DAAD Funding

International candidates who would like to do the GEAS training program may also apply at DAAD for a Research Grant for Doctoral Programmes, should this exist for their country. Attention: deadlines for applying for DAAD fellowships are often a year prior to the start of the programme.

If you like to apply for this fellowship, please contact the coordinator of the GEAS program before the end of summer. 

KAAD (Catholic Academic Exchange Service)

There are 3 programmes for international candidates at KAAD: scholarship 1 is addressed to post-graduates and to academics living in their home countries who already gained professional experience and who are interested in postgraduate studies (or research stays) in Germany, for a MA, PhD or postdoc.

In Scholarship Program 2 KAAD sponsors advanced foreign students from developing countries who are already enrolled in a German university. Scholarship candidates must be proposed by the corresponding Campus Ministry.

The Eastern-Europe-Program – also administered by regional partner committees – focuses mainly on shorter study or research stays in Germany. Normally we expect that applicants reside in their home countries at the time of applying to KAAD through the regional partner committee.

Berlin Funding for graduates

• Elsa Neumann Stipendium des Landes Berlin (PhD funding for all nationalities)

• Berlin Parliament fellowships for students, junior and senior researchers (from France, United Kingdom, USA, Russia or other post-Soviet states)
• Konsul Karl und Gabriele Sandmann Stiftung (for young Berliners)
• Ferdinand und Charlotte Schimmelpfennig-Stiftung (for Berlin/Brandenburg students in financial distress)

German Foundations

There are several foundations in Germany who offer funding for PhD students in Germany with sufficient German language skills. There is a website which offers all links to the "Werke" (foundations) at

Stipendiumplus

Foundations for specific subjects

• Korea Foundation fellowships (for a PhD program in Korean(-related) Studies in Germany (1 year for international fellows and Korean citizen with permanent residence status in Europe)
• Gerda-Henkel-Stiftung (History)
• Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (German Federal Environmental Foundation, environmental protection)
• FAZIT Stiftung (journalism and social politics)
• ZEIT-Stiftung Beyond Borders (border research, varying research themes)

Special funding for

• single mothers: Christiane-Nüsslein-Volhard-Stiftung
• students with cancer: Stiftung für junge Erwachsene mit Krebs

Special loans

• Daka student loan for students at Berlin universites
• KfW loan for PhD students (German state-centred credit institute)

Research Institutes (mostly PostDoc)

• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)

• Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG)

• Helmholtz Association (HGF)

• Max-Planck-Society (MPG)

• Leibniz Society

• Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH)

• European Research Council Research Scholarship