Alumni Sponsorship
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) maintains close ties to the alumni of its fellowship and award programs. AvH alumni sponsorship opportunities of particular relevance to US Humboldt Alumni are summarized below. A full directory is also available on the AvH website.
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Kollegs
Funding for Humboldtians to organize regional or interdisciplinary conferences is available from the AvH. The aim of Kollegs is to strengthen regional and interdisciplinary exchange and networking among Humboldtians. The AvH sets program parameters for the meeting structure, but organizers determine the substantive scope and content of their conference.
The AvH seeks to enable Humboldtians in as many countries as possible to organize a Humboldt Kolleg in intervals of several years. The funds that are available are tightly constrained, with roughly half of all qualified applications being considered for support. The selection decision takes into account the interval from the last sponsorship of a Humboldt Kolleg with a similar group of participants in a given country. More information can be found here.
Upon approval of a Kolleg proposal by the AvH, US Humboldtians may also apply for supplementary grants, including bridging funds or support for add-on events, through the American Friends Alumni Council. AC grants may also supply seed money to relevant activities during the planning phase of a Kolleg.
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Return Research Stays
Short Visits of Up to 30 Days
Financial support for short visits may be used for Humboldtians who have an active role in international congresses in Germany, for lecture tours or informative visits, for making or sustaining academic contacts, or for short visits to German research institutes.
Research Stays of Up to Three Months
Return research stays can be used either to continue or complete work started during the first research stay in Germany or to initiate new joint research outlines with specialist colleagues in Germany.
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Hosting German Academics
Hosting Feodor Lynen Fellows
US Humboldtians and recipients of select awards
may serve as hosts for German Feodor Lynen Fellows. Hosts generally are expected to finance roughly one-third of the fellowship stipend. US Humboldt alumni who are interested in hosting a Lynen fellow should contact the AvH directly if there are demonstrable difficulties in raising the host’s sum (info[at]avh.de). The duration of the Lynen fellowship is based on experience:- Postdoctoral researchers: 6 to 24 months
- Experienced researchers: 6 to 18 months, divisible into up to of three visits over three years
More information is available here. To be added to the searchable Lynen host database, please contact info[at]avh.de.
Hosting Specialist Colleagues from Germany
Humboldtians and their academic hosts or collaboration partners in Germany may also apply for a subsidy to sponsor short-term guest visits.
The German guest’s visit should be used for lectures and exchanges at the US host’s institution and other research centers. Local costs must be covered by the US host. -
Humboldt Alumni Award for Innovative Networking Initiatives
Each year, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation grants up to four Humboldt Alumni Awards, valued at up to €25,000, to promote the innovative networking initiatives of Humboldtians. Past US recipients of alumni awards include:
Humboldt Research Award Winner Professor Robert McMeeking,
“Virtual Humboldt Cluster on the Mechanics and Physics of Adhesion and Grip—MePag”
Humboldt Research Fellow Professor Judith Giordan,
“Women in Innovation”
Humboldt Research Fellow Professor Matthew Grayson,
“Electronic Materials Gateway Network”
Humboldt Research Fellow Professor Sabine Wilke,
“Humanities Scholars in Environmental Research”
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German Chancellor Fellowship Alumni Meetings
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation sponsors German Chancellor Fellowship Alumni Meetings in the United States, Russia, and China roughly every 3 years. These meetings are a chance for fellowship alumni from the host country (and selected alumni from other participating countries) to come together for presentations and in-depth discussions of a chosen topic. Travel subsidies are provided for participants by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation on a cost-sharing basis.
Recent Alumni Meetings
2013 – Washington, DC, “Technology Transformation”
2014 – St. Petersburg, Russia, “Sustainability in a Global World”
2016 – Suzhou, China, “The Internet and the Future”
2016 – Washington, DC, “Migration”
2018 – St. Petersburg, Russia, “Society and Digital Technologies”
The most recent US alumni meeting took place in October 2016 in Washington, DC. More photos from the meeting can be found here.
Information on the panelists and other speakers can be found here.
Upcoming Alumni Meetings
2019 – Hangzhou, China, “Innovation and Development”
2020 – Washington, DC (topic TBD)
