Field Study Fellowship
ForecastedInternal — Helmholtz Association only
Field Study Fellowship supports Helmholtz researchers with customer interviews and market research to identify user needs and explore how their work could address economic, social, or environmental problems.
Funder: Helmholtz Association
Due Dates (Anticipated): September 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to €25,000 for three months, plus €5,500 reserved centrally for field study experts
Summary: Supports Helmholtz researchers in testing customer and user needs through interviews and market research.
Key Information: Funding is restricted to Helmholtz Centers and their institutes, with funded personnel employed at the Center throughout the funding period.
Description
The Field Study Fellowship is part of Helmholtz Enterprise, the Helmholtz Association’s internal program supporting scientific entrepreneurship and well-thought-out spin-off businesses. It finances personnel and material costs for Helmholtz Centers and their institutes to identify customer needs through interviews and market research. Researchers can test how their work could address economic, social, or environmental problems and develop new research questions informed by users and customers.
The fellowship combines hands-on customer discovery with support from a field study expert. Participants learn to identify potential interviewees, conduct customer interviews, and think in terms of customer benefit, while exchanging experiences with scientists pursuing similar goals. The fellowship and the separate Spin-off Program are independent modules: completing a fellowship does not require a subsequent Spin-off Program application.
