Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes - Mercator Kolleg für internationale Aufgaben

Benefit

You will receive monthly grant of 2,200 EUR for each active month of the one-year programme (January to December). In addition, you will receive location allowances of up to 800 EUR per month for assignments abroad or in expensive cities, full reimbursement of travel expenses worldwide, a family allowance of 250 EUR per month per child, a contribution towards your German health insurance, and travel and third-party liability insurance for assignments abroad. You will also receive funding for language courses, professional development, conferences and coaching (individual support from an experienced adviser). Over the course of the year, you will undertake two to three self-organised placements worldwide (totalling 6 to 10 months) with international organisations, NGOs, ministries, start-ups or companies. Three seminar phases in Germany and Europe provide the framework for the year. You will become a member of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and part of a network of over 500 former participants in around 60 countries. The programme is run by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and the Mercator Foundation in collaboration with the Federal Foreign Office. 20 places are awarded each year.

Eligibility

• Degree: You must hold a master’s or doctoral degree. A bachelor’s degree alone is not sufficient.
• Work experience: You must have at least one year’s full-time employment since completing your Master’s degree (part-time employment of around 30 hours per week also counts). Work placements and assistant roles are not taken into account. Around ten years serves as an upper guideline.
• Field of study: Open to all disciplines and sectors.
• Languages: You speak English very well and are fluent in German.
• Nationality: You are a German national, or you are permanently resident in Germany, or you are an EU citizen with a German university degree and live mainly in Germany.
• Grades: You have an excellent degree. Law students must achieve at least a ‘very satisfactory’ grade in the first state examination.
• Engagement: You take social responsibility seriously, enjoy interdisciplinary collaboration and are a good team player. Voluntary work is viewed favourably.
• Age: No age restriction. The time spent bringing up children is taken into account.

We particularly welcome applications from people with a migrant background, those who have experienced racism, those from non-academic family backgrounds, those with a chronic illness or a disability, those with a refugee background, and those from the eastern German federal states.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via the application tool by 15. A written pre-selection process will take place in July. Shortlisted candidates will then take part in a digital selection weekend comprising two one-to-one interviews and a group exercise, and will receive feedback one to two weeks later. The next round will start again in spring 2027.

How realistic are your chances?

With only 20 places available each year and a demanding set of criteria (a Master’s or PhD degree, at least one year’s practical professional experience, very good grades, and fluency in German as well as a very good command of English), the pool of applicants is significantly narrowed down even before the selection process begins. If you clearly meet these requirements and can present a compelling project idea on the topic of ‘Europe in the world 2030’, your prospects are good. Demonstrable social commitment and a well-thought-out action plan will set applicants apart from the crowd.