Funding Programmes

Quite a few German funding organisations provide scholarships and other funding resources for research stays abroad in the scope of a doctorate. In addition, you can apply for scholarships for research purposes in many possible destination countries. Here you will find an overview on the most important funding programmes.

ERASMUS+ Programme

Doctoral students can receive an Erasmus+ grant for a research stay at a European partner university. The minimum stay would be 3 months, maximum 12 months. Please get in touch with the International Office for further information.

Qualification Fund

Leuphana University encourages young researchers to improve their academic skills and supports the active participation in international conferences and workshops or summer schools abroad. For further information please contact the Graduate School.

German Academic Exchange Service

The Research Fellowships for Doctoral Students program offers flexible funding periods between one and twelve months. The fellowship can be split into several shorter stays and distributed among different host countries and is open to applicants from all disciplines. Funding for binational doctoral studies (Cotutelle) can also be applied for in this program. More info (the scholarship provider unfortunately only provides German information).

Deutsch-Französische Hochschule

The "Deutsch Franzölsische Hochschule" supports joint Franco-German doctoral studies (cotutelles). Applications can be made for three-year funding to prepare for the doctorate as well as for funding for the disputation. For more information please visit the website of the DFH (the scholarship provider unfortunately only provides German information).

Max Weber Foundation

The aim of the foundation is to promote research in the humanities, social and cultural sciences. With this goal in mind, the foundation maintains ten research institutes in various countries abroad and supports German and foreign scientists and young researchers, including more than 100 doctoral students per year. For more information please visit the foundation's website.

Minerva Foundation

The Minerva Foundation has been promoting scientific exchange between Germany and Israel for over 50 years. Applications can be submitted for German-Israeli Minerva Schools as well as for the Minerva Fellowship Program for research stays of doctoral students and post-docs in Israel or Germany. For more information please vsiti the Foundation's website.

ILSSE

ILSSE stands for “Israel-Lower Saxony Scholar Exchange” and is the only program of its kind dedicated to promoting academic cooperation between a German federal state and Israel and the Palestinian territories. ILSSE is supported by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture, as well as by donations from leading companies in Lower Saxony, the Jewish Community Association in Lower Saxony, and the Leibniz Universitätsgesellschaft e.V. ILSSE facilitates students, scholars, researchers and academics from Lower Saxony and Israel/Palestinian territories in undertaking short visits to one of the participating institutions in the partner country. For more information please visit the website.

Fritz Thyssen Foundation

The foundation also supports doctoral students within the framework of international scholarship and exchange programs. For more information please visit the website of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.

Studienstiftung

Some of the foundation's scholarship programs also support research stays abroad for doctoral students. Further information can be found on the website of the Studienstiftung.

German-American Fulbright Commission

The commission announces scholarships for doctoral students who would like to conduct a four to six month research project in the USA. For more information please visit the website of the Fulbright Commission (the scholarship provider unfortunately only provides German information).

Scholarships of the French Government

The French government offers graduate level scholarships at French institutions for German nationals to collect materials for research purposes. The scholarships are for a period of two weeks and apply to students of Humanities. Applications, dependent on Curriculum Vitae and Project description are ongoing for minimum 3 months before the beginning of the stay and should be sent to:  

• Ambassade de France en République Fédérale d’Allemagne
  Service Culturel, Relations Universitaires
  Pariser Platz 5, 10117 Berlin
• Info

Deutsch-Französisches Jugendwerk

The DFJW awards scholarships for the preparation of Theses. Doctoral students who are not older than 30 years can receive support for a stay in France in order to collect material and resources. The scholarship is open to all disciplines and can be applied for a duration from between 2 to 4 weeks. Depending on language ability, one can apply for a scholarship for a language course. More information can be found here.

The State of Israel invites for German graduates in all discipline’s scholarships for Research Projects at an Israeli university. More information and various application forms can be found here: Israeli Embassy in Germany.

The Italian government offers scholarships for Germans for studies and research stays at a recognized Italian university. They accept applications from all disciplines (except Arts and Music). All information, requirements and application procedures can be found here.

Japan Research Fellowship

The Canon Foundation in Europe grants up to 15 research fellowships annually to highly qualified European and Japanese researchers. Candidates should hold a doctorate or at least a master’s degree. They are eligible during the ten year period following the successful completion of their PhD or master's degree. Non-nationals have to have a permanent citizenship in either Europe or Japan. The European fellowship holders pursue a period of research in Japan whereas the Japanese fellows do their research at host institutions in Europe. The fellowships are awarded for a minimum period of three months and a maximum period of one year. Applications for research fellowships in all fields of research are welcome. More information

JSPS Summer Program in Japan

Short term scholarships for young researchers to carry out research stays of two months at a state university and selected research institutes. Part of the scholarship is an intensive one week Introductory course. For more information visit JSPS.

JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship (short-term), for Doctoral students and Postdocs

• All disciplines
• Not available for Participants of the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship (standard)
• Duration: 1-12 month (doctoral students), 1-6 months (postdocs): application through DAAD
• Postdocs with stays of more than 6 months: application at A.v.Humboldt-Stiftung or through the Host at JSPS Tokyo

A Database with scholarships for Graduates and Post Doctorals in Canada can be found here

The government of the Republic of South Korea offers scholarships to German Graduates and Doctoral students for studies and research stays in Korea. National Institute of International Education.

The government offers New Zealand International Doctoral Research Scholarships. More information can be found on the website of Education New Zealand.

• The Romanian Cultural Institute (Institutul Cultural Român, ICR) offers a scholarship programme for foreign researchers.
• The New Europe College (NEC) offers funding schemes.

The Spanish government offers yearly scholarships for students and Graduates. More information can be found under www.mae.es and www.aecid.es.

The Fulbright Commission offers Academic exchanges between the USA and 180 countries, including Germany. Among other things, the Commission offers scholarships to Doctoral students, who are beginning their Doctorate and are planning a research stay at an American host university.

Eva Voßhagen
International Coordinator / Outgoing Students & Staff
International Office / C14.111b
+49.4131.677-1073
eva.vosshagen@leuphana.de