The Bayer Foundation has opened its 2027 Scientific Fellowships, which pay up to €10,000 for research projects, internships or study placements of up to six months outside the student’s home country of study. The key rule for African applicants: if you are enrolled at a university outside Germany, for example in Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya, your placement must take place in Germany.
Deadline: 18 January 2027 at 23:59 CET (11:59 pm WAT, 00:59 am CAT/SAST and 1:59 am EAT on 19 January). Applications opened on 10 November 2026 and results will be sent by 1 April 2027.
Important: this is not a full degree scholarship. It funds a defined project or placement while you remain enrolled in your own MSc, PhD or medical programme.
Key Details
- Funder: Bayer Foundation (Germany)
- Amount: up to €10,000 for up to six months
- Fields: drug discovery and pharmaceutical sciences, agricultural science, and medical sciences (including human and veterinary medicine, medical engineering, applied medical sciences and public health)
- Levels: currently enrolled MSc, PhD and medical students (MBBS and PharmD students may apply)
- Project dates: must start on or after 1 August 2027 and end by 31 December 2028
- Application window: 10 November 2026 – 18 January 2027 (23:59 CET)
- Notification: by 1 April 2027
Benefits
- Up to €10,000 towards travel, living and project costs for a placement of up to six months
- According to the 2027 guidelines, extra support for exceptional costs (up to €2,500) and a caregiving allowance of €500 a month for an accompanying child, both outside the €10,000 cap
- Research experience at a German university or research institute, which can strengthen later PhD, DAAD or postdoc applications
- Membership of a network of Bayer Foundation fellows
Eligibility
- You must be currently enrolled in an MSc, PhD, medical degree or equivalent programme; nationality does not decide eligibility, your place of study does
- Students enrolled outside Germany must carry out the fellowship in Germany; students enrolled in Germany must go to another country
- Not eligible: bachelor’s students, postdocs, people who already hold a PhD or MD, and PhD students who will defend their thesis before the fellowship ends
- Placements at commercial organisations (industry) are not funded
- Your project should fit one of the three tracks: drug discovery, agricultural science or medical sciences
How to Apply
- Read the official Bayer Foundation fellowships page and the 2027 Scientific Fellowships guidelines (PDF).
- Find a host supervisor at a German university or research institute and agree on a project, dates and a written confirmation or invitation.
- Prepare a clear project plan, budget (within €10,000), CV, and proof of current enrolment, as described in the guidelines.
- Submit your application through the Bayer Foundation fellowship application portal before 23:59 CET on 18 January 2027.
Tips for African Students
- Start contacting German professors now. Search for research groups through university websites or the DAAD research database and send a short, specific email with your CV and project idea.
- Your project dates cannot begin before 1 August 2027, so time your placement to fit your home university calendar and allow at least two months for a German visa appointment.
- Budget carefully: show realistic costs for a flight, rent in a German city (often €500–900 a month for a room) and health insurance.
- Pharmacy, agriculture and public health students in Nigeria and across Africa are a good fit; link your project to a local problem such as crop disease, antimicrobial resistance or maternal health.
- Do not apply if you will defend your PhD before the fellowship ends; that makes you ineligible.
