Research Grants for Doctoral Candidates, Young Academics and Scientists
Objective
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 higher education institution or non-university research institute.
Research grants can be used to carry out
- research projects at a German higher education institution for the purpose of gaining a doctorate either in Germany or in your home country. We would particularly refer to the structured doctoral study programs, such as Research Training Groups or Doctoral Research Groups, International Postgraduate Programs, Graduate Schools, Max Planck Research Schools, etc. Please visit the following website for further information: http://www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/promotion/06546.en.html. We apologise that due to a re-design of the German DAAD website, this link is currently not working.
- research projects or continuing education and training, but without aiming for a formal degree/qualification.
Duration
The length of the grant can be between 1 and 12 months. Ultimately this will be decided by the selection panel, which in some cases may award reduced or extended grants.
Value
Depending on the award holder's academic level, the DAAD will pay a monthly award of 750 EUR (graduates holding a first degree) or 1000 EUR (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.
Award holders completing a stay of more than six months receive a study and research allowance plus, where appropriate, a rent subsidy and family allowance. Funding for attendance of a language course is decided on a case-by-case basis (cf. Requirements).
Requirements
Applications for DAAD research grants are open to excellently-qualified university graduates who hold a (research) Master's or Honours' degree at the time they commence the grant-supported research and, in exceptional cases, graduates holding a Bachelor's degree or already holding a doctorate/PhD (post-docs).
It is required that doctoral candidates wishing to take a doctorate/PhD in their home country will already have been admitted to an appropriate course at their home university.
The application papers must generally include written confirmation of academic supervision by a professor in Germany and expressly refer to the applicant's project, thereby confirming that the host institute will provide a workplace. If the applicant is planning to complete a doctorate at the German host university, the letter of confirmation must come from the academic supervisor (Doktorvater/Doktormutter) for the applicant's doctoral program/thesis.
Applicants who intend to gain their doctorate within the scope of a structured doctoral study program are required to present a letter of admission from their study program or at least proof that they are being considered for admission.
Besides previous study achievements, the most important selection criterion is a convincing and well-planned research or continuing education and training project to be completed during the stay in Germany and which has been coordinated and agreed with an academic supervisor at the chosen German host institute.
German language skills are generally required, although the required level also depends on the applicant's project and topic, as well as on the available opportunities for learning German in the applicant's home country. In the natural sciences and in engineering disciplines, in particular, and when English is spoken at the host institute, proof of good English language skills may also be accepted (resp. being Australian from childhood on). The DAAD decides on a case-by-case basis whether the applicant can attend a German language course before beginning the research grant (free of charge for the award holder). This option is only available for research grants lasting more than six months.
At the time of application, no more than three years should have passed since starting the doctoral process; for postdocs, no more than two years should have passed since gaining their doctorate.
For postdocs who are applying for a short stay (up to six months), no more than four years should have passed since gaining their doctorate.
Applicants who have been resident in Germany for longer than fifteen months at the time of application cannot be considered.
Special note for medical students: Please click here for
specific requirements!
Application papers
Please note that applications for this program must now be made online via the MOVE Portal! This portal will be accessible from August 2013 onwards - more information and links to follow soon!
Apart from your online application, you are also required to hand in a paper copy of all submitted documents. This paper copy still needs to be sent to us at the below address.
We are leaving our Application Packs online for now as a guide, however please do not hand in your application before you have applied online via the MOVE Portal from August 2013 onwards. Thank you for bearing with us during this transition!
Application address and deadlines (Date of receipt at the DAAD Information Centre Sydney):
- 30 September, for stays of more than six months (study stays to run from April/October of the following year; research stays to start between April and October of the following year); you will hear about the outcome around late February.
- 30 September, for short term visits of 1-6 months (stays to start between March and August of the following year) ; you will hear about the outcome around late January.
- 31 March, for short term visits of 1-6 months (stays to start between September of the same year and February of the following year ); you will hear about the outcome around July.
Please submit applications to the DAAD Information Centre in Sydney:
Joern Hausner
Director of the DAAD Information Centre
c/o Goethe-Institut Sydney
90 Ocean Street, Woollahra, NSW 2025, Australia
t (+61-2) 8356 8345 (usually Tuesdays and Thursdays)
f (+61-2) 8356 8314
e daad.australia@gmail.com
Please note that we are only able to accept applications that have been sent in the mail. Please do not hand in your application in person unless you have made an appointment with one of us. Please do not leave your application outside the Goethe-Institut or at Goethe reception.
Late or incomplete applications cannot be considered; applications for "special consideration" cannot be accepted, sorry.
