Research Grants for PhD Students & Young Academics PhD Grants » Student Grants » Research Grants

Research Grants for PhD Students & Young Academics: Research grants provide young foreign academics and scientists with an opportunity to carry out a research project or a course of continuing education and training at a German state (public) or state-recognised higher education institution or non-university research institute.

The prime goal is the funding of the doctoral dissertation. Specifically, this grant serves the following purposes:

research projects at a German higher education institution for the purpose of gaining a doctorate in the home country (this includes the doctoral programmes offered for developing and transformation countries under the "DAAD Sandwich Model" - see Information Leaflet, which is also available on the Internet.

research projects at a German university for the purpose of gaining a doctorate in Germany; for projects of these kinds, we would particularly refer to the structured doctoral study programmes, such as Research Training Groups or Doctoral Research Groups, International Postgraduate Programmes, Graduate Schools, Max Planck Research Schools, etc. Please go to the following website for further information:

research projects or continuing education and training, but without aiming for a formal degree/qualification. Postdocs can also refer to the funding opportunities offered by the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation.
Duration:
Support for full doctoral programmes in Germany is based on a programme length of three years; if foreign graduates first have to qualify for admission to a doctoral programme, then grants can be awarded for a period of four years.
Even when support has been awarded for a full doctoral programme, that award will initially be limited to a maximum of one year.
Extensions then depend on whether or not the evaluation finds the previous award period to have been successfully completed.
Value:
Depending on the award holder's academic level, the DAAD will pay a monthly award of 750 euros (graduates holding a first degree) or 1,000 euros (doctoral candidates).
As a rule, the scholarship additionally includes certain payments towards health insurance cover in Germany.
Furthermore, the DAAD generally will pay an appropriate flat-rate travel allowance, unless these costs are covered by the home country or by another funding source.
Follow the links below for more details and application contacts.

For more information and application see; Research Grants for PhD Students & Young Academics