NHR Graduate School PhD Scholarships 2026

The NHR Graduate School of the NHR Alliance awards up to nine PhD scholarships a year to doctoral students from all over the world. If you have a master‘s degree in computer science, mathematics, the natural or engineering sciences or an equivalent degree and are interested in High Performance Computing, this fellowship provides the perfect opportunity to pursue a PhD at one of the NHR Centers.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineSeptember 15, 2026
• Value2,200 EUR per month
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• The scholarship is awarded for a maximum period of 36 months
• Ph.D. students receive 2,200 EUR per month
• Supervision by internationally renowned researchers: Get the chance to collaborate on groundbreaking research projects, pushing the boundaries of HPC and making a real impact in the field
• Cutting-edge training: Gain access to first-class training programs and workshops conducted by renowned experts, who will equip you with the latest knowledge and skills in HPC
• Six months of research outside the chosen focus at another NHR Center (Secondment)
• Networking opportunities: Connect with like-minded individuals, professionals, and researchers in the HPC community, and make valuable connections for your future career
• Additional offers such as soft skills seminars, career coaching, and mentoring programs

Requirements

The NHR Alliance stands for equal opportunities. For this reason, we encourage applicants of all genders and backgrounds to apply for a PhD scholarship at NHR. 

• Students who have completed a master's degree program in the fields of computer science, mathematics, natural sciences, engineering, or a comparable field
• All applicants must meet the admission requirements for doctoral studies of the supervising NHR Center
• Additional acceptance requirements may be specified in the subject-specific doctoral regulations. Only the information in the respective valid version of the corresponding doctoral regulations of the universities is binding

Application Documents

• Application Form
• Letter of Motivation: The letter of motivation should have a length of 1-2 pages and should describe your academic and professional plans, as well as your motivation and scientific interests.
• Curriculum Vitae: Your CV should have a max. length of two pages and list the details of your education to date, together with your personal academic history, including academic credentials, publications, contributions or other significant achievements.
• Research Statement: The research statement should comprise at least one page but at most two pages. Here you should provide a specific focus on your future dissertation and explain the underlying research project. While you should be familiar with the research work of potential supervisors, prior contact with our faculty members is not required. Please explain in your statement which center might be suitable for you. If you name more than one preferred supervising center, please provide a ranking.
• Academic / University Transcripts: You must provide an official transcript of your degree or proof of an equivalent degree. If your transcripts are not in English or German, an official translation is required.
• Letter of Recommendation: Your recommender must be a faculty member, a professor, or an university teacher who knows you well and can vouch for your academic abilities.

Note: We do not accept letters of recommendations submitted by the applicants themselves and the instructions for recommenders have to be followed!

• Proof of Proficiency in English: If you have completed your formal education at a school, college or university and have successfully completed English as a subject, you can submit an official certificate or a letter from the institution confirming this. This is sufficient as proof of your English knowledge.
  If this is not the case, you must provide an official proof of your English proficiency in the form of one of the tests listed below:

1. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Internetbased Test (iBT) minimum score of 79
2. IELTS (International English Language Testing System): minimum score 6,5 in the academic test
3. C2 Proficiency / CPE (Cambridge English: Proficiency) or C1 Advanced / CAE (Cambridge English: Advanced): minimum score 180 / Grade C.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

• Applications are made via the Application Portal.

For more information, kindly visit the NHR Scholarship webpage.