PhD scholarships
Sufficient funding for the entire duration of the PhD project is crucial for successful completion. The following list contains a selection of the most important scholarship funding institutions and information on further searching tools for securing adequate funding. Please note that if you are funded by a scholarship, you are responsible for taking out health insurance yourself and that it can take up to six months between submitting an application and receiving a possible acceptance.
PhD scholarships from organizations for the promotion of talented students
In Germany, there are thirteen foundations for the promotion of talented students (Doctoral Scholarships - BMFTR) which are funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). These institutions are usually associated with certain political partys or confessions and award funding for dissertation projects in all subject areas. In addition to financial funding, the foundations support their scholarship holders by providing an interdisciplinary training program including, for instance, workshops focusing on key qualifications or recent social developments.
Applicants are not only expected to present a convincing research proposal, but also to demonstrate above-average academic achievement and civic engagement in the interest of the respective foundation.
Please bear in mind that you can only apply for a scholarship offered by a foundation for talented students if you have already found a supervisor for your dissertation and have officially been admitted as a PhD candidate.
Below you will find links to the various foundations for further information:
Common website of all foundations: www.stipendiumplus.de
Avicenna-Studienwerk for Muslim students and researchers
Cusanuswerk of the German Catholic Church (only in German)
Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk for Jewish students and researchers
Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst of the German Protestant Church (only in German)
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) (only in German)
Friedrich Naumann Foundation the Free Democratic Party (FDP)
Hanns Seidel Stiftung of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) (only in German)
Hans Böckler Stiftung of the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB)
Heinrich Böll Stiftung of the German Green Party
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung of The Left Party
Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft of the Confederation of German Employer's Associations (only in German)
Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
DAAD scholarship database
The DAAD supports both research stays abroad for PhD candidates who have been already registered at a German university and international PhD candidates who want to do their doctorate in Germany.
DAAD scholarship programs for stays abroad (only in German)
DAAD scholarship programmes for international researchers
ELFI – Service Center for Electronic Funding Information
The comprehensive ELFI database on national and international research funding opportunities can be searched according to various criteria, e.g., research topics, different formats of funding, and institutions. There is a fee for using the service, but the University of Potsdam has purchased a license so this service can be used free of charge on all PCs within the university's network.
Doctoral Programs in Berlin
The portal Doctoral Programs in Berlin, a collaboration between Berlin's universities and the University of Potsdam, offers an overview of all research training groups and collaborative research centers (SFB), as well as job vacancies and scholarships.
