What our travel grants offer

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) travel grants are awarded for research stays of up to three months. They support junior scientists who want to learn clearly-defined methods useful for their ongoing research and their current laboratory by

  • Visiting another laboratory
  • Attending research-orientated courses with the practical part making up at least 50 % of the course.

They can also be used by PhD candidates and their potential supervisors to evaluate the scientific and personal fit before the start of a PhD project in another country by funding a research stay of one to three months in the supervisor’s laboratory.

The grant

BIF's travel grants (lump sum) contribute to the expenses for travel to and from your destination, lodging (e.g. student housing), and course fees. Since we expect your home institution to continue to pay your salary, travel grants do not cover costs for living expenses, local travel during the stay, visa, or insurance.

For doctoral students and postdoc applicants from countries with very low incomes, additional funds for living costs may be granted. Please refer to FAQs for more information.

From Leipzig to Helsinki

"This experience was incredibly valuable and I realized the importance of Academic Schools for hands-on training and enabling direct exchange of ideas which is indispensable. I have progressed vastly in my own thinking and have benefited from the close personal bonds that I was able to forge with teachers and students alike. The input was enormous and I was exhausted after the ten days, but it was worth every minute."

Nikolaus Steinbeis on the Helsinki Winter School of Neuroscience

Conditions apply

Please carefully read the Travel Grant programme conditions and FAQs to learn more about benefits and obligations.