Blockchain Research Lab Scholarships — Research Program

The Blockchain Research Lab (BRL) is a non-profit research institute in Hamburg, Germany, registered as a gGmbH and devoted to independent research on blockchain technology and what it means for society. It awards scholarships so that junior scientists can spend up to two years on a blockchain research project of their own, on the reasoning that gifted young scientists are an intellectual resource worth putting to work for society. Three groups are funded: postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, and students enrolled in a master’s programme.

The lab says it supports high-potential junior scientists domestically and abroad, and it asks holders to publish what they find so the results reach the public. Scholarships are awarded through calls for applications announced on the lab’s own site, its social media, and scholarship databases; the scholarships page currently states that there are no vacancies.

Benefits & funding

Postdoctoral researchers: €2,000 per month for a full scholarship.
PhD students: €1,800 per month for a full scholarship.
Master’s students: €400 per month.
Part-time scholarships are agreed proportionally to the reduced workload.
Granted first for six months, extendable on application by up to 18 further months — two years in total is the maximum.
Financial and personal support to pursue a self-directed research project; an overview of the funded research is published on the lab’s website unless the holder objects.

Eligibility

Open to anyone aged 18 or over who wants to conduct research on blockchain technology for up to two years.
Three tracks: postdocs, PhD students, and students enrolled in a master’s programme. Cases outside these groups are examined individually.
Fluency in English in writing and speech is required. All application documents must be in English, and certificates in another language need a certified translation.
No nationality or residency requirement is stated anywhere in the guideline; the lab funds junior scientists in Germany and abroad.
A scholarship cannot be combined with other funding for the same work or with full-time employment.
Selection weights: quality of the scientific idea 40%, achievements and commitment 30%, educational performance 30%. Where qualifications are equal, women are given preference.
Outside the scope of the programme: projects that do not match the lab’s aims, support for financial hardship, loans, mixed financing, institutional costs, and questions that have already been answered.

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.

Education required
Bachelor · Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled · PhD
Age requirement
≥ 18 yrs

Check my eligibility — free

Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.

We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.

Application process

1
Watch the lab’s website and social channels for a call for applications. Each call names the expected number of scholarships, the research topics, the funding period, the documents required, and the deadline.
2
Prepare the documents in English, as PDFs of no more than 3 MB: a tabular academic CV, a one-page motivation letter, graduation certificates, a statement of scholarships received previously, a declaration to report any change of circumstances, and a certificate of enrolment for anyone currently studying.
3
Send the application to application@blockchainresearchlab.org, or by post to Blockchain Research Lab gGmbH, Personalabteilung, Weidestraße 120b, 22083 Hamburg, Germany.
4
Shortlisted candidates are invited to an interview with the selection committee, made up of BRL partners and executive directors.
5
The committee decides by simple majority and may keep a reserve list. Every applicant receives a written result within six weeks of the deadline.
6
To continue beyond the first six months, submit an extension request with a progress report of about five pages by the fifth working day of the sixth month; the committee answers within seven working days.

Program timeline

No dated cycle is published
the lab opens calls when scholarships are available, and the page currently lists no vacancies.
Call for applications
sets that round’s deadline and funding period.
After the deadline
applications checked against the criteria, interviews for shortlisted candidates.
Within six weeks of the deadline
written decision to every applicant.
Months 1–6
first scholarship term.
Fifth working day of month 6
extension request due; committee decides within seven working days.
Month 24
maximum end of funding.