Scholarships of the University of Potsdam for Doctoral Candidates

Universität Potsdam offers “Stipendien der Universität Potsdam für Promovierende,” including both Promotionsstipendien and Promotionsabschluss-Stipendien. The page explains that Stipendien are awarded by funding organisations supported by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung and the Bundesministerium des Inneren. It states that the support includes financial and ideal offers.

The page describes eligible people as “deutsche und EU-europäische Studierende” and others covered by § 8 BAföG. It also frames the opportunity as available to PhD candidates (“Studierende und Promovierende”) who are highly motivated, high-achieving, and engaged in society. Further programme or university coverage is not specified for the Potsdam PhD stipends.

For becoming a scholarship holder, the page directs applicants to the respective foundations for information on scholarships and application documents. At Universität Potsdam, it says counselling is available via the Zentrale Studienberatung and by Vertrauensdozent*innen. After admission to their programme, applicants can submit their application documents to the chosen funding organisation, and the page recommends submitting no later than the end of the second Fachsemester.

Regarding duration and obligations, the page states that scholarship foundations aim to support students for as long as possible. It adds that the start of support should ideally leave at least four Fachsemester ahead, often including an additional Master’s programme or a subsequent PhD. It also notes that applicants should ask the chosen foundation about deviations from this rule.

• Applicant type: PhD candidates (“Promovierende”) are included in the target group for the funding opportunity
• Motivation/profile: “highly motivated, high-achieving and socially engaged” students and PhD candidates
• Nationality/background: “German and EU-EU students” and people who are “correspondingly according to § 8 BAföG”
• Enrolment timing: application materials can be submitted once the applicant has been admitted to their programme

• Financial support
• Ideal support (“ideelle Angebote”)

1. Get information on the relevant scholarship and application documents from the respective foundations (“Informationen über die Stipendien beziehungsweise Bewerbungsunterlagen sind bei den jeweiligen Stiftungen erhältlich”).
2. Use support at Universität Potsdam: contact the Zentrale Studienberatung and/or Vertrauensdozent*innen for guidance on applying.
3. After admission to your programme, send your application documents to your chosen funding organisation.
4. Submit by the end of the second Fachsemester at the latest (later submission may be too late, and foundations want to support for as long as possible).

• Application documents (“Bewerbungsunterlagen”); specific documents are not listed and are said to be available from the respective foundations