DAAD Research Grants Scholarship

DAAD Doctoral Programmes in Germany is a scholarship programme offering the opportunity to complete a doctoral degree in Germany. It is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. The programme provides funding for a doctoral project at a state or state-recognised institution of higher education or at a non-university research institute in Germany.

Applicants can apply if they have above-average qualifications and have completed a Master’s degree or Diplom, or in exceptional cases a Bachelor’s degree, by the latest time the funding period begins. Funding supports either an individual project supervised by a university teacher (doctoral supervisor) or participation in a structured doctoral study programme. Research phases outside Germany can be funded when critical for successful completion, with visits limited to no more than one quarter of the anticipated total funding period.

Applications are reviewed by an independent selection committee of specialist scientists. Selection criteria include qualification (academic achievements, academic progress, and knowledge of the language(s) of instruction or working language(s)), quality of the research project (research proposal, preparation, feasibility and consistency of the study plan, and how the project is incorporated into the overall doctorate), and potential of the applicant (career prospects, motivation, German language skills where relevant, and non-study-related activities). Equal opportunities are also considered.

Funding is provided for a maximum of four years. Grants are initially awarded for a maximum of three years, and academic achievements are assessed once a year; if the committee finds you will successfully complete your doctorate within a reasonable period, the scholarship continues as planned. You can apply for an extension for a possible fourth year. Funding must begin in.

• Above-average qualifications.
• Completed a Master’s degree or Diplom by the latest time the funding period begins; exceptional cases allow completion of a Bachelor’s degree by the latest time the funding period begins.
• Most recent university degree obtained no more than six years ago before the application deadline.
• If you have already started your doctorate, the start of the doctorate must not be longer than three years ago at the time of application.
• Your application cannot be considered if you have been resident in Germany for longer than 15 months at the application deadline.
• For applicants from the fields of human medicine, veterinary medicine, and dentistry, other regulations are applicable (referenced as www.daad.de/extrainfo).

• Monthly payments of 1,400 euros.
• Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover.
• Travel allowance (upon application only).
• Annual research allowance of 460 euros.
• Under certain circumstances, monthly rent subsidy.
• Under certain circumstances, monthly allowance for accompanying family members.
• In case of disability or chronic illness, on application a subsidy may be provided for justified additional costs incurred abroad that are necessary to realise the project in Germany and are not covered by a third party; payment and extent are reviewed and determined individually.

1. Register on the DAAD portal.
2. Complete the online application in full.
3. Upload the listed application documents to the DAAD portal under the section ‘Attachments’.

• Full curriculum vitae in tabular form (max. 3 pages).
• List of publications (max. 10 pages), if applicable.
• Letter of motivation (1–2 pages) describing academic and personal reasons for the planned project in Germany; upload under ‘study project/motivation’.
• Research proposal and description of previous research work (max. 10 pages in total), discussed with the academic adviser; upload under ‘research project’.
• If applying for an individual project supervised by a university teacher: Schedule for planned research work (agreed with academic supervisor).
• If applying for an individual project supervised by a university teacher: Letter confirming supervision by the doctoral supervisor; upload under ‘acceptance of host institution’.
• If planning participation in a structured doctoral study programme: Module plan (upload under ‘schedule’).
• If planning participation in a structured doctoral study programme: Proof of existing contacts to the coordinator of the doctoral programme (upload under ‘acceptance of host institution’).
• If planning participation in a structured doctoral study programme: Letter of admission to a study programme (may be submitted later if not available at the time of application).
• Declaration from the scientific supervisor in Germany on safety-relevant and ethical aspects of the research project; upload in the portal under ‘Scientific ethics/research safety‘.
• All university degree certificates already obtained (e.g., Bachelor’s and Master’s), stating final grade(s). If the most recent degree certificate is not available at the time of application, submit it before the start date; upload a provisional document in the meantime.