Protestant Academic Foundation - Doctoral Sponsorships (Protestant Academic Foundation)

What you get

You get a monthly grant of 1,050 EUR plus a research allowance of 100 EUR per month while you work on your doctorate. Funding runs for 3 years and can be extended to 3.5 years. You can get a further extension if you care for a child, have a health limitation or look after a relative. If you have a child under 14 in your household, you can claim a childcare supplement. Beyond the money, you join a support programme with meetings across subjects, personal and skills training, religious offerings and gatherings for doctoral researchers. The foundation is the talent-support body of the Protestant churches in Germany. It funds around 250 to 300 doctoral researchers at any one time, across all subjects.

Who can apply

• Level: You are doing a doctorate (PhD) and hold a degree that qualifies you for it.
• Admission: Your university has admitted you to the doctorate by the time you apply.
• Timing: You have worked on your doctoral project for no more than one year when you apply, and you are not in the final phase.
• Church: You belong to a Protestant church. In justified cases non-members can apply too. Either way, you write a motivation letter about your interest in the foundation and your thoughts on religion and church.
• Field of study: All subjects are open, but a Dr. med. and Dr. med. dent. are not funded. A biomedical Dr. rer. nat., a Dr. med. vet. and arts-based doctorates with a mainly academic focus are possible.
• Grades: You finished your studies quickly and with above-average results, at least the grade "good" (in law "vollbefriedigend").
• Where you study: You do your doctorate at a German university. Germans may also do it in an EU country, the UK, Norway or Switzerland.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply. If your degree is foreign, you must be admitted to a doctorate at a German university. If your first language is not German, you need German at level B2/DSH.
• Age: No age limit. If you are over 35, explain your motivation in your CV.

How to apply

You apply through the online portal only. There are two windows a year: 1 September to the first working day in December, and 1 March to the first working day in June. If your documents pass the pre-check, you are invited to an in-person selection interview in Schwerte. You hear back about two weeks later.