DBU MOE Fellowship Program

Enriched Foundation · Found: 2026-03-11 11:10

6-12 month fellowship in Germany for environment-related and practice-oriented topics including circular economy and waste management. Stipend-based support for Central and Eastern European professionals. Application deadlines: March 5 and September 5 annually.

Source: https://dbu.de/foerderung/moe-fellowship/foerderung-beantragen

Funding Details

Funder

Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)

Funding Goal

Fund 6-12 month fellowships in Germany for environmental and nature-related practice-oriented projects by professionals from Central and Eastern European (MOE) countries, supporting knowledge transfer and capacity building in environmental protection.

Funding Amount

Stipend amount not publicly specified; covers living expenses during 6-12 month fellowship in Germany

Deadline

March 5 and September 5 (annually, biannual rounds) (Fixed)

How to Apply

Register and submit online application via country-specific portals. Application includes CV, topic description, university certificates, recommendation letter from a university professor or supervisor, and language confirmation. Selection happens twice per year. Fellowship starts approximately 6 months after selection interview. Informal online information seminars available before submission (no registration required).

Target Region

Central and Eastern Europe (MOE countries)

Contact

DBU country coordinators and alumni associations in home countries; contact page: https://www.dbu.de/foerderung/moe-fellowship/kontakt/

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:21

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Must be a citizen of a qualifying MOE country (Central/Eastern Europe)
• Must be permanently residing in a MOE country at time of application — applicants currently studying or working in Germany are ineligible
• Must hold an above-average (good to very good) university degree (Master, Magister, or Diploma) from a MOE country, awarded no more than 5 years before application
• Doctoral candidates are eligible, but the doctorate must not be completed during the fellowship period

Project Scope

• Must propose a practice-oriented, environmentally relevant fellowship topic to be carried out at a German host institution
• Topic must have relevance to the applicant's home country, the EU, or global context

Required Documents

• Required documents: CV, topic description with outline (per FAQ), university certificates, recommendation letter from home country professor or supervisor, and language proficiency confirmation

Constraints

• Sufficient German language skills must be demonstrated at the start of the fellowship at the host institution

Summary

The DBU MOE Fellowship Program is run by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (German Federal Environmental Foundation) and supports individual professionals from Central and Eastern European countries with a 6-12 month fellowship stay in Germany. Fellows work on self-proposed, practice-oriented environmental or nature conservation topics that are relevant to their home country, the EU, or globally. Topics can span a wide range of environmental disciplines including circular economy, waste management, water, sustainable products, nature conservation, and energy. The fellowship is strictly individual-based — applicants must be citizens and residents of a qualifying MOE country at time of application, hold an above-average university degree (Master/Diploma/Magister) awarded no more than five years prior, and demonstrate sufficient German language skills. Applications and selection interviews can be conducted in German or English. Fellows are selected twice per year following fixed application deadlines of March 5 and September 5. Applicants propose their own fellowship topic and identify a host institution in Germany (DBU can assist with this). The fellowship begins approximately six months after the selection interview. Completing a Master's, Magister's, or PhD degree in Germany during the fellowship is not eligible. The program is aimed at building environmental expertise and networks among early-career professionals from the MOE region, strengthening east-west environmental knowledge exchange. It is not a project grant for organizations but a personal stipend mechanism for individuals.

Historical Context

The program has an established alumni network (stipnet.dbu.de) and a fellowship database. A special Ukraine initiative (Förderinitiative Ukraine) exists as a sub-track. The biannual application cycle (March and September deadlines) indicates a long-running, institutionalized program.

Why it was added

German/EU foundation CE/plastic program

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