The scholarships offered by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) are awarded to younger university graduates (and in exceptions, also to advanced students) from all academic disciplines as well as from the fields of music, art, and performing arts. Funding is also available for young and early-stage researchers, university teachers and groups of students completing study visits under the guidance of a university teacher. This support is largely financed by the Federal Foreign Office from public funds made available to it.
Scholarships Objective:
The DAAD aims to fund and support foreign students, graduates, doctoral students, and young and early-stage researchers whose previous research and academic achievements place them at least in the top third of their age group and who can additionally be expected in the future to become key players and top performers in their career fields combined with an awareness for the social responsibility which this involves.
Funding is available for stays at state (public) or state-recognised universities and at non-university research institutes in Germany.
Worth of Scholarships
Individual scholarships generally include school fees, and other payments as well, such as travel expenses, health insurance, accident insurance, and personal/private liability insurance.
Eligibility
- As a rule, the minimum age for applications is 18
- At the time of application, generally no more than six years should have passed since the graduate gained the last degree
- In the case of doctoral students, no more than three years should have passed since starting the doctoral process
- And in the case of postdocs, no more than two years should have passed since gaining the doctorate. In the case of postdocs who are applying for a short stay (of up to six months), no more than four years should have passed since gaining the doctorate
- Depending on the country of origin of applicants, for example, special conditions prevailing in the home country education system, etc., exceptions are possible.
Selection Criteria
- Previous academic achievements and examination results as well as the applicant’s particular knowledge in his or her academic field.
- Letter from a German university teacher confirming the provision of academic supervision for the applicant; proof of contacts between the applicant’s home and host institutions.
- Where appropriate, proof of German language proficiency.
- General questions of character and personality which are of significance to the success of a stay abroad.
- Where appropriate, the development policy significance of the proposed project for the home country.
- The extent to which the applicant will be able to apply the experience gained in Germany back in the home country (prospects for career re-integration, particularly relevant in the case of scholarship award decisions for applicants from developing countries).
How to Apply
You must have been accepted by a German university and a letter from them should form a part of your application. There are different processes for different countries. See link below to your home country’s page.
Deadline: Next deadline is October. There are different dates for different programmes and countries. See the country-specific site for more direction.
For more the country-specific information for applicants from your country, click here.