This programme offers you the opportunity to do a bi-national doctoral degree at your home university and at a university in Germany.
There are two possible options:
Option a) Doctorate with bi-national supervision:
Your doctoral project is supervised by a university teacher both at your home university and at the host institute in Germany (so-called 'sandwich model'). Your project must be agreed with both supervisors according to the following procedure:
- You start your doctoral degree in your home country.
- This is followed by research trips to Germany.
- You complete your doctorate in your home country and are also supervised by the German academic adviser.
- Your home university awards the doctoral degree.
Option b) Doctorate following the 'Cotutelle' procedure:
Funding is provided for doctoral projects that are carried out at the home university and at a university in Germany according to the so-called Cotutelle model. This is based on an individual cooperation agreement which is concluded individually for your doctoral project by the participating universities. After you have successfully completed your doctorate, the German university and your home university award the doctoral degree jointly.
Table of Content
Summary
- Application DeadlineNovember 17, 2025
- Study LevelPhD
- SponsorDAAD
- Eligible CountryAll Countries
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Benefits
- Monthly payments for doctoral candidates during the stay in Germany: 1,400 euros. Please note that no scholarship payments are made during stays at your home university.
- Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover
- Travel allowances for up to three outward and return journeys unless these expenses are covered by the home country or another source.
- A research allowance of € 460
- Travel and accommodation expenses according to the German Federal Travel Expenses Law for your supervising university teachers for one trip of up to 10 days
- to Germany to monitor progress,
- to your home university to take part in final examinations.
Please indicate the trips in the time schedule (see 'Application documents') when applying.
Under certain circumstances, you can apply for the following additional benefits for uninterrupted stays of over 6 months in Germany after start of funding:
- monthly rent subsidy (please read the important scholarship information / section F, point 9)
- monthly allowance for accompanying members of family. Please also read our important information for scholarship applicants / section F, point 3.
- 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 a subsidy will be paid, will be reviewed and determined on an individual basis (see important information for scholarship applicants, section F, point 8)
To enable grant holders to learn German in preparation for their stay in Germany, DAAD offers the following services:
- Payment of course fees for an online language course after receipt of the Scholarship Award Letter
- if necessary: Language course (2, 4 or 6 months) before the start of the research stay; the DAAD decides whether to fund the grant holder's participation and for how long 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.
- Allowance for a personally chosen German language course during the funding period
- Reimbursement of the fee for a TestDaF or DSH test, which you can take either in your home country after you have received your Letter of Award or in Germany during the funding period
Benefits from third parties are partially credited towards the DAAD scholarship. Information on this can be found in the important scholarship information in section F, point 6.
Requirements
- As a rule, applicants should not have graduated any longer than six years before the application deadline
- If you have already started your doctorate, it also applies that the start of the doctorate should not be longer than 3 years ago.
Please also read our Important Scholarship Information / Section A, point 2.
- Your application cannot be considered, if you have been resident in Germany for longer than 15 months at the application deadline.
Note:
For applicants from the fields of human medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry, other regulations are applicable. Please refer to www.daad.de/extrainfo.
Language skills:
- The required language level depends on the applicant's study plans and subject: In the arts, social sciences and in law, at least a good knowledge of German is usually expected. For the natural sciences and engineering, proof of good English language skills may also be accepted if English is spoken at the host institute.
Interview Dates and Process
An independent selection committee consisting of specialist scientists reviews applications.
The selection criteria are:
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, (e.g. publications, lectures, conference papers)
2. Quality of research project
- Quality of research proposal and preparation (originality, topicality and relevance of the project, choice of host institution and first contacts)
- Feasibility and consistency of study plan and time schedule
- Incorporation of project within the overall doctorate (in terms of content and time), if relevant
3. Potential of applicant
- Career prospects: significance of the research project and stay in Germany for further academic, professional and personal development
- Motivation: academic and personal reasons for wanting to visit Germany, German language skills (if different from working language)
- Non-study-related activities: non-study-related knowledge and skills, civic engagement
The selection committee also gives due consideration to equal opportunities; you can provide relevant information in the application form.
For more information on the selection procedure, go to Important Scholarship Information / Section E.
Application Documents
- Full curriculum vitae in tabular form (max. 3 pages)
- List of your published publications (max. 10 pages), if applicable
- Letter of motivation (1-2 pages): Please describe your academic and personal reasons for your planned project in Germany, taking account of the following question: What do you hope to gain from your project in Germany (personally, professionally, for your career)? Please upload the letter of motivation under ‘study project/motivation’ in the DAAD portal.
- A proposal (max. 10 pages in total): Please write a a description of your research project (prepared and formulated by yourself) which has been discussed with the academic adviser in Germany. Please also read our Important Scholarship Information / section B, point 2. Please upload the proposal under ‘research project’ in the DAAD portal.
- Schedule (informal) for planned research work for the entire funding period (including possible extension)
- Declaration from the scientific supervisor in Germany on safety-relevant and ethical aspects of the research project. Please upload the document in addition to the confirmation from the academic host in the portal under ‘Scientific ethics/research safety ‘.
- Proof of admission to/enrolment for to doctoral studies at the home university, if applicable
- University degree certificate (e.g. Bachelor, Master) indicating final grade(s); if it is not yet available at the time of application, it must be subsequently submitted before the scholarship begins.
- Option a) Bi-national supervision: Written confirmation, agreed and signed by both academic advisers. The confirmation must refer to your project and guarantee that the host institute in Germany will provide you with a workplace. Your research project must have been agreed with both academic advisers. Also read our Important Scholarship Information / section C, point 3. Please upload the confirmation from the academic adviser under ‘acceptance of host institution’ in the DAAD portal.
- Option b) 'Cotutelle model': Individual cooperation contract between the home university and the cooperating German university (Cotutelle contract). If this is not yet available at the time of application, you must submit it later before the funding period begins. In this case, you must upload a confirmation from your academic adviser in Germany, which refers to your project. Please upload the documents under ‘acceptance of host institution’ in the DAAD portal.
- One recent, supporting letter of recommendation from a university teacher which provides information about your qualifications. Please regard the instructions given on the tab 'Submitting an application'.
- All university certificates on all annual examinations with individual grade(s), incl. explanation of grading system.
- Language certificate in the language in which the doctorate is carried out (German or English)
Optional:
- Other documents which support your application (example: certificates of employment, proof of practical training/internships or voluntary commitment, etc.)
Application Deadline
November 17, 2025How To Apply
Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to
DAAD on mydaad.b2clogin.com to apply
Applications for this scholarship programme are possible in the period June until the stated application deadline.
Click on 'Application portal' at the bottom of the page to go to the DAAD portal. There you will be provided with an online application form to enter your application data.
This is what you have to do:
1. Register in the DAAD portal (Read notes about registering in the portal >>)
2. Request recommendation form
You can generate the recommendation form in the DAAD Portal as a writable PDF under 'Request recommendation form'. It can only be generated during the application period. Please send it to your university teacher and ask him or her to complete the form in full. When you have received it back, upload it in the portal under 'Letter of Recommendation'.
3. Applying online in the DAAD portal (Read notes on applying in the portal >>)
- Prepare application documents
- If necessary, translate documents (unless they are already in German or English).
- Scan paper documents and save in PDF format. You can only upload PDF files to the portal.
- Fill out the application form and upload the application documents to the portal in PDF format. Translations, if applicable, should be uploaded together with the document issued in the original language.
- Submit the application online.
Please note:
If you have any technical questions or problems your local information and advice centres could not help you with, please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] via e-mail.
You can also call the technical portal hotline on weekdays from 9-12 and 14-16 (CET/CEST) on +49 (0) 228 882-8888.
Please consider possible processing times of your request when you are planning your application.
Contact [email protected] to make an enquiry.
For more information, kindly visit DAAD scholarship webpage.
