CAS-DAAD Joint Fellowship Programme

The CAS-DAAD Joint Fellowship Programme supports joint training and education of PhD students through a cooperation agreement between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). UCAS and DAAD provide funding for an eligible research stay of doctoral candidates in Germany under this CAS-DAAD joint programme.

The programme is aimed at up and coming young Chinese scientists from a CAS institute or the UCAS who wish to carry out part of their doctoral research in Germany. Funding is available for a research stay at a German institution of higher education or research institution, excluding research stays at Max-Planck or Fraunhofer institutes.

Selection is carried out through an interview in Beijing with a selection committee consisting of experts from the CAS and the DAAD in March of the subsequent year. Candidates are invited for the interview after submitting the required application documents through the DAAD Portal.

Funding lasts 12 to 22 months. The programme value includes a monthly scholarship payment funded by UCAS in the first year and by DAAD in the second year, plus health, accident, and personal liability insurance and a lump sum travel allowance. No obligation after the research stay is described in the provided text.

• Nationality: Chinese (implied by “young Chinese scientists” and applicants from CAS institutes/UCAS).
• Applicant type: doctoral candidates or participants in a combined Master and PhD programme.
• Doctoral students must have commenced their studies at least one year before.
• Applicant must be from a CAS institute or the UCAS.
• Purpose: candidates must aim to gain a doctorate in China.
• Research stays at Max-Planck or Fraunhofer institutes are not eligible for funding.
• Doctoral students with a confirmed job offer for after their PhD may not apply.
• No more than three years should have been passed since the starting of doctoral studies or the combined Master and PhD programme.
• Language skills: evidence of one of the listed qualifications is required: IELTS (5,5) / TOEFL iBT (80) (English) or DSH II / TestDaF 4x4 or higher (German).
• Enrolment/programme status: the applicant must be a doctoral candidate or a participant in a combined Master and PhD programme.

• Monthly scholarship payment: 1,350 euro from UCAS in the first year.
• Monthly scholarship payment: 1,200 euro from DAAD in the second year.
• Health, accident and personal liability insurance.
• Lump sum travel allowance.
• Research stay at a German institution of higher education or research institution (excluding Max-Planck and Fraunhofer institutes).

1. Apply online through the DAAD Portal in the period between 4 November and 4 December.
2. Register in the DAAD portal.
3. Request a recommendation form in the DAAD Portal under “Request recommendation form” during the application period and send it to your university teacher to complete.
4. Upload the completed recommendation form under “Letter of Recommendation”.
5. Prepare application documents, including translating documents if necessary (unless already in German or English).
6. Scan documents and save them in PDF format for uploading to the DAAD Portal (translations should be uploaded together with the document in the original language).
7. Fill out the application form and upload the application documents to the DAAD Portal in PDF format.
8. Submit the application online.
9. Ensure all required documents are uploaded to the DAAD Portal; late or incomplete applications cannot be considered.

• Information Sheet.
• Online application form.
• Full curriculum vitae in tabular form.
• List of publications if applicable.
• Extensive and detailed description of the research proposal agreed upon with the academic adviser (signed by the German host professor), uploaded under “Research project”.
• Schedule of planned research work (signed by the German host professor).
• Letter confirming supervision by an academic adviser in Germany, uploaded under “Commitment letter from future university superior”.
• Declaration from the scientific supervisor in Germany on safety-relevant and ethical aspects of the research project, uploaded under “Scientific ethics/research safety”.
• If available, admission to doctoral programme in China.
• University degree certificate indicating final grades (Bachelor and Master: applicants of successive postgraduate-doctoral program submit an education certificate instead of the graduation certificate).
• Certificate of knowledge of German or English language (IELTS / TOEFL iBT / DSH II / TestDaF 4x4 or higher, as applicable).
• Two recent supporting letters of recommendation from university lecturers.
• Other documents which support the application (example: certificates of employment, proof of placements, etc.).
• Translation of Chinese documents (translation must always be handed in).