With the ERA Fellowships – Green Hydrogen programme, the DAAD is promoting research and networking in a strategic future field. Another focus is on its disciplinary working groups, in which international scholarship holders share their experiences, pool knowledge and initiate new collaborations. Numerous testimonials from the programme show how beneficial the exchange is.

Promoting young scientists in the key area of green hydrogen and supporting the development of international professional networks: This is the goal of the ERA Fellowships – Green Hydrogen scholarship programme, which the DAAD has been offering for two years now. The programme is aimed at master's students, doctoral candidates and postdocs. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.

A central element of the programme is the formation of working groups which deal with all segments of the hydrogen value chain—from production, transport and infrastructure to market stimulation and the cross-cutting issues relevant to the hydrogen ecosystem. “Programme participants are automatically part of the working groups and they decide for themselves which group they want to join,” explains Laura Méndez Prencke from the DAAD. Scholarship holders can continue to be actively involved even after their funding ends. Many use this opportunity to network and exchange ideas with other scholarship holders and experts from academia, industry and public administration.

“The working groups offer various benefits to all participants,” says Prencke. “Programme participants can benefit from a network to expand their knowledge, exchange information, create opportunities for collaboration and increase the visibility and reach of their research.” The participating researchers and institutions enter a dialogue with other experts and early career researchers and thus learn about the research of other institutions in Germany and abroad. This creates an inter- and transdisciplinary “Green Hydrogen Community”.

Participants praise the working groups as a “valuable initiative” that supports the development of international cooperation in this strategic area. This also includes the networking workshops that Laura Méndez Prencke organises once a month with speakers from different countries. Over 100 people join each of these online meetings. “There are always very active discussions. We offer a forum for networking and collaboration, and it works.”

“The format promotes open discussions and the exchange of ideas”

Yasmin Lucero Cobos-Becerra (Mexico)
 

“Since the DAAD Green Hydrogen Research Tour in September 2024, I have participated as an expert in several of the online workshops organised by the DAAD. These workshops were consistently well-structured and very relevant to our research activities at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, especially in the fields of green hydrogen technologies and sustainable energy systems. What I particularly appreciate is the fact that these workshops expand the opportunities for meaningful networking and provide a platform to explore potential collaborations. The format encourages open discussions and the exchange of ideas, supporting the development of international co-operation in this strategic area. I have made new contacts that may lead to future joint projects.”

Dr Yasmin Lucero Cobos-Becerra is a scientific officer and deputy head of the Energy and Information department at the Helmholtz-Zentrum für Materialien und Energie Berlin (HZB) and project coordinator of the interdisciplinary project CARE-O-SENE - Catalyst Research for Sustainable Kerosene. She holds a doctorate in environmental engineering and is an expert in international research projects on renewable fuels, H₂ catalysis and Power-to-X.
 

“I got to know a broad spectrum of researchers from many countries”

Kevin Jeffrey Chau (Canada)

“It's impressive how much the DAAD endeavours to support researchers in their projects. I am currently working on my master's thesis on the cumulative impact assessment of green hydrogen in Norway, where I am conducting interviews. The DAAD has provided me with several contacts with whom I have been able to hold discussions, which directly benefits my research. I find the networking workshops and direct consultations, offered as part of the working groups, very helpful and would definitely recommend them to others. For me, it is a very positive experience to get to know such a broad spectrum of researchers from many countries and with different backgrounds.”

Kevin Jeffrey Chau is a Canadian biologist and environmental scientist. He is currently a master's student at the Technische Universität Berlin, specialising in environmental assessment and researching the cumulative impact assessment of green hydrogen.
 

“The variety of topics has broadened my perspective”

Jonathan Moses Ortmann (Namibia)

“For me, the working groups are an enriching experience. The variety of topics covered - from technical aspects of hydrogen production and storage to environmental and economic considerations - has broadened my perspective considerably. In addition, the working groups create many opportunities for networking, and these contacts have already been helpful to me. I was also co-organiser of the Namibia Green Hydrogen Safety and PtX Conference and Tour, a DAAD-supported event that brought together national and international stakeholders. This engagement provided a unique opportunity to engage with other members of the working group and key industry representatives to further strengthen the value of this initiative.”

Jonathan Moses Ortmann is a Namibian scientist with a Master of Science in both Chemistry and Sustainable Energy Systems. His research focuses on Green Hydrogen, Power-to-X and green ammonia.
 

“The working groups offer more than just technical knowledge”

Justine Nelago Auene (Namibia) 

“I learnt about the working groups at one of the first meetings with the DAAD team and am now taking part in the 'production' group. The exchange with representatives from different disciplines is inspiring for me. I have taken part in three international conferences that were fully funded by the DAAD as part of the working group membership. I made important contacts with fellow researchers and experts, some of whom I still talk to about research ideas and possible collaborations. Overall, I find the working groups and networking events extremely useful and would highly recommend them to others in the field. They not only provide technical knowledge, but also a platform to grow as part of a global community working towards a sustainable hydrogen future.”

Justine Nelago Auene is a Namibian chemist at the Namibia University of Science and Technology who specialises in hydrogen research. Her research focuses on the development of sustainable and cost-effective materials for environmental and energy applications.

Text and protocols: Verena Kern (19 June 2025)