+DAADHome / General information for scholarship applicants

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General information for scholarship applicantsThe Scholarship Database [http://www.daad.de/deutschland/foerderung/stipendiendatenbank/00462.en.html]containsdetails on the programmes offered by the DAAD and by other scholarship awarding organisations for foreign students,academics and researchers interested in finding sources of funding to complete study or research stays in Germany.

Besides the programmes listed here, a number of more specialised funding programmes are also available for specificcountries or regions which are not mentioned in the database. Information on these can be obtained from the DAADRegional Offices [http://www.daad.de/portrait/kontakt/adressen/08965.en.html], the GermanMissions Abroad [http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Laenderinformationen/03-WebseitenAV/Uebersicht_node.html](Embassies and Consulates General) or from the relevant offices at universities [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] abroad, for example, the InternationalOffice.

The scholarships offered by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) are awarded to younger university[http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] graduates (and in exceptions, also to advancedstudents) from all academic disciplines as well as from the fields of music, art, and performing arts. Funding is alsoavailable for young and early-stage researchers, university[http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] teachers and groups of students completing studyvisits under the guidance of a university [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] teacher.This support is largely financed by the Federal Foreign Office from public funds made available to it.

The DAAD policy on awarding scholarships is as follows: the DAAD aims to fund and support foreign students,graduates, doctoral students, and young and early-stage researchers whose previous research and academicachievements place them at least in the top third of their age group and who can additionally be expected in the future tobecome key players and top performers in their career fields combined with an awareness for the social responsibilitywhich this involves.

Funding is available for stays at state (public) or state-recognised universities[http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] and at non-university research institutes inGermany.

As a rule, the minimum age for applications is 18. At the time of application, generally no more than six years shouldhave passed since the graduate gained the last degree; in the case of doctoral students, no more than three yearsshould have passed since starting the doctoral process; and in the case of postdocs, no more than two years shouldhave passed since gaining the doctorate. In the case of postdocs who are applying for a short stay (of up to six months),no more than four years should have passed since gaining the doctorate. Depending on the country of origin ofapplicants, for example, special conditions prevailing in the home country education system, etc., exceptions arepossible. Further country-specific information is available on the DAAD website: www.daad.de/stipendien[http://www.daad.de/stipendien/en/index.html].

Application papers and deadlinesInformation on the application papers to be submitted can be found in the application form ("Antrag auf einForschungs-/Studienstipendium" / "Application for a Research Grant/Study Scholarship), which is available on theDAAD website (www.daad.de/en/form) [http://www.daad.de/deutschland/download/03118.en.html] or can be obtained direct from the German Missions Abroad (Embassies and Consulates General)

Deutscher Akademischer Austausch DienstGerman Academic Exchange Service

+[http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Laenderinformationen/03-WebseitenAV/Uebersicht_node.html], from the DAAD Lektors, the DAAD Regional Offices[http://www.daad.de/portrait/kontakt/adressen/08965.en.html], and the DAAD InformationCentres (ICs) [http://www.daad.de/portrait/kontakt/adressen/08965.en.html], as well as frompartner organisations. Applications for some countries and programmes require that the application form is completedonline. Information on this can be found in the country-specific information published on the DAAD Homepage (www.daad.de/stipendien [http://www.daad.de/stipendien]) or on the websites of the DAAD RegionalOffices [http://www.daad.de/portrait/kontakt/adressen/08965.en.html] or the DAADInformation Centres (ICs) [http://www.daad.de/portrait/kontakt/adressen/08965.en.html], fromwhere the application forms can be accessed. Applications can only be processed when they have been submittedin full, including all required papers and documents. Most programmes require applications to be submitted inmultiple. Incomplete applications (including missing papers or documents) cannot be processed by the DAAD and willresult in the applicant's exclusion from the selection process.

You can find information on the precise deadlines for the submission of applications and on the address to whichapplications must be submitted as well as additional country-specific information by going to the DAAD website: www.daad/de/stipendien [http://www.daad.de/stipendien/en/index.html]. You can also obtain thisinformation direct from the DAAD Regional Offices[http://www.daad.de/portrait/kontakt/adressen/08965.en.html] or from the German Mission(Embassy or Consulate General) [http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Laenderinformationen/03-WebseitenAV/Uebersicht_node.html] in your home country.Selection process and selection criteriaAs a rule, a pre-selection round or an assessment of incoming applications is carried out by a pre-selectioncommittee. The pre-selection committee may be made up of local university[http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] teachers (with special consideration given toformer DAAD scholarship holders and former Alexander von Humboldt Foundation scholars), of DAAD-placedGerman university [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] teachers and Lektors,Goethe Institute [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Institut--53] lecturers, representatives of therelevant ministries, representatives of partner organisations of the DAAD, or of representatives from the relevantDAAD Regional Office. The final decision is generally made by a Selection Committee of German university[http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] teachers on which staff members from DAADHead Office in Bonn also s.t. [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/sine-tempore--91] However, thelatter only sit on the committee in a non-voting capacity.

The Selection Committee for the final decision is appointed by the DAAD Executive Committee on the basis ofacademic and regional factors. The Selection Committee members review the submitted applications, in general, andthen judge

the reasons given for the application on the basis of their knowledge of the general and academic circumstancesin the applicant's country of origin and in Germany,the plausibility and feasibility of the project,the status of preparations for the stay in Germany,how the stay is integrated into the applicant's study pathway or academic career,the applicant's academic qualifications and language skills.

Where necessary, the Selection Committee may request additional reports, references or recommendations fromrepresentatives of the subject in question.

The applicant's academic qualifications and personal suitability are the decisive factors in all scholarship awarddecisions. The DAAD Selection Committees will above all base their decision

on the proof of academic achievements which students submit (credits, certificates, etc.),on reports, references or letters of recommendation submitted by university

+on reports, references or letters of recommendation submitted by university[http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] teachers, andon a description of the study or research project in question.

Specifically, the following selection criteria will be taken into consideration:

Previous academic achievements and examination results as well as the applicant's particular knowledge in his orher academic field.Letter from a German university [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] teacherconfirming the provision of academic supervision for the applicant; proof of contacts between the applicant'shome and host institutions.Where appropriate, proof of German language proficiency.General questions of character and personality which are of significance to the success of a stay abroad.Where appropriate, the development policy significance of the proposed project for the home country.The extent to which the applicant will be able to apply the experience gained in Germany back in the homecountry (prospects for career re-integration, particularly relevant in the case of scholarship award decisions forapplicants from developing countries).

Once the application has been reviewed, it will be rated on the basis of a points system. This is then used to producea ranking list and finally to award the scholarships in accordance with the number of available places. Decisions aredocumented in writing at DAAD Head Office. Applicants are advised of the results of the selection process. Thediversity of assessment elements, their weighting in relation to each other and the assurance of absoluteconfidentiality of the decision-making process in the Selection Committee mean that applicants are not advised ofthe reasons for decisions.German language proficiencyThe level of German language proficiency which applicants are required to have is primarily dependent on the plannedstudy or research project. Foreign students wishing to matriculate[http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Einschreibung--8] at a German university[http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] must, as a rule, present proof of adequateproficiency in the German language.

Students can prove their German language skills by presenting one of the following language proficiency certificates:the "Deutsche Sprachpr fung f r den Hochschulzugang (DSH)" or the "Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache(TestDaF)". However, students who gained the "Abitur" school leaving certificate at a German school abroad or whohold one of the following language certificates "Sprachdiplom der KMK (Stufe 2)", "Kleines Deutsche Sprachdiplom"or "Gro es Deutsche Sprachdiplom" of the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, or the "Zentrale Oberstufenpr fung" of the Goethe-Institute will also be exempted from this requirement.

The DSH and TestDaF (TDN) certificates are each made up of three stages or levels: DSH-1, DSH-2, DSH-3 andTDN 3, TDN 4, TDN 5. An adequate knowledge of German is considered to have been proven when applicants passthe DSH with at least a grade point average score of DSH-2 or when applicants achieve at least TDN 4 levellanguage skills in all TestDaF examination sections. In the case of lower scores (i.e. DSH-1 or TDN 3), the university [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] in question is responsible for decidingon admission.

You can find detailed information on the TestDaF here [http://www.daad.de/deutschland/deutsch-lernen/wo-deutsch-lernen/13874.en.html]on the DAAD website or direct from http://www.testdaf.de/[http://www.testdaf.de/]. You can sit the TestDaF at numerous test centres in Germany and abroad. For theaddresses of the test centres, just go to the above website.

The DSH can be taken at universities [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] inGermany and at some foreign universities. You can find further information on the DSH here[http://www.daad.de/deutschland/deutsch-lernen/wie-deutsch-lernen/00573.en.html] on the

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DAAD website or on the website of the Professional Association of German as a Foreign Language (FachverbandDeutsch als Fremdsprache FaDaF) at the website: http://www.fadaf.de/ [http://www.fadaf.de/].

Many universities [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] offer free-of-chargelanguage courses to prepare students for the DSH or TestDaF. However, the number of universities[http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] that charge fees for these courses is increasing.This means that the number of free-of-charge places on such courses is very limited. Courses offered by (private)language schools outside the university [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] sectorwill certainly charge fees.

Although the DAAD does place a greater emphasis on the academic qualifications which applicants hold than on theirGerman language skills, applicants will nevertheless be expected to take every opportunity to gain and improve theirknowledge of German while they are still in their home country. When it awards a scholarship, the DAAD reserves theright to make it a condition that the applicant provides proof of adequate language skills in the form of a languageproficiency certificate before leaving for Germany. In any case, we strongly advise all applicants who are nominatedfor a scholarship to make use of every opportunity open to them to improve their knowledge of the German languagein the time between submitting their application and leaving for Germany.Scholarship value and other paymentsThe DAAD essentially differentiates between individual scholarships and group programmes. Besides a monthlypayment, which the DAAD s.t. [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/sine-tempore--91] on the basis ofthe scholarship holder's academic level, individual scholarships generally include other payments as well, such astravel expenses, health insurance, accident insurance, and personal/private liability insurance. Details can be foundin the individual programme descriptions.EquivalencyEven very well qualified foreign applicants may find integration into the German academic system difficult to managedue to the differences in the structures of the various higher education and general education and training systems.Only the host faculty [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Fakultaet--41] at the German university[http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Universitaet--100] of your choice is responsible for deciding on theequivalency, level and placement [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Praktikum--75] of any academicqualifications that you gained in your home country, and, in particular, of any final degrees you hold. For their part,the faculties [http://www.daad.de/glossar/en/Fakultaet--41] base their decision onrecommendations issued by the Central Office for Foreign Education Zentralstelle fr das auslndischeBildungswesen (ZAB) [http://www.kmk.org/zab/home.htm], which is a unit of the Standing Conference ofthe Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, the Stndige Konferenz der Kultusminister in der BundesrepublikDeutschland (KMK) [http://www.kmk.org/].Please take particular noteApplicants, who have been resident in Germany for longer than one year at the time of application, cannot beconsidered.

You must not draw funding from other German scholarship-awarding organisations or from other German publicauthorities at the same time as you are receiving your DAAD scholarship. Any other foreign support or additionalincome from secondary employment will be partly offset against (i.e. deducted) from your scholarship. Scholarshipholders must not take up any secondary employment until they have gained appropriate written approval from theDAAD.

General information for scholarship applicantsApplication papers and deadlinesSelection process and selection criteriaGerman language proficiencyScholarship value and other paymentsEquivalencyPlease take particular note