RWTH Aachen University Advanced Research Opportunities Program 2026

RWTH offers fellowships and travel grants to support research stays of doctoral candidates and postdocs from strategically relevant international universities or research institutions. The goal of the program is to strengthen and intensify bilateral relations between RWTH and international universities and research institutions of strategic relevance.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineSeptember 30, 2026
• Study LevelPhD , Postdoctoral Fellowships
• SponsorRWTH Aachen University
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• A monthly stipend of 1,800 euros for a period of up to six months
• A travel grant based on the country of origin:
  • Europe: 500 euros
  • High-income countries outside of Europe (in accordance with the OECD’s DAC list of ODA recipients): 1,000 euros
  • Low and middle-income countries outside of Europe (in accordance with the OECD’s DAC list of ODA recipients): 1,500 euros
• German language classes and intercultural training

Requirements

• Doctoral candidates and postdocs from strategically relevant international universities and research institutions, which are either RWTH partner institutions or are planning to initiate a partnership with the University.
• AROP fellows who have previously received AROP funding are unfortunately not eligible for further funding.

Selection Criteria

• Invitation letter from RWTH
• Strategic relevance of the home institution in accordance with the RWTH Internationalization Strategy
• Prospects of building sustainable long-term collaboration or, in the case of already existing relations, to strengthen and extend these partnerships to other research areas

Application Documents

Please submit all the following documents in English:

• CV, including contact details (mail and email address)
• Statement of purpose and research abstract: Please outline the background, content and expected outcome of your intended research project, state your personal motivation as to why you would like to conduct research at RWTH and provide a future perspective of the research collaboration between both institutions (please see “Goals of AROP” and “Selection Criteria” for details). The statement of purpose/research abstract should ideally comprise between three and five pages.
• Letter of support issued by an RWTH professor: This letter should include a brief description of the joint project and outline the duration of stay, expected outcome (if possible), and future perspectives of the collaboration.
• Research schedule: Please indicate the intended time frame of your stay and outline the specific research activities you plan to undertake within this period.
• List of recent publications

Check also:
2026 Fully Funded Humboldt Research Fellowship
2026 Eutopia PhD Co-tutelle Call

Application Deadline

September 30, 2026

How To Apply

Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to RWTH Aachen University on www.rwth-aachen.de to apply

For more information, kindly visit the RWTH Aachen webpage.