how-to-finance

how-to-finance

While HfK itself does not offer scholarships (yet) or financial aid equivalent to a monthly salary, we support you in applying for a PhD scholarship with one of the main German scholarship foundations or the DAAD.  Foundations often have a political or denominational association or select candidates in accordance with their respective mission statements. It is therefore important to apply to a foundation that is the right one for you as an individual, for your PhD topic, or for your career/background. 

The main German scholarship foundations are: 

HEINRICH BÖLL STIFTUNG STIPENDIUM

ROSA-LUXEMBURG-STIFTUNG STIPENDIUM

HANS BÖCKLER STIFTUNG STIPENDIUM

FRIEDRICH-EBERT-STIFTUNG STIPENDIUM

EVANGELISCHE STUDIENWERK VILLIGST STIPENDIUM

STUDIENSTIFTUNG DES DEUTSCHEN VOLKES STIPENDIUM

Heinrich Böll Stiftung Stipendium

Website

Application Deadline: 1st Mars and 1st September (Application link)


Requirements:

Stipendium Promotion

  • Proof of proficiency in German Level B2 or DSH 2 (with certificate)
  • Submission of written application documents: Very good school and university academic record
  • A convincing research project (exposé, innovative line of enquiry, realistic timetable, preliminary work
    that has reached an advanced stage)
  • Social commitment and political interest: Convincing arguments for applying
     

Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Stipendium

Website

Application Deadline: April 1, 2021 (Application link)
The application portal can be found here from February 18, 2021.


Requirements:

Promotionsstipendium

Stipendien Programm

  • Admission to a doctorate at a state or state-recognized university in Germany, PhD students with German citizenship can also be in another EU country or be admitted to doctoral studies in Switzerland.
  • Proof of a completed master's degree
  • Very good academic performance
  • Social commitment as defined by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation
  • Very good knowledge of German (B2 level - proof of language acquisition) - they do not sponsor any German language courses!
  • In the case of a doctorate at a German university (doctoral approval required in Germany), the maximum funding period is two years. Further extensions can be applied for - twice for six months each time, plus a maximum of one year for parents, for reasons of illness or for other serious impairments.

Hans Böckler Stiftung Stipendium

Website

Application Deadline: from August 15th to November 12, 2020 (inclusive)
from February 15th to May 27, 2021   (Application link)


Requirements:

Promotion

Doctoral students from all disciplines who are admitted to a doctorate at a state or state-recognized
university are funded. The age limit is 40 years.
A speedy study course is a prerequisite for funding. If possible, the doctoral project should have
sociopolitical relevance and a meaningful contribution to research can be expected.
We are currently not sponsoring doctorates abroad. 

Documents

  • CV, tabular
  • Examination certificate or official proof of the final grade of the degree program entitled to a doctorate.
    Description of the doctoral project (synopsis) with work plan, schedule and Outline draft in English or German (for an English-speaking Exposé additionally a max. two-page summary in German); List of literature for the synopsis, Expert opinion from the academic supervisor
  • Official letter from the institution with signature and date
  • Admission to doctoral studies (individual funding: to be submitted, if available; doctoral colleges and young research groups: not to be submitted for the time being)
  • Doctoral regulations at your university
  • German C1 language certificate (if not a native language).
  • Documents required to apply for a doctoral scholarship - Individual doctorate - Page 2 of 2
  • Other possible documents in pdf format (no mandatory documents):
  • Further academic diplomas (e.g. Bachelor; without certification
  • Letter of reference / proof (s) of commitment,
  • Further letters of recommendation, if applicable,
  • Current certificate of enrollment, if applicable.

 

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Stipendium

Website

Application Deadline for doctorate candidates: At any time.
 

Requirements:

Application

  1. Fill out our online application.
    Application form Promotion of doctorates for foreigners
    Application form PhD funding for Germans and Educational residents inside
  2. If you are eligible for a scholarship, further documents will be requested from you by e-mail: two expert
    reports from university professors as well as information about your previous training and your socio-
    political commitment.


Required documents and information for the preparation of expert opinions PhD funding

  • Letter of motivation (possibly more detailed than with the online form) for your Application to the Friedrich Ebert Foundation
  • Detailed synopsis (approx. 10-15 pages) on your dissertation project in which the following points must be addressed: Problem / question,
  • Relevance of the topic and the state of research, Methodological considerations for carrying out the dissertation, Structure, Time schedule, Bibliography
  • Complete curriculum vitae in tabular form
  • Detailed (= formulated) curriculum vitae (max. 2 pages)
  • Abitur certificate or other university entrance qualification document (Certifications are not required)
  • Degree certificate (s) with a breakdown of grades (Certifications are not required)
  • Unconditional notification of admission to doctoral studies
  • Applies only to foreign and refugee students:
  • Language certificate, b) Copy of residence status
  • Brief description of your current economic situation
  • If necessary, Passport photo
  • If applicable Certificates of professional training and employment (chronological). (Certifications are notrequired.)
  • An assessment from the supervisor of your dissertation and another Expert opinion from a second university professor.


Please note: Please do not submit these reports to the Friedrich Ebert Foundation yourself, but rather have
them sent by your reviewers by email (max. 1 MB)
Send the contact person responsible for you.

Evangelische Studienwerk Villigst Stipendium

Website

Stipendium
 

Application Deadline: December 1st and June 1 st - The portal is opened since the beginning of October 2020


Requirements:

  • Belonging to a Protestant church (exceptions in justified cases - see FAQ)
  • Quickly completed studies
  • Above-average study and examination performance (final grade at least "good", in law "fully satisfactory")
  • Degree giving entitlement to a doctorate
  • Admission to the doctorate by the university
  • Students with a foreign degree can apply if they are admitted to a university in the Federal Republic of Germany for a doctorate.
     

Link to Checklist

  • 2 reports from professors or professors who have qualified as a professor, one of them from the supervisor of the doctoral thesis (information on the reports [PDF])
  • Detailed synopsis
  • Separate, one-sided explanation of the research topic in German
  • Structure of the planned dissertation
  • Time schedule
  • Tabular CV
  • Formulated curriculum vitae
  • Certificates (Abitur certificate, B.A. including performance reports, M.A. including performance records or equivalent certificates (1st state examination, etc.)) with individual grades and overall grade
  • Admission to the doctorate by the doctoral committee of the university or the department informal justification of non-Protestant applicants (letter of motivation - please state your interest in the Protestant Studienwerk and your thoughts on religion and church)
  • Certificate for German language skills B2 / DSH (for non-German speaking applicants)
  • informal justification if the doctoral project is implemented abroad
  • Informal justification if the doctoral project is written in English (only required for German applicants).
  • Online application.

Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes Stipendium

Website
Studienstiftung

Application Deadline: At any time.

Requirements (link):

  • Admission to the doctorate at the university at which the dissertation is submitted.
  • Last degree must not be more than four years ago
  • You can apply in the last semester of your studies.
  • the completed application form (cover sheet of the application) (download word file / pdf file)
  • the questionnaire for applicants (download word file/pdf file)
  • the questionnaire for first reviewers (download word file/pdf file)
  • optionally the English questionnaire for first reviewers (download word file / pdf file)
  • if available, a copy of the supervision or doctoral agreement
  • the applicant's curriculum vitae, both in tabular and formulated form
  • a copy of the applicant's diploma (or a provisional certificate) with all the individual grades for the performance, examinations and thesis relevant to the exam, as well as the weighted overall grade
  • If available, a copy of the Bachelor's certificate with all individual grades of the exam-relevant achievements, examinations and the thesis as well as the weighted overall grade
  • a résumé of the written thesis (if the preparation of a thesis is customary in the respective subject) - on two to three pages
  • the synopsis of the dissertation project (German or English; maximum 20 pages including bibliography), which should include the following parts: Working title, Abstract (about half a page), Key terms that outline the field of work, Introduction, Research question/problem/working hypothesis, Research status / own preparatory work, Methodology / preliminary structure, Time and work schedule, Bibliography or corpus of the archival material to be include,
  • Proposal form for expert reviewers (download word file / pdf file)
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