As one of the largest operating charitable organisations in Germany, the Daimler und Benz Stiftung (Daimler and Benz Foundation) provides an annual budget of €3 million to support the future of young researchers and foster interdisciplinary collaborations, knowledge exchange and cross-cultural research partnerships.

Every year, the Foundation awards 12 scholarships to exceptional postdoctoral researchers (Stipendienprogramm für Postdoktoranden) from any discipline, who have already attained a certain level of autonomy in their work and are dedicated to a career in research. The goal of the scholarships is to support the autonomy and creativity of the next generation of academics and help committed researchers as they begin their postdoctoral academic careers.

Applications are open to early career researchers from any research area holding a position at a research institution in Germany or a German academic institute abroad. This includes assistant professors or academics in equivalent positions, such as independent heads of research groups made up of young researchers.

The overall value of the scholarship is €40,000, which is granted over a period of two years.