Forum / Summit•Germany · Heidelberg

Heidelberg Laureate Forum — Young Researchers

Funding

Fully Funded

Program dates

Sep 13, 2026 – Sep 18, 2026

The Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF) is an annual, week-long networking event where 200 outstanding young researchers in mathematics and computer science meet the laureates of the disciplines’ top awards — the Abel Prize, the ACM A.M. Turing Award, the ACM Prize in Computing, the Fields Medal and the IMU Abacus Medal (formerly the Nevanlinna Prize). Run by the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation (HLFF) in Heidelberg, Germany, the 13th HLF takes place September 13–18, 2026. The week mixes laureate lectures, panel discussions and informal exchange, giving early-career researchers direct access to the people who shaped their fields.

Benefits & funding

  • Attendance is free for selected young researchers.
  • HLFF books and covers a single hotel room with breakfast from September 12 to 19, 2026 — each participant has their own room, within a 15-minute walk of the venue.
  • All meals during the Forum week: lunches, dinners and coffee breaks at the venue, breakfast at the hotel.
  • Shuttle bus transfers between Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Heidelberg on the arrival and departure days.
  • Visa support: an invitation letter, travel health insurance and a hotel confirmation, pre-approved by the German Federal Foreign Office.
  • Travel costs are not covered automatically. Selected researchers first seek funding from their own institution or national agency; those who cannot may apply for an HLFF travel grant (a rejection letter is mandatory) that reimburses travel and visa costs. The travel-grant window runs May 4 to June 24, 2026.

Eligibility

  • Students and researchers in mathematics, computer science or closely related fields, at three levels:
  • Undergraduate / Pre-Master: enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s program and not yet holding a Master’s degree.
  • Graduate PhD: enrolled in and working toward a PhD.
  • Postdoc: earned a PhD within the past 5 years (a classic postdoctoral position is not required — private-sector or assistant-professor roles also qualify).
  • Open to applicants worldwide; no nationality or residency restriction.
  • The working language of the Forum is English; submitted documents need English translations.

Application process

  1. 1
    Apply online during the application phase (November 11, 2025 – February 11, 2026, 23:59 CET) or be nominated; nominations are treated equally to direct applications.
  2. 2
    Submit a CV and any awards, and name a referee (who receives an email link to upload a reference). Graduate PhDs and postdocs also submit a thesis-topic summary, transcripts and any publications.
  3. 3
    Reviewers appointed by the ACM, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA) and the International Mathematical Union (IMU) score each application — at least three reviewers per application; the top 100 in each discipline are invited.
  4. 4
    Acceptance or rejection is sent at the end of April 2026; accepted researchers register and, if needed, apply for a travel grant.

Program timeline

  1. Application phase opens

    Nov 11, 2025

  2. Application deadline (23:59 CET)

    Feb 11, 2026

  3. Reviewing phase

    2026-02 to 2026-04

  4. Acceptance / rejection notifications

    2026-04 (end)

  5. Travel-grant application deadline for accepted researchers

    Jun 24, 2026

  6. Mandatory on-site registration in Heidelberg

    Sep 12, 2026

  7. 13th HLF begins

    Sep 13, 2026

  8. 13th HLF ends

    Sep 18, 2026