Applicants are invited for DAAD Research Grants-Cotutelle Doctoral Program. These grants are awarded to highly qualified doctoral candidates and graduates who have admission to a doctoral program at the time they begin their grant-supported research.

The aim is to promote bi-national doctoral degrees at the home university and at a university in Germany according to the so-called “cotutelle” procedure); after the degree is successfully completed, the German university and partner institution abroad usually award the doctoral degree jointly.

Scholarship Description:

• Application Deadline: Closed
• Course Level: Grants are available to pursue a doctoral programme.
• Study Subject: Grants are awarded to highly qualified doctoral candidates and graduates who have admission to a doctoral program at the time they begin their grant-supported research.
• Scholarship Award: 
  • Monthly stipend for doctoral candidates in Germany: EUR 1,200
  • Payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance
  • Travel allowance, unless these expenses are covered by the home country or another source of funding
  • One-time research allowance
  • Travel and accommodation expenses according to the German Federal Travel Expenses Law for supervising university teachers for one trip of up to 10 days
    • undertaken by the home university teacher to Germany to monitor progress
    • undertaken by the German university teacher to the home university of the scholarship holder to take part in final examinations.

  The nature of the trips should be specified in the work and time schedule submitted with the application.

  Under certain circumstances, grant holders may receive the following additional benefits:

  • monthly rent subsidy
  • monthly allowance for accompanying members of family

  To enable grant holders to learn German in preparation for their stay in the country, DAAD offers the following services:

  • A very limited number of scholarship recipients may be awarded an additional two-month intensive language course grant. This is decided by the independent selection committee and does not require a separate application.
  • Allowance for a personally chosen German language course during the grant period.
  • Reimbursement of the fees for the TestDaF test taken either in the home country after receipt of the Scholarship Award Letter or in Germany before the end of the funding period.
  • If you take a DSH or GI (Goethe Institute) examination during the scholarship period, the fee may be reimbursed.
• Number of Scholarships: A very limited number of scholarship recipients may be awarded an additional two-month intensive language course grant.
• Nationality: US and Canadian applicants or permanent residents
• Scholarship can be taken in Germany

Eligibility for the Scholarship:

• Eligible Countries: US and Canadian applicants or permanent residents are eligible to apply.
• Entrance Requirements:
  US or Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
  Foreign nationals who live in the US/Canada by the time of application deadline must have gained their last degree in the US/Canada or will be gaining it before the beginning of their funding period.
  All other foreign nationals may need to apply via a different DAAD office.
  Applicants may not have been living in Germany for more than 15 consecutive months by the time of application deadline.
  If you are a German national, you must have been residing in the US/Canada for 6 continuous years at the time of the application deadline. Please call our office to make sure you are eligible.
• English Language Requirements: Applicants must be fluent in English.

Application Procedure:

How to Apply: The application takes place online through the DAAD portal. Your reference has to be sent by post to the DAAD New York office. The portal will close automatically at 11 PM Central European Time (5 PM EST/4 PM CST/3 PM MTN/2 PM PST) on the deadline date. Applicants are advised to start the application process at least one week before the closing date. Check here if your University is a DAAD Partner University

• At a DAAD Partner University: contact your DAAD campus coordinator first and follow the application guidelines for your university’s pre-selection. Please note that your university may have an earlier internal deadline. (if you miss your university’s deadline, you may follow the general application guidelines below). This does not apply to short-term research grant applicants or to performing/visual artists.
• Not at a DAAD Partner University: follow the general application guidelines below.

Application Checklist

Please use this checklist to ensure you submit a complete application. These guidelines are region specific for North American applicants only. You will find some different details on the application portal and the DAAD Bonn website, such as maximum pages; the instructions on this checklist supersede any conflicting information potentially found elsewhere.

Certificates, proof of credits, certifications and translations may be scanned in non-certified form and uploaded to the DAAD portal.

Helpful links for the online portal:

• Step by step Manual for Personal Funding.
• Technical support with the online portal, please email portal(at)daad.de.
• Video below for help with the online portal.

 After you submit your application

• Results will be announced through the Portal at the beginning of April.
• Please DO NOT CALL OR EMAIL. You will receive an e-mail notification 8 weeks after the deadline.
• Application decisions will not be accompanied with an explanation.
• The application documents remain with the DAAD. Data relating to applicants is saved by the DAAD in accordance with the Federal Data Protection Act insofar as this data is needed to process applications.

Online Application

Scholarship Link