DAAD Scholarship 2026 for Doctoral Study in Germany with Monthly Funding of EUR 1,400

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers the Doctoral Programmes in Germany scholarship for students and researchers who wish to complete a doctoral degree in Germany at a public or state-recognized university, or at a non-university research institution. The scholarship allows applicants to carry out an individual doctoral project under the supervision of a university professor in Germany, or to join a structured doctoral program, with funding for up to 4 years depending on the project and study plan.

Responsibilities

1. Carry out a doctoral project at a higher education institution or research institution in Germany.
2. Commit to the research plan and timeline submitted in the application.
3. Work under academic supervision in Germany or within a structured doctoral program.
4. Submit a clear research project related to the applicant’s academic field.
5. Research phases outside Germany may be funded if they are necessary for completing the doctorate, provided that they do not exceed one quarter of the expected funding period.

• A monthly stipend of EUR 1,400.
• Coverage of health insurance, accident insurance, and personal liability insurance.
• Travel allowance, if applied for.
• Annual research allowance of EUR 460.
• Possibility of receiving rent support in some cases.
• Possibility of receiving an allowance for accompanying family members in some cases.
• Additional support for people with disabilities or chronic illnesses when needed.
• Possibility of covering an online or in-person German language course before the start of the scholarship, subject to DAAD’s decision.

1. Applicants must have above-average academic qualifications.
2. Applicants must have completed a master’s degree or diploma, or in exceptional cases a bachelor’s degree, before the start of the funding period.
3. No more than 6 years must have passed since the applicant’s most recent university degree at the time of application.
4. If the applicant has already started their doctorate, no more than 3 years must have passed since starting the doctorate at the time of application.
5. Applications cannot be considered if the applicant has been residing in Germany for more than 15 months at the time of application.
6. Special conditions apply to applicants from the fields of human medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine.

Required Documents

1. CV, with a maximum length of 3 pages.
2. List of publications, if available, with a maximum length of 10 pages.
3. Letter of motivation, 1 to 2 pages.
4. Research proposal and description of previous research work, with a maximum length of 10 pages.
5. Timeline for the research work, agreed upon with the academic supervisor.
6. Letter of acceptance or confirmation of supervision from the supervisor in Germany.
7. If applying to a structured doctoral program: course plan or proof of contact with the program coordinator.
8. Statement from the German supervisor regarding the ethical and security aspects of the research project.
9. University degrees and transcripts.
10. A recent letter of recommendation from a university professor.
11. German or English translation of the documents if they are in another language.

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