German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) - Bourse de recherche en Allemagne (2 à 12 mois) / Bourse de recherche dans le cadre d'une codirection binationale ou cotutelle de thèse

DAAD research grant in Germany

You get 1,400 EUR per month to carry out a research project in Germany during your doctorate or in your early post-doc phase. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) also covers your health, accident and liability insurance. For stays longer than 6 months you also get a one-off research allowance of 460 EUR, a travel allowance, and monthly top-ups for rent and for family members who come with you. Language help is included: online German courses, an intensive course in Germany before your stay, and reimbursement of TestDaF or DSH exam fees (the two standard German-language tests). You can also get a green mobility top-up for flights, and extra funding for disability- or illness-related costs.

You choose one of two options. A plain research grant funds one continuous stay: 2 to 12 months for doctoral students, 2 to 6 months for post-docs. A bi-nationally supervised doctorate funds several stays over up to three years, 7 to 24 months in total. Here a supervisor at your home university and one in Germany both guide your work, and you are paid only during the German stays.

Who can apply

• Level: You are a doctoral student, or a post-doc within 4 years of finishing your doctorate. For the bi-national option you hold a Master's or equivalent (a Bachelor's only in exceptional cases).
• Where you study now: You are enrolled at a university or research institute outside Germany. You cannot apply if you do your entire doctorate at a German university.
• Timing: If your doctorate has already started, it began no more than 3 years before the deadline. You earned your most recent degree within the last 6 years.
• Residence: You have spent at most 15 months in Germany by the deadline.
• Field of study: Open to all disciplines.
• Language: In humanities, social sciences and law you usually need good German. In natural sciences and engineering, proof of English is enough if English is the working language where you will do your research.
• Supervisor in Germany: A supervisor at a state or state-recognised university or a public research institute has agreed to take you.

How to apply

You apply online through the DAAD portal. The plain research grant has two deadlines: 1 October 2026 and 1 February 2027. The bi-national doctorate has one deadline: 1 October 2026. An independent expert committee then selects candidates on your academic record, the quality and feasibility of your research project, and your own potential.