roughly €3,380–€3,790, depending on seniority
• Round-trip travel to and from Washington, D.C.
• Funded research travel to institutions within the DAAD Centers for German and European Studies network in North America
• Office space at AGI for the duration of the fellowship
• Structured engagement with the Washington, D.C. policy community: a public research workshop, a published analytical essay, and university/institution seminars or lectures with AGI's support
• Mentoring and network-building with AGI senior staff and fellow researchers