The pilot programme will be aimed at early career researchers worldwide to strengthen Germany’s position in artificial intelligence.

Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service) and Dieter Schwarz Stiftung (DSS – Dieter Schwarz Foundation) have announced the launch of a major international pilot programme to recruit top talent in artificial intelligence (AI), responding to intensifying global competition for highly skilled researchers.

The initiative will focus on outstanding postdoctoral researchers and early career scientists, offering them structured access to Germany’s rapidly expanding AI research landscape. Based at a leading innovation campus in Heilbronn, the programme will run for an initial three years and support up to 70 international researchers each year through research stays, short-term visits and networking opportunities.

‘The international competition for AI talent has intensified significantly in recent years,’ noted DAAD President Joybrato Mukherjee, who emphasised the need to ‘attract as many young AI talents as possible to Germany as a research location at an early stage and offer them long-term career prospects’ within the country’s academic system.

Gunther Friedl, Chairman of the DSS Board, expressed his belief that ‘in a world rapidly changing due to artificial intelligence, the courage to collaborate internationally is key to success’. He added that embedding international researchers within a dynamic local ecosystem would ‘create the basis for innovation’ with impact extending beyond the region.

The programme is intended to serve as a gateway into Germany’s AI sector, combining virtual and in-person formats to integrate participants into research networks. By strengthening links with international talent at an early stage, the initiative aims to boost both regional innovation capacity and Germany’s long-term competitiveness in AI.

The new opportunity is scheduled to open for applications on 1 May 2026. The call for proposals will be published via the DAAD funding database.