DAAD Research Grant for PhD candidates

Overview

Research grants are awarded primarily to highly qualified PhD candidates who are early in their academic/professional careers or to individuals wishing to earn a doctoral degree in Germany. Funding may also be granted to recent PhDs who would like to conduct research.

This grant is open to applicants in all fields. However, there are restrictions for those in healthcare related fields, including dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine; please contact the DAAD New York office if your academic pursuits are in these fields.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be enrolled full-time in an accredited doctoral degree program or engaged full-time in a post-doctoral position. Those wishing to pursue a complete doctoral degree program in Germany do not have to meet this requirement. (Click here to search a database of international doctoral programs in Germany.)

PhD Candidates applying for short-term grants (one to six months) should have ABD status by the time of application, but no more than four years before applying. Those applying for long-term grants (seven to 10 months) should have reached ABD status by the time of the grant period, but no more than four years before applying.

Post Docs applying for short-term grants (one to six months) should have completed their degrees no longer than four years before the time of application. Those applying for long-term grants (seven to 10 months) should have completed their degrees no longer than two years before the time of application.

Applicants should have a well-defined research project that makes a stay in Germany essential. Preference will be given to applicants who have been invited by a faculty member at a German university to study or do research in a particular university department.
Applicants in the arts, humanities and social sciences should have a good command of German.
Applicants should have received their last degrees no longer than six years before the application deadline.
At the time of application, applicants may not be living in Germany for a period of more than one year.
Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada. Foreign nationals are eligible if they have been full-time students/scholars at an accredited US or Canadian University for at least two years at the time of application.
Prior recipients of a DAAD grant/scholarship should contact DAAD New York before applying to determine their eligibility.

Terms of Award

Research Grants are awarded for periods of one to 10 months. Applicants wishing to complete a doctoral degree program in Germany can only apply for the long-term research grant. They may receive up to three one-year extensions.

Ten-month scholarships must take place during the German academic year (October 1, 2012 to July 31, 2013). Short-term grants (one to six months) with the November deadline must be started between six and 12 months after the application deadline. Short-term grants with the May deadline must be started between four and 12 months after the application deadline.

Monthly stipend is approximately €1,000. In addition, DAAD will pay for health insurance and provide a flat rate subsidy for travel costs (US East: €1075 / West: €1425; Canada East: €925 / West: €1,300).

A very limited number of grantees for periods of seven months or longer may be awarded an additional two-month language course grant.

Grantees may not hold a DAAD grant with funding from another German, German-American or German-Canadian organization for the same period.

Application Guidelines

Check if your university is a DAAD Partner University by clicking here.

If your school is a Partner University, contact the designated DAAD campus coordinator (at the list above). All materials should be submitted to your coordinator before your university's deadline. For the May 15th deadline (Short-term research grant) please apply directly to the DAAD New York office.

If your university is NOT a Partner University, send your application directly to the DAAD New York office. Do NOT send any materials to the DAAD Bonn office.

The application form must be completed online.

Please disregard the "Information regarding your application," the last page of the online application. The information relevant to your application is the following as well as the instructions DAAD New York provides in the Online Application Guidelines and the Instructions for Completing the DAAD Online Application.

Collate, but DO NOT staple, each copy of the application in this order:

1. Signed Application Form
2. CV/Résumé
3. Research Proposal
4. 2 Letters of Recommendation
5. Evidence of Contact with German Institution
6. DAAD Language Certificate
7. For PhD candidates, confirmation of ABD status
8. Transcripts

Submit a total of FOUR copies (1 original, 3 photocopies) of all the above application materials. You may open your official transcript to make photocopies of it. Exception: You may submit just ONE of each of your original, sealed recommendation letters (i.e. no photocopies needed of recommendation letters).

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR EACH PART OF THE APPLICATION:

1) Application Form - Fill out the online application form. Please answer all questions on the form completely. Do not fill in any blanks with the phrase "see attached," even if you must refer to additional material. Do not forget to sign your application.

2) Curriculum vitae or résumé - in chronological/tabular form. Narrative/paragraph-form CVs are not acceptable. Your name should appear on each page.

3) Research Proposal - A precise description of your research plans. The proposal (excluding references) should be not more than five to six pages in length, double spaced. You should include the current status of research being done around the world on your topic (including a footnote/reference section) and a description of why your project is different and important. You should mention the progress of your research thus far in your academic career. You should pay careful attention to theoretical and methodological planning and you should make it very clear exactly what you propose to do in Germany, as well as an explanation of why a stay in Germany is absolutely essential to your project. Your name should appear on each page.

4) Letter of Recommendation - Submit two original letters of recommendation printed on university letterhead, from professors at North American institutions in your field of study. Referees have the option of using the recommendation form available atwww.daad.de/deutschland/download/03118.en.html (referred to as “Reports on scholarship applications”) though it is not mandatory. The form gives a general outline of the points that selection committees expect to find in a recommendation. Recommendations must include an original signature, and enclosed in a sealed envelope. You should submit these with your application package; if your referee prefers not to give them to you or you do not receive them by the deadline date, you may have them sent to the DAAD New York office directly. In some circumstances we would accept faxed letters.

5) Evidence of Contact with a German Institution - Your application will be greatly advantaged if you can provide evidence of any existing contact, or attempt at establishing contact, with academics at your chosen German host institution. It is not necessary to translate the letters of invitation from German faculty. E-mails can be accepted as evidence of contact.

6) DAAD language evaluation form (Sprachzeugnis) (click here to download) - Applicants with any knowledge of German must submit this document. The document should be signed by a faculty member of the German Department at your institution. If you have no knowledge of German and your research/study language in Germany is in English, be sure to submit this certificate anyway, indicating that your research/study language is in English, and write at the top "No knowledge of German." We cannot accept Fulbright forms nor can we accept evaluations from teaching assistants.

7) Confirmation of ABD status - For PhD candidates, submit a letter on university letterhead from your department chair confirming that you are an ABD (All But Dissertation) or that you will be an ABD before you leave for Germany.

8) Transcripts- Submit official transcripts of all post-secondary studies, including explanations of the grading systems. You may submit one official copy and three photocopies of each transcript.

PLEASE NOTE

Please keep a photocopy of the completed application and this Information Sheet for your records.

No reasons for decisions will be given.

Application forms and all supporting material remain with DAAD. Upon request, DAAD will return slides, tapes and drawings to applicants in the fine arts and music. Personal data of applicants and grantees will be stored electronically in DAAD’s computer files only to the extent necessary for the administration of the applications and scholarships in accordance with the German Federal Data Protection Act. Data will be provided to the respective International Student Office (Akademisches Auslandsamt) for successful applicants when necessary to administer the scholarship and provide the scholarship holder with guidance services. Applications of unsuccessful candidates will be destroyed after one year.

http://www.daad.org/?p=gradresearch

Please quote Scholarization.blogspot.com on your application when applying for this scholarship