DAAD Research Grants for Doctoral Candidates
The DAAD supports stays abroad by doctoral students with its research scholarship program (only available in German). This funding scheme belongs to DAAD's individual funding program. This means that those interested can apply for funding directly to the DAAD. The financial support is paid out directly by the DAAD to selected scholarship holders.
We have compiled the most important details on this program for you here:
The following persons are eligible for this program:
- Ph.D. candidates who wish to complete their doctorate in Germany
- Ph.D. candidates in cooperative doctoral procedures at German universities
The following regulations apply to international Ph.D. candidates who wish to complete their doctorate in Germany:
- International Ph.D. candidates who have already received a DAAD Incoming Scholarship for their doctorate in Germany are not eligible for funding in this program!
- A connection to Germany or a well-founded expectation that international funding recipients will return to Germany after their stay abroad must be given.
- Research stays in the home country are excluded.
An application is possible, regardless of whether interested applicants
- are enrolled Ph.D. students or
- have an employment relationship with the Chemnitz University of Technology, or
- pursue their Ph.D. with an industrial research institution.
The decisive factor is that the doctoral project has been formally accepted or proof of the assignment of the dissertation topic is available. If you are in an employment relationship during your doctorate, please discuss the conditions for a stay abroad with your supervisor and the Human Resources Department before applying to this program.
With this program, the DAAD has created a flexible funding scheme that gives you a great deal of room for maneuver.
Funding can cover a period of 1 to 12 months, during which time several stays in different countries and at different host institutions are also possible.
The stay can last from one year to the next, for example from November to March.
During the entire period of doctoral studies, funding in this program is possible twice. The following conditions apply:
- the maximum duration for both grants together: 18 months
- there is a pause of at least 6 months between the two grants
- separate applications for the two grants are required
- no extension of the duration of the individual grants possible
In general, the selection committee decides on the duration of funding in this program.
Please note that, due to the security situation, certain countries (available in German only) are not eligible for funding. Please also consult the website of the Federal Foreign Office for information on possible partial travel warnings (available in German only).
Funding consists of:
- monthly scholarship payment according to the host country
- travel allowance per host country
- health, accident, and liability insurance benefits
- monthly lump sum for research/congress costs (102 Euro per month)
In addition, the following may be granted as well:
- subsidy for any tuition fees up to a maximum amount
- subsidy for a language course in the national language of the host country
- family benefits for accompanying spouses or life companion and/or children
- grant for travel in the host country directly related to the project
- in the case of a disability or chronic illness: subsidy for additional costs incurred abroad that are not covered by a third party
For detailed information on further services, please refer to the DAAD website (available in German only).
The subsidy for a language course in the national language is paid if the stay abroad is sufficiently long and the language course precedes or accompanies the research project. Further information can be found in the DAAD information sheet on language courses (PDF document, in German only).
Participation in summer schools abroad is eligible for funding if it is part of a sufficiently long research stay abroad. It is recommended to coordinate the specific summer school with the DAAD.
Please note that the benefits you receive from third parties will partially count towards your funding in this program.
An application is possible if
- you are formally accepted by the university as a doctoral candidate or
- you have proof of the assignment of the dissertation topic and
- the commencement of the doctorate was no longer than 3 years ago.
The following criteria will be taken into account when selecting the scholarship holders:
Scientific and specialized qualification:
- academic achievements and duration of studies
- scientific achievements after graduation (publications)
The proof is provided by:
- university certificates
- expert reference
- publication list
- CV
- if applicable, a summary of the final thesis
Quality of the research project:
- quality of the presentation of the project and the preparatory work
- originality, timeliness, and relevance of the project
- justification of the stay abroad and choice of the host institution
- feasibility and consistency of the work and time schedule (analysis and evaluation steps, language skills if necessary)
- integration of the project into the overall doctoral project (content/time)
- importance of the research project and the stay abroad for academic and professional plans
The proof is provided by:
- description of the project
- timetable
- expert reference
- proof of contacts with the host institution
- language certificate, if applicable
Further criteria:
- further knowledge and skills (e.g. through professional or voluntary activities, involvement in academic self-administration, further training)
- political, social, cultural, societal, or family (child-rearing and care periods) commitment
The proof is provided by:
- CV
- certificates, if applicable
The DAAD will have three application deadlines per year for this program. Due to the corona pandemic, only one application deadline is foreseen in 2020. Currently, the DAAD has set the following deadlines and schedules:
Application deadline: 31 August 2020
- Selection decision in October/November 2020
- beginning of funding period from January 2021
- Attention: there are currently no expert reports to be submitted by the supervisor
Application deadline: 15. March 2021
- Selection decision in May/June 2021
- beginning of funding period from August 2021
The DAAD will announce the upcoming application deadlines on its website (available in German only).
In order to apply for this funding program,
- the Ph.D. candidate fills in the online application form in the DAAD Portal
- the Ph.D. candidate submits all application documents online via the DAAD Portal
- the Ph.D. candidate generates the form for expert reference via the DAAD portal
- the supervisor sends the expert report by post to the DAAD
The DAAD Portal is usually opened for applications 6 weeks before the application deadline. If you have not yet worked with the DAAD Portal, you should familiarize yourself with this application in good time. The DAAD provides information on how to register with the Portal as well as information on how to apply via the DAAD Portal.
You can submit the application documents in German or English. Please upload all attachments in PDF format into the DAAD Portal.
Please note that the DAAD will only accept the expert report using the form generated in the DAAD Portal.
The expert report is sent to the postal address of the DAAD:
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst e.V.
Kennedyallee 50
53175 Bonn
Applicants apply to the DAAD on their own initiative; it is not necessary to involve the International Office of TU Chemnitz.
To apply for this program, please submit the following documents to the DAAD Portal:
- online application form
- CV
- a detailed description of the doctoral project (5 to 8 pages) with a description of the state of research and its current status as well as reasons for the necessity of the stay abroad
- time schedule for the stay abroad
- university certificates with individual grades
- certificate of formal acceptance of the doctorate or proof of the assignment of the dissertation topic
- confirmation by the foreign host institute on office/lab space and supervision or research permit
- Indication of whether any tuition fees are charged
- summary of the final thesis (Master's, possibly Bachelor's, Magister, diploma or state examination thesis)
- publication list, if available
- language certificate, if relevant for your project
Your supervisor should submit the expert report to the DAAD by post.
Due to the corona pandemic, no expert report is required for the application deadline of 31 August 2020!
You can submit the documents in German or English.
Please refer to the DAAD website (available in German only) for further details on application documents.
- An application by scholarship holders of the Begabtenförderwerke is excluded for this scholarship program!
- Members of DFG Research Training Groups are eligible for funding with restrictions. Detailed information can be found on the DAAD website in section A, 20 (available in German only).
- The DAAD will only pay a top-up for applicants with a scholarship from the state graduate funding program. Please apply via the program GRAFÖG - Aufstockung auf die Landesgraduiertenförderung (available in German only).
- If a scholarship holder receives support from third parties, restrictions may apply. Please refer to the DAAD website in section E (available in German only).
- Simultaneous funding in this scholarship program and from projects of the DAAD program funding, which were acquired through TU Chemnitz, represents inadmissible double funding and is therefore excluded!
- Certain countries (available in German only) are not eligible due to the security situation.
- Restrictions on funding are currently also possible depending on the corona situation.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, we will be happy to help you!
