The DAAD Research Grants - Doctoral Programmes in Germany fund you to complete your doctoral degree in Germany with monthly payments of €1,400, insurance contributions, a travel allowance and an annual research allowance, for up to four years. The scholarships are funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, and for applicants from the 18 countries covered here the application deadline is 16 November 2026, with funding starting in October 2027. At Youth Works Hub, we went through the full DAAD announcement and organised every rule, benefit and document below.
What the Programme Offers
This scholarship programme offers you the opportunity to complete your doctoral degree in Germany. The scholarships are funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and awarded by the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst).
Who Can Apply?
You can apply if you have above-average qualifications and you completed your Master's degree or Diplom, or in exceptional cases a Bachelor's degree, at the latest by the time the funding period begins.
Two Ways to Do Your Doctorate in Germany
The programme funds a doctoral project at a state or state-recognised institution of higher education or a non-university research institute in Germany. This can be either:
🎒 An individual project supervised by a university teacher (doctoral supervisor).
🏫 Participation in a structured doctoral study programme.
Research Phases Outside Germany
Research phases outside Germany can also be funded if they are critical for the successful completion of your doctoral degree. These visits should constitute no more than one quarter of the anticipated total funding period, and you must give details about the planned visits in your study plan and time schedule in your application documents.
How Long the Funding Lasts
🕰️ Funding is provided for a maximum of four years; the length of the funding period is decided by a selection committee and depends on your project and study plan.
📅 Grants are initially awarded for a maximum of three years.
📋 Your academic achievements are assessed once a year. If this shows that you will successfully complete your doctorate within a reasonable period of time, the scholarship continues as planned.
➕ You can apply for an extension of the scholarship for a possible fourth year of funding.
🗓️ Funding must begin in 2027.
What the Scholarship Pays
💶 Monthly payments of €1,400.
🩺 Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover.
✈️ Travel allowance (upon application only).
🔬 Annual research allowance of €460.
Extra Benefits You Can Apply For After Funding Starts
Under certain circumstances, you can apply for the following additional benefits after the start of funding:
🏠 A monthly rent subsidy.
👪 A monthly allowance for accompanying family members.
♿ In case of a disability or chronic illness: on application, a subsidy may be provided for justified additional costs incurred abroad that are necessary to realise the project in Germany and that are not covered by a third party. Whether and to what extent it is paid is reviewed and determined individually.
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🌍 All opportunities in Germany →
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German Language Support From DAAD
To help you improve your language skills in preparation for your stay in Germany, DAAD offers:
💻 Payment of course fees for an online language course after receipt of the Scholarship Award Letter.
🗣️ If necessary, a language course (2, 4 or 6 months) before the start of the research stay in Germany. The DAAD decides whether and for how long to fund participation depending on language skills and project. If a language course scholarship is granted and the working language at the host institute is German, participation is compulsory.
📖 An allowance for a personally chosen German language course during the grant period.
🧾 Reimbursement of the fee for a TestDaF or DSH test, taken either in your home country after you receive your Scholarship Award Letter or in Germany during your funding period.
Other Funding You Receive
Benefits from third parties are partially credited towards the DAAD scholarship. The details are set out in DAAD's important scholarship information, section F, point 6.
Who Decides: The Selection Committee
An independent selection committee consisting of specialist scientists reviews the applications. The committee also gives due consideration to equal opportunities, and you can provide relevant information in the application form.
Selection Criterion 1: Qualification
🎯 Academic achievements (grade point average, development of grades).
📈 Academic progress.
🔤 Knowledge of the language(s) of instruction or working language(s).
📰 If applicable, scholarly achievements after graduation (for example publications, lectures, conference papers).
Selection Criterion 2: Quality of the Research Project
💡 Quality of the research proposal and preparation: originality, topicality and relevance of the project, choice of host institution and first contacts.
🧩 Feasibility and consistency of the study plan and schedule.
🧬 Incorporation of the project within the overall doctorate (in terms of content and time), if relevant.
Selection Criterion 3: Your Potential
🚀 Career prospects: significance of the research project and stay in Germany for your further academic, professional and personal development.
❤️ Motivation: academic and personal reasons for wanting to visit Germany, and German language skills (if different from the working language).
🤲 Non-study-related activities: non-study-related knowledge and skills, civic engagement.
Eligibility Rules to Check Before Applying
🎓 As a rule, your most recent university degree should have been obtained no more than six years before the application deadline.
🧪 If you have already started your doctorate, the start of the doctorate should be no longer than 3 years ago at the time of application.
🏡 Your application cannot be considered if you have been resident in Germany for longer than 15 months at the application deadline.
🩻 For applicants from the fields of human medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry, other regulations apply; DAAD provides the details on a separate page listed in the Links section.
Countries and Deadlines in This Call
For all 18 countries below, the application deadline is 16 November 2026. Applicants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye have a selection date in March 2027 for funding from October 2027. Applicants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan have a selection decision in March 2027, with funding starting on 1 October 2027.
🇦🇱 Albania: 16 November 2026
🇦🇲 Armenia: 16 November 2026
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan: 16 November 2026
🇧🇾 Belarus: 16 November 2026
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina: 16 November 2026
🇬🇪 Georgia: 16 November 2026
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan: 16 November 2026
🇽🇰 Kosovo: 16 November 2026
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan: 16 November 2026
🇲🇩 Moldova: 16 November 2026
🇲🇪 Montenegro: 16 November 2026
🇲🇰 North Macedonia: 16 November 2026
🇷🇸 Serbia: 16 November 2026
🇹🇯 Tajikistan: 16 November 2026
🇹🇷 Türkiye: 16 November 2026
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan: 16 November 2026
🇺🇦 Ukraine: 16 November 2026
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan: 16 November 2026
"Country" means the country in which you are living and from which you are applying. If you come from another country, DAAD asks you to contact it to find out whether you are eligible. The programme is open to graduates (people who already have at least one first academic degree, for example a Bachelor) and doctoral candidates/PhD students.
Application Period
🟢 Applications for this scholarship programme are possible between 1 June and the stated application deadline.
🔁 Application deadlines are updated annually in the second quarter and are in most cases in the same period as the previous year.
🔒 Access to the application portal only appears while the current application period is running; after the deadline, the portal for this programme is not available until the next application period.
How to Apply on the DAAD Portal
The application procedure takes place online through the DAAD portal:
1️⃣ Register in the DAAD portal.
2️⃣ Request the recommendation form: generate it in the DAAD portal as a writable PDF under "Create Letter of Recommendation Form" (only possible during the application period), send it to your university teacher, ask them to complete it in full, and upload it under "Letter of Recommendation" when you receive it back.
3️⃣ Apply online in the DAAD portal: complete the online application form in full and upload the application documents under "Attachments".
Preparing Your Files
🌐 If necessary, translate documents into German or English (unless they are already in one of these languages); translations are uploaded together with the document issued in the original language.
🖨️ Scan paper documents and save them in PDF format; only PDF files can be uploaded.
📂 Documents may be scanned in non-certified form; the DAAD reserves the right to request certified copies.
📤 Fill out the application form, upload the documents and submit the application online.
Documents for Every Applicant
📄 Full curriculum vitae in tabular form (max. 3 pages).
📚 List of publications (max. 10 pages), if applicable.
✍️ Letter of motivation (1-2 pages) describing your academic and personal reasons for the planned project in Germany, answering: what do you hope to gain from your project in Germany (personally, professionally, for your career)? Upload it under "study project/motivation".
🧠 A research proposal prepared and formulated by yourself, plus a description of previous research work (max. 10 pages in total). The proposal is an extensive and detailed description of the project that has been discussed with the academic adviser. Upload it under "research project".
🛡️ Declaration from the scientific supervisor in Germany on safety-relevant and ethical aspects of the research project, uploaded under "Scientific ethics/research safety".
🏅 All university degree certificates already obtained (for example Bachelor's, Master's), stating your final grade(s), uploaded under "university degree certificates". If your most recent certificate is not yet available, upload a provisional document and submit the certificate before the scholarship start date.
📊 Transcripts of Records (undergraduate and postgraduate programmes) showing individual grades, uploaded under "transcript of records/academic achievements".
💌 One recent, supporting letter of recommendation from a university teacher with information about your qualifications.
🗂️ Optional: other supporting documents, such as certificates of employment, proof of practical training/internships and voluntary commitment.
Extra Documents for Individual Doctoral Projects
📆 Schedule for the planned research work, agreed with your academic supervisor.
🤝 Letter confirming supervision by the doctoral supervisor, uploaded under "acceptance of host institution".
Extra Documents for Structured Doctoral Programmes
🧭 Module plan, uploaded under "schedule".
📞 Proof of existing contacts to the coordinator of the doctoral programme, uploaded under "acceptance of host institution".
📨 Letter of admission to a study programme; this may be submitted later if it is not available at the time of application.
Important Rules on Submission
⚠️ Your application is only valid if you submit all required documents to the DAAD portal by the application deadline.
🕛 The DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs (CET or CEST) on the last application day; if possible, do not apply on the final date in case technical problems occur.
❌ Incomplete applications cannot be considered, and you are responsible for making sure your application is complete.
🗄️ The application documents remain with the DAAD, and your personal data is stored in line with the Federal Data Protection Act and the EU Data Protection Regulation insofar as it is needed to process the application.
Help and Further Information
🖱️ For technical questions or problems that your local information and advice centres could not solve, you can contact the DAAD portal team by email.
☎️ A technical portal hotline is available on weekdays from 9-12 and 14-16 (CET/CEST) on +49 (0) 228 882-8888; plan for possible processing times.
🏛️ In many countries there are DAAD lecturers you can contact with questions about studying or conducting research in Germany.
📘 DAAD also points applicants to its "Important information for DAAD scholarship applicants", the "Doing a PhD and Research in Germany" section, the "Research in Germany" website and "GERiT (German Research Institutions)".
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the DAAD doctoral research grant pay?
The scholarship pays €1,400 per month, plus payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance and an annual research allowance of €460. A travel allowance is available upon application, and a rent subsidy and family allowance can be requested under certain circumstances.
What is the deadline for the DAAD Doctoral Programmes in Germany?
For all 18 countries in this call, the deadline is 16 November 2026. Selection takes place in March 2027, with funding from October 2027.
How long can I be funded?
Funding lasts up to four years. Grants are first awarded for up to three years, and you can apply for an extension for a possible fourth year after annual reviews of your progress.
Can I apply with only a Bachelor's degree?
Normally you need a Master's degree or Diplom by the time funding begins. A Bachelor's degree is accepted only in exceptional cases.
Can I apply if I already started my PhD?
Yes, as long as your doctorate started no more than 3 years ago at the time of application. Your most recent degree should also, as a rule, be no more than six years old at the deadline.
Do I need a supervisor in Germany before applying?
For an individual project you need a letter confirming supervision by your doctoral supervisor. For a structured doctoral programme you need proof of contact with the programme coordinator, and the letter of admission can follow later.
Do I need to speak German?
Knowledge of the language of instruction or working language is a selection criterion. DAAD also offers online and in-person German courses and reimburses a TestDaF or DSH test fee.
Can I spend part of my doctorate outside Germany?
Yes, research phases outside Germany can be funded if they are critical for your doctorate. They should not exceed one quarter of the total funding period.
Who is not eligible?
You cannot be considered if you have lived in Germany for more than 15 months at the deadline. Special rules apply to human medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry.
Deadline
⏳ 16 November 2026
Links
🔗 Scholarship announcement and application portal: https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/?detail=57135739
🔖 Short link to the announcement: https://www.daad.de/go/en/stipa57135739
🩹 Rules for human medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry: https://www.daad.de/extrainfo
📧 DAAD portal technical support: portal@daad.de
