Homepage of the Minerva Stiftung

The Minerva Stiftung

The Minerva Stiftung is the flagship of German-Israeli scientific cooperation. It is financed by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, and works closely with leading universities and research facilities in Israel.

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Small bat held gently in human hands over papers and a pencil. Copyright: Michael Nagel

Minerva Center Programme

Minerva Centers are scientific pioneer institutions in Israel with topics that are innovative and of special interest to the scientific community in Israel and Germany. The research at the Centers is carried out in cooperation with German partners and are funded by the Minerva Stiftung. Minerva Centers are located at the six Israeli universities and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

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Several individuals participating in a formal meeting or workshop, seated at a large conference table with documents, water bottles, and snacks visible.

The Minerva Fellowship Programme

Since 1973 the Minerva Fellowship Programme enables Israeli and German scientists to complete a research residency at institutions in the respective other country. Graduates and postdocs get the possibility to further their scientific background while conducting a research project at their host institution in Israel or Germany. They promote research and strengthen the cultural and scientific exchange between Germany and Israel. To date, more than 2000 Minerva Fellowships have been awarded to German and Israeli researchers.
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Two men working with scientific equipment and computer screens showing microscopic images.

The Minerva Weizmann Programme

The Minerva Weizmann Programme was the first scientific Programme between Germany and Israel. For its implementation, the Minerva Stiftung was founded to maintain and cultivate the scientific exchange between the two countries. Since 1964 the agreement has been renewed every year and secured funding for roughly 2,000 projects in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and the biosciences. Today approximately eighty projects are supported with a total of € 3,580,000 annually.

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“The Fellowship opened many doors for me”

August 10, 2026

Florian Oepping has been a Minerva Fellow in Tel Aviv since May 2024. In the final phase, he joined us in looking back at the time he has spent on his fellowship in Israel.
How did it shape him? What are the most memorable experiences from the Fellowship?

Minerva Programmes

“Strengthening academic ties in times of challenges”

October 06, 2026

Minerva Committees Minerva Programmes Minerva Team Weizmann Institute

The scientific communities are currently facing challenges on many fronts – not only in Israel at present, but also worldwide. This statement marked the start of the keynote speeches by Rony Paz, Vice-President of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, and Prof. Thomas Braun, Chair of the Minerva Weizmann Programme.

Minerva Fellowship - Application

October 06, 2026

Minerva Fellowships

The next call for applications for the Minerva Fellowship Programme will start on October 20th, 2026. The deadline of this call will be November 17th, 2026.
The application platform will be accessible from the start date. For more information, please check this link:

Remember Together

October 06, 2026

Max Planck Society Middle East Crisis

7 October marks the third anniversary of the Hamas attack. On that day, 1,195 people were murdered – the highest number of Jews murdered in a single day since the Holocaust.
We at the Minerva Stiftung would like to show our solidarity and commemorate the victims together.

Minerva Topics

Kick-Off Event for Minerva and Max Planck Alumni

October 08, 2026

“Together in Science. Connected for Life”, the Minerva and Max Planck Alumni Kickoff Event on October 14 and 15, 2026, will bring alumni and alumnae, researchers, and early-career scientists together at the Harnack-Haus.
This event will mark the start of the newly founded Minerva Alumni Programme as a part of the Max Planck Alumni Programme and enable former Minerva Fellows to be part of the Max Planck Community.

Leibniz Prize for Scientific Director of the Minerva Stiftung Christian Doeller

December 15, 2025

The scientific director of the Minerva Stiftung, Prof. Dr. Christian Doeller, is honored with Germany's most prestigious research award.
He receives the Leibniz Prize for his work in the field of cognitive neuroscience and psychology.

Team of the Minerva Stiftung

Minerva Team

Looking for further information?
Get in touch with us and find out more about the Minerva Team and their responsibilities.

Minerva Inside

The Minerva Management

Prof. Dr. Christian Doeller (Director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences) and Maximilian Prugger (Deputy Secretary General of the Max Planck Society) serve as joint Managing Directors of the Minerva Stiftung.

The History of the Minerva Stiftung

History Max Planck Society

Today, the Minerva Stiftung, founded in the 1960s as a subsidiary of the Max Planck Society, is the flagship of German-Israeli scientific cooperation. It is financed by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space and works closely with leading universities and research facilities in Israel.