DAAD Prime Fellowships

DAAD Prime is a highly competitive funding programme for postdocs who plan their professional career in Germany. DAAD describes the programme as open to applicants with above-average qualifications from all faculties. Applicants must have completed their doctorate with excellent results before the start of funding.

DAAD states there are no restrictions regarding nationality and current residency. However, depending on nationality and place of residence, restrictions may apply when choosing the destination country for the period abroad. PRIME includes an approved stay abroad (“destination country” and “country of the period abroad”).

DAAD requires applicants to meet an additional eligibility rule: applicants must have been studying or working in the German higher education/research system for at least three of the past five years to apply. DAAD also advises reviewing the PRIME selection criteria and reviewers’ comments in the provided materials.

DAAD instructs that complete applications must be submitted on time to be considered, and that applicants should allow their potential host and prospective host university enough time to issue an invitation and complete “form 1” referenced in the attachments section. Application documents include a declaration by the German host university, an invitation from the German host, and ethics and document checklists.

• Applicant is a postdoc who plans their professional career in Germany.
• Applicant has above-average qualifications from all faculties.
• Applicant has completed their doctorate with excellent results before the start of funding.
• No restrictions regarding nationality.
• No restrictions regarding current residency.
• Depending on nationality and place of residence, restrictions may apply when choosing the destination country for the stay abroad.
• To apply, applicant must have been studying or working in the German higher education/research system for at least three of the past five years (e.g. doctoral program/research activities).

1. Access the application portal via “Stipendiendatenbank für Deutsche”.
2. In the portal, fill in “Fachrichtung” (subject of your research), “Zielland” (country of the period abroad) and “Programme für: Promovierte”, then select the programme.
3. Register in the portal and choose English as the portal language; activate compatibility view if necessary, and choose English as the browser language.
4. After registration, click the tab “personal funding”.
5. Use the application form available in the application portal.
6. Submit the complete application on time to be considered.
7. Allow enough time for the potential host and prospective host university to issue an invitation and to complete “form 1”.
8. Review the provided FAQs before applying.
9. Submit any questions not listed in the FAQs by contacting “prime at daad.de”.

• Declaration German host university (doc 1, word/pdf)
• Invitation German host (doc 2, pdf only - information for host)
• Ethics Issues Checklist (doc 3, Ethic Issues Form_doc/Ethic Issues Form_pdf)
• Checklist Application Documents (doc 4, pdf)