CAPES-Humboldt Research Fellowship 2026–2027 for Brazilian Researchers | €3,000–€3,600 Monthly Stipend

Secure a tax-free monthly stipend up to €3,600 to fund your independent research residency in Germany. CAPES and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation jointly administer this Call 27 framework for Brazilian researchers during the 2026–2027 cycle. Because this bilateral track enforces a strict dual-submission requirement, precise execution determines your final selection success. This comprehensive guide breaks down the exact eligibility criteria, timeline constraints, and portal rules you must satisfy to win approval.

CAPES-Humboldt Research Fellowship 2026–2027 Overview

Category	Official Details
Host Country	Germany
Institutions	CAPES, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and a German research institution chosen by the applicant
Program Name	CAPES-Humboldt Research Fellowship
Degree Level	Postdoctoral and experienced researcher level
Funding Status	€3,000 monthly for postdocs or €3,600 monthly for experienced researchers, plus additional benefits
Duration	6–24 months for postdocs; 6–18 months for experienced researchers
Application Period	1 June–30 November 2026
Deadline	30 November 2026 at 17:00 Brasília time
Selection Result	By 25 May 2027
Fellowship Start Window	September 2027–May 2028
Eligible Applicants	Brazilian nationals, permanent residents of Brazil, and certain German nationals based permanently in Brazil
Application Method	Separate but identical online submissions to CAPES and the Humboldt Foundation

Looking for the general Humboldt fellowship? The CAPES-Humboldt programme specifically targets eligible researchers connected to Brazil. Researchers from other countries should review the Humboldt Research Fellowship 2026–2027 in Germany, which accepts qualified postdocs and experienced researchers worldwide.

Opportunity & Entity Snapshot

The CAPES-Humboldt framework creates lifelong research links between Brazilian laboratories and German host faculties. The funding mechanism combines resources from both nations to cover your personal living costs and operational host expenses.

• The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation co-funds the CAPES-Humboldt Fellowship.
• The CAPES Executive Agency manages the Brazilian submission portal.
• German Academic Hosts provide dedicated laboratory infrastructure and mentoring.
• A Joint Selection Committee evaluates academic productivity and project innovation.

Available Research Fields

The programme welcomes project proposals from every scientific domain. The evaluation committee distributes funding without using country or subject-area quotas. Permitted research disciplines include:

• Natural sciences, physics, and chemistry.
• Engineering, material sciences, and data frameworks.
• Life sciences, agriculture, and botany.
• Medicine, pharmacology, and clinical research.
• Humanities, philosophy, and linguistics.
• Social sciences, political models, and economics.
• Interdisciplinary project designs.

Who Can Apply?

Brazilian citizens and permanent residents holding a qualifying doctorate can apply for this joint fellowship. The track accommodates postdoctoral researchers within four years of their graduation and experienced researchers within twelve years of their defense. Candidates must secure an eligible host in Germany and maintain an international publication record.

1. Postdoctoral Researchers Track

• Timeframe Boundaries: You completed your PhD within the four years preceding the application deadline.
• Degree Validation: You hold a doctorate issued by a Brazilian university, or you possess a foreign PhD with official revalidation in Brazil.
• Sponsorship Window: Your project plan requests between 6 and 24 months of funding.

2. Experienced Researchers Track

• Timeframe Boundaries: You completed your doctorate within the 12 years preceding the application deadline.
• Academic Profile: You hold a defined independent research profile, working as an assistant professor, university lecturer, or senior lab group head.
• Sponsorship Window: Your project plan requests between 6 and 18 months of funding.

Nationality and Residence Parameters

• Citizenship Criteria: You hold Brazilian citizenship or maintain verified permanent resident status in Brazil.
• Temporary Absence Limits: If you live abroad temporarily, you must not have resided outside Brazil for more than 12 consecutive months at the time of your application.
• The 90-Day German Threshold: You must not have spent more than 90 total days inside Germany during the 18 months preceding your submission date. Working on a German doctoral project or holding German institutional funding over this 90-day cap results in an automatic rejection.
• German Citizens: You qualify only if you have lived and worked permanently in Brazil for at least five consecutive years.

How to Apply for the CAPES-Humboldt Fellowship

Stage 1: Eligibility Window Verification

Calculate your precise post-PhD career timeframe using your formal defense date rather than your graduation ceremony. Ensure you do not exceed the four-year cutoff for postdocs or the twelve-year limit for experienced researchers.

Review the CAPES-Humboldt Research Fellowship 2027 Application Guidelines

Stage 2: Portal Synchronization

Register your user profile on both the Brazilian CAPES system and the German Alexander von Humboldt Foundation platform. Create a single master folder to guarantee both portals receive identical data portfolios.

Register Now for Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship Application Portal

Register Here for CAPES Application for Humboldt Research Fellowship in Germany

Stage 3: Mentorship Recruitment

Secure an active host professor at a non-profit German university. Confirm they will submit an explicit written evaluation regarding your independent creative potential directly into the German portal.

Review the Humboldt Research Fellowship Germany 2027 Information for Hosts

Stage 4: Thesis Revalidation Check

If you earned your PhD outside Brazil, obtain formal revalidation from a Brazilian institutional authority before uploading files.

Stage 5: Parallel Document Upload

Complete the electronic forms on the CAPES portal while simultaneously populating the AvH application form to ensure flawless technical alignment.

Stage 6: Host Statement Trigger

Dispatch the automated system link to your German mentor. Monitor their portal upload status directly to confirm the system logs their institutional commitment before the hard November deadline.

Required Documents Checklist

You must compile identical document versions and upload them to both electronic portals.

• Academic Curriculum Vitae: Limited to a maximum of two pages.
• Independent Research Outline: Limited to a maximum of five pages, inclusive of your bibliography.
• Publication History: A complete list of your career publications plus a separate catalog of your chosen key publications.
• Doctoral Credentials: Your PhD certificate or official proof of Brazilian revalidation for overseas degrees.
• ORCID ID: Registration and integration of your active ORCID number inside the CAPES network.
• Host Mentor Dossier: A detailed strategic statement and facility confirmation uploaded directly to the AvH system by your German professor.

Careers Help Desk Strategic Counter-Angle & Competitive Edge

Average applicants treat the CAPES and Humboldt portals as separate tasks. To differentiate your profile from competitors, exploit the underlying evaluation mechanics:

• Enforce Absolute Textual Identity Between Portals: Do not update your research proposal or publication list on one portal without mirroring the exact change on the other. The selection committee filters out files with asymmetric project titles, modified dates, or mismatched bibliographies during the initial administrative screen. Build a single, locked master folder on your desktop and feed identical PDFs into both portal streams.
• Frame Your Proposal as an Intellectual Pivot, Not a Thesis Extension: The joint committee rejects projects that merely extend your Brazilian PhD thesis. You must demonstrate how migrating to a German laboratory equips you with distinct methods or archives that are unavailable in Brazil.
• Quantify Your Direct Multi-Author Impact: Brazilian research often relies on large multi-author clusters. Reviewers look closely at individual capability. In your key publication descriptions, explicitly state your operational contribution—confirm if you handled the primary data analysis or designed the core methodology.

Alternative Global Options

• If you maintain no permanent residency or citizenship link to Brazil: Read our structural walkthrough for the global Humboldt Research Fellowship Germany 2026–2027.
• If your graduation history falls outside the Humboldt career eligibility windows: Explore our structural review of Global Fellowships for Senior International Researchers and latest Royal Society University Research Fellowship 2027 (UK Edition) and  Royal Society–Research Ireland University Research Fellowship.
• If you cannot secure a cooperative host department inside Germany: Review our step-by-step application walkthrough for Fully Funded Postdoctoral Fellowships in Europe and MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 in Europe | Fully Funded €399 Million Call Open.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Failing to Register on Both Systems: Submitting your portfolio to CAPES without completing the parallel AvH submission results in an instant administrative rejection from both bodies.
• Violating Local Clock Variances: The portal shuts down at exactly 17:00 Brasília time. Waiting until 17:00 local state time in a different timezone will cause you to miss the system closing sequence.
• Omitting the Revalidation Document: Uploading an overseas PhD certificate without attaching its official Brazilian institutional revalidation record will cause an immediate compliance failure.

Humboldt Fellowship Benefits & Financial Breakdowns

The CAPES-Humboldt programme splits your monthly financial maintenance between both sponsoring organizations.

Postdoctoral Base Funding

• Total Value: €3,000 per month maintenance stipend.
• CAPES Contribution: Pays €2,100 directly.
• Humboldt Foundation Contribution: Supplies the remaining €900 balance plus your monthly mobility allowance.

Experienced Researcher Base Funding

• Total Value: €3,600 per month maintenance stipend.
• CAPES Contribution: Pays €2,300 directly.
• Humboldt Foundation Contribution: Supplies the remaining €1,300 balance plus your monthly mobility allowance.

Additional Relocation Benefits

• Travel Expenses: CAPES pays your direct return airfare expenses alongside an initial settlement lump sum.
• Language Training: The framework finances an intensive German language course lasting two or four months prior to your research start date. Your accompanying spouse qualifies for this training benefit too.
• Field Research Stays: You can spend up to 25% of your total fellowship duration conducting field research outside Germany if your specific project parameters require it.

Institutional Host Subsidies

The Humboldt Foundation pays a research cost subsidy directly to your German host lab to offset overhead costs.

• Natural Sciences, Life Sciences & Engineering: €800 per month.
• Humanities & Social Sciences: €500 per month.

Ready to Start your Research Career in Europe?

The CAPES-Humboldt Fellowship provides an elite, well-funded mechanism for Brazilian scholars to conduct independent research in Europe. Because coordinating your host documentation across two sovereign portal systems takes significant time, execute your administrative uploads early. Align your publication ledger with the official templates, synchronize your CAPES and AvH file formats, and execute your final submission before the hard cutoff on 30 November 2026.

Official Sources: Alexander von CAPES-Humboldt Research Fellowship Call for Applications

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the CAPES-Humboldt Fellowship pay?

Postdoctoral researchers receive €3,000 per month, while experienced researchers receive €3,600 per month. Both funding tracks provide additional travel, initial relocation, and intensive language course subsidies.

Must I apply to both CAPES and Humboldt?

Yes. You must submit identical application files to both agencies. Single-portal submissions receive a formal administrative rejection without entering the peer-review phase.

Can a permanent resident of Brazil apply?

Yes. The fellowship track accepts both born or naturalized Brazilian nationals and foreign scientists who hold legal permanent resident status in Brazil.

Do I need a formal English language certificate?

No. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation waives formal commercial language test certificates. You must still possess the specific German or English written proficiencies required to execute your methodology.

Can I segment the fellowship across separate visits?

Yes. You can divide your total fellowship duration into a maximum of three separate blocks, provided each research stay inside Germany lasts at least three months.

Browse all opportunities on Careers Help Desk to discover the latest fully funded scholarships, fellowships, internships, research positions, and graduate programs available for international students.