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Studying in Germany

How to Apply for a PhD in Germany: Programs, Funding, & FAQs

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Germany is an excellent destination for both young and experienced researchers. 

The European country is third behind the U.S. and China for research & development expenditure . Plus, it is home to some of the most prestigious (and affordable!) research universities in the world.

If you’re considering doing a PhD in Germany, you will need to follow these steps:

The main steps to doing a PhD in Germany:

  • Find a PhD Program and a Supervisor
  • Decide Between Individual and Structured PhD Programs
  • Meet All Requirements & Prepare Your Application
  • Apply for Doctoral Studies
  • Secure Funding
  • Get a Student Visa or Resident Permit
  • Arrive in Germany and Begin Your PhD Program

[Infographic Below]

Why Pursue a PhD in Germany?

If you’re not yet sure if you should choose Germany for your PhD studies, here are some compelling reasons why you should consider it:

doctoral program phd in germany

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  • Top-tier universities. Four German universities are ranked in the top 100 global universities, and many more are in the top 200.
  • Large international student community. Germany welcomes a diverse and thriving international student community. Over 458,210 international students are currently studying in the country.
  • Quality research institutions. There are over a thousand publicly funded research institutions (universities, universities of applied sciences, research institutes, businesses, and government bodies) that you can choose from in Germany.
  • High investment in research and development. Germany’s public expenditure in the research and development sector reached a record high of 112.6 billion euros in 2021.
  • Strong economy. Germany is known for its strong and stable economy. After completing your PhD, there are plenty of employment opportunities in the academic, business, and research sectors.

How to Apply for a PhD in Germany

From finding the perfect program for you to submitting your application and starting your PhD, here are all the steps you need to take:

1. Find a PhD Program and a Supervisor

After all the years of studying leading up to this step, you most likely have a few areas of interest you want to do your research in.

This is the first important step: define your research focus by considering your interests and academic background. If you need more help, you can consult online resources from research universities. Or, even better, you can discuss your decision to pursue a PhD with academic communities online or offline and seek advice from current PhD students in Germany who can tell you more about their individual experiences.

If you already know what your research direction is, you can begin searching for suitable programs right ahead. 

  • The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has an extensive list of current opportunities, which you can look up at the  DAAD PhD Database . 
  • Another option is to research universities in Germany individually to find the newest opportunities and offerings at each institution.

You will also have to find a supervisor. The best way to do this is to go to university websites and find faculty directories with profiles of professors and their research fields/current projects. Contact professors whose work aligns with your interests via email to inquire about supervision opportunities.

> Search PhD programs from 31,000 research institutions listed on the GERiT database .

Types of PhD Programs in Germany

There are two different paths you can take when pursuing a PhD: individual PhD programs and structured PhD programs. Each comes with its own set of advantages and requirements.

Individual doctorates are the most common and what is considered the more ‘traditional’ PhD route in Germany, especially in humanities and social sciences. 

They are flexible and you’re expected to take charge of your work. You are responsible for finding your supervisor (“Doktorvater” or “Doktormutter”) and proposing your research topic.

These programs don’t have a fixed curriculum, so you’ll have plenty of freedom to design your research timeline and choose the coursework you like. 

To succeed, you need a lot of self-discipline and to actively network, be it in doctoral candidate meetings or events related to your research.

Structured PhD programs are ideal for people who want a clear path to completing this degree, although they’re not as common in Germany.

It usually takes three to five years to complete a structured PhD path. 

They are called such because they include a curriculum and research proposal that has to fit an existing project, within a set timeline for coursework and research.

Candidates work under the supervision of an advisor and collaborate with peers from different disciplines to get the best possible results.

2. Verify That You Meet All Requirements & Prepare the Application

Requirements and application documents to apply for a PhD in Germany are specific to the institution and research area you’re applying to. But, as a general guideline, you should prepare the following:

  • Academic degree recognized in Germany. You need a master’s degree or a German state examination (Staatsexamen) in a field relevant to the PhD program to qualify.
  • Copy of master’s thesis. Submit a copy of your master’s thesis. The work should demonstrate your research skills and the depth of your academic work.
  • Research proposal. Craft a clear and detailed research proposal that includes your intended research topic, objectives, methodology, and significance. 
  • Statement of purpose. Write a statement of purpose why you want to do a PhD in your chosen field, your academic and career goals, and how this program aligns with them.
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV). Prepare a detailed CV highlighting your academic achievements, research experience, relevant coursework, publications, and any other qualifications.
  • Proof of language proficiency. Depending on the language of instruction, you may have to provide proof of language proficiency in English and/or German. You can do this with certificates like TestDaF and DSH for German or TOEFL and IELTS for English. Proof of previous studies in the language is also sufficient.
  • Academic references. Provide contact information or recommendation letters from professors/ academic advisors who can attest to your academic abilities and potential.
  • Predoctoral examination. Some programs ask that you pass a predoctoral examination as part of the application process.

3. Apply for Doctoral Studies

After finding a suitable PhD program and mentor, and making sure your academic qualifications are recognized, you can send in your application.

You can send in your application online or by post, depending on the hosting institution’s preferences. To make sure, check their guidelines and specifications. Admission committees are selective, so you may also have to attend an interview soon in the application process.

4. Secure Funding

You must demonstrate access to a minimum of €992 per month (€11,908 per year) to meet visa requirements and live comfortably while you’re in Germany. You can prove this through an admission agreement or relevant PhD contract, or you can open a blocked account with individual funds.

There are many ways to support yourself financially while pursuing a PhD in Germany:

  • PhD scholarships. DAAD offers the highest number of doctoral scholarships. PhD students get an average monthly stipend of €1,139. 
  • Paid PhD positions. Many universities and research institutions offer paid PhD positions in Germany. You will work on specific research projects on a contract and receive a salary.
  • Research associate positions. You can also work as a research associate in a university, research institution, or company and receive a salary as compensation.
  • Part-time jobs. Some PhD students/researchers work part-time jobs that are not related to their studies for extra income.

> Read more about the costs of studying in Germany.

> Discover PhD scholarships in Germany.

5. Get a Student Visa or Resident Permit

If the institution confirms your place in the PhD program, next in line is applying for a student visa or residence permit. The requirements for a German PhD visa or permit can vary depending on your nationality and circumstances: 

Visa Requirements

If you’re a citizen of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland, you don’t need a special permit or visa for a PhD in Germany. You can enter the country for research and work purposes with a valid passport or ID card.

Otherwise, you will need a visa and/or a residence permit to do your PhD in Germany. Nationals of some countries, including the United States, Australia, Israel, Japan, and Korea, don’t need a visa but must apply for a residence permit.

Depending on the circumstances, you need one of the following visas:

  • Study visa. If you’re pursuing a full-time doctoral program.
  • Research visa. If your focus is on research and you have a formal affiliation with a research institution in Germany.
  • EU Blue Card. If your PhD contract pays a gross annual salary of at least €45,300 (or €41,041.80 in certain professions), you can apply for an EU Blue Card . This is a special residence title for international academics and other professionals.

Residence Permit Requirements

If you come to Germany on a visa, you will need to apply for a residence permit within three months of arrival. This also applies to nationals of countries outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland who are exempt from the visa requirement.

You can apply for one of the following residence permits:

  • Study permit. If you’re accepted into a PhD program at a German university, apply for a study-based residence permit. It lasts up to two years, extendable.
  • Research permit. If you’re a researcher with the right qualifications for doctoral programs, apply for a research permit. This requires a contract with a research institution for your project.
  • EU Blue Card. With a PhD offer that has a minimum salary of €45,300 per year, or €41,041.80 for some bottleneck professions , you may be eligible for the EU Blue Card. Apply for this permit if you meet the criteria.

> For more specific information tailored to your situation, we recommend contacting the German embassy or consulate in your home country. You can also use this visa navigator.

6. Arrive in Germany and Begin Your PhD Program

The most exciting step of all is near—time to unpack your bags and begin your life as a PhD student or researcher in Germany. Once you’re settled in, there are some formalities you need to take care of.

The international office at the university or another representative can guide you best on this. However, here are some of the main things you need to do once you arrive in Germany:

Register Your Residence

Shortly after your arrival, you must register your residence at the local registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt). This is mandatory, and you typically have a window of two weeks to complete this process. 

Get Health Insurance

Everyone in Germany is required by law to have health insurance coverage. This includes international PhD students. Depending on the source of your funding, you are eligible for one of the following health insurance coverages: 

  • Doctoral candidates with an employment contract are automatically insured with a state-regulated health insurance provider (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung-GKV) in most cases.
  • Doctoral candidates without an employment contract (with a fellowship or private funding) can choose between:
  • Voluntary health insurance coverage with a state-regulated provider.
  • Coverage with a private health insurance company.

There are some exceptions in which you can use your insurance from your home country. These apply to students from a European Union (EU) country or other countries with social security agreements with Germany.

Open a Bank Account 

You should open a German bank account as soon as possible. Most financial transactions in Germany, including receiving your stipend or salary, are done through a German bank account.

Enroll at the University

If your PhD program is part of a university degree, you need to enroll as a student at the university. Follow your university’s instructions to submit the necessary documents to the enrollment office. These usually include your admission letter, passport, proof of health insurance, and semester fee.

After you complete this process, you will receive an Enrollment Certificate (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung). This is a very important document that you most likely need in the future.

How to Apply for a PhD in Germany [Infographic]

How To Apply For A PHD in Germany

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

There’s a lot of planning involved if you’re considering doing a PhD, especially if it’s in a foreign country. We’re sure you’ve got more questions, and we’re here to help.

How Long Does It Take to Get a PhD in Germany?

A PhD in Germany usually takes between three to six years to complete. Just like in other countries, it can take longer or shorter than expected, depending on several factors. The type of PhD you choose (structured programs can be more rigid), your subject area, and individual progress can all make a difference in the time it takes to get a PhD in Germany.

Are PhD Programs in Germany Tuition-Free?

The majority of PhD programs in Germany are tuition-free, at least for the first six semesters. However, if need to enroll at a university for your PhD, there is a small semester fee you need to cover. The fee can be higher or lower depending on the university, but it usually falls within the range of €100 to €350.

Is German Mandatory to Pursue a PhD in Germany?

You don’t necessarily have to know German to do a PhD in Germany. In fact, most PhD programs in Germany are in English, especially in fields such as science, engineering, and humanities. In these programs, you can both write your thesis and communicate with your advisor and peers in English.

There is of course the chance that the program you’ve chosen is in German or requires knowledge of German (in most cases, in addition to English). In this case, you have to prove your proficiency through a recognized language certificate or proof of previous studies in German.

Even if German isn’t mandatory, we strongly encourage you to learn the basics. They will be super helpful in daily interactions and getting accustomed to life in Germany.

How Much Does a PhD Student Earn in Germany?

Most PhD candidates in Germany receive financial support in the form of a salary or grant. This includes candidates affiliated with universities, research institutes, or company collaborations.

The majority of doctoral positions are structured under either the Collective Agreement for Civil Service TVöD (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst or the Collective Agreement for the Civil Service of Individual Federal States TV-L (Tarifvertrag der Länder). Since universities are funded by their respective federal government, if your PhD is affiliated with one, your salary will be structured under the TV-L.

Doctoral positions fall within the TV-L 13 category, with a salary range spanning from €4,188 (Tier 1) to €6,037 (Tier 6). The difference between the tiers (Stufe) depends on prior experience in the field. If you don’t have any research experience, you will fall under Tier 1 and progress to the other tiers throughout your PhD.

Your salary will ultimately be determined based on a wage agreement that specifies the contract tier (Stufe) and working hours (percentage-based). Many entry-level PhD students start with tier 1 contracts that are not full-time. For example, if your contract places you in Pay Group E-13 Tier 1 of the TV-L and you work at 75% capacity, your monthly gross salary will be €3,141.

> Learn more about pay ranges for PhD students using this convenient calculator .

Can I Work While Pursuing a PhD in Germany?

Part-time work is an option in most cases unless it’s strictly stated otherwise in your contract. Whether or not you are allowed to work on the side as a PhD in Germany depends on the working hours stated in your PhD contract, supervisor, and other specific circumstances. 

However, since the PhD is considered a job in itself, it’s usually frowned upon to have a side hustle. Even if you have a 50% contract, a PhD is demanding and requires long hours of work and research. If you choose to work on the side, make sure to find the right balance between work and your PhD commitments. To be on the safe side, it’s best to talk to your supervisor and go over all the legal and contractual obligations related to your PhD.

What Is the Process for Defending a PhD Thesis in Germany?

Here are the main steps to defending your PhD thesis in Germany:

  • Submit your thesis. The first step is submitting submit your thesis and supporting documents in adherence to all the formal requirements. A commission will be formed, and in some cases, you can suggest reviewers.
  • Oral defense. The next step is preparing and undergoing an oral defense, which can take between 30 minutes to 2 hours. During this time, you will present your research and discuss it with the committee. The defense can be either public or private.
  • Receive the title and publish your work. The outcome of the discussion determines your final grade, to be received after the defense. If everything goes well, you’re granted the Ph.D. title and have about two years to publish your dissertation.

What Are the Career Prospects Like After Doing a PhD in Germany?

Career prospects after a PhD in Germany are quite promising. 

The most common paths for PhD holders in Germany are either in academia as professors or post-doctorate researchers or in industry positions. 

Technology, healthcare, and finance, in particular, are some of the most in-demand industries in Germany. The country’s strong economy and research-oriented environment make it an attractive place to develop your career.

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Structured Doctoral Programs

Each of our structured doctoral programs offers a comprehensive and cross-disciplinary curriculum designed to help you realize your full potential and prepare for a successful career. The programs include innovative, personalized advising with regular progress checks, as well as extensive opportunities to broaden your research network and connect with peers in your field.

The University of Bonn offers a wide range of funding opportunities, which have been summarized for you on this page, divided into the following categories:

Bonn International Graduate Schools (BIGS)

Phd programs within our cluster of excellence.

  • Structured Doctoral Programs by Discipline 

Third-Party Funded Programs

Doctoral education at the highest level: BIGS enable doctoral studies in outstanding research contexts with attractive international collaborations and a qualification program tailored to the needs of graduate students.

Located at the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics and supported by Germany’s Excellence Initiative, BIGS-M  is home to all of the University’s doctoral candidates in mathematics and contributes to Bonn’s excellent international reputation in the field.

BGSE offers a structured program that is tailored to the needs of doctoral candidates, including an internationally recognized research network.

Supported by Germany’s Excellence Initiative and jointly administered by the renowned Physics Institutes at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne, BCGS  offers doctoral studies through an integrated honors program.

Home to an international community of talented biomedical scientists, BIGS DrugS 6 6 is the hub for doctoral candidates from pharma research institutes within the University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Faculty of Medicine.

BIGS-OAS offers a wide range of courses within a research context, focused on the cultures and societies of Asia and Asia Minor.

BIGS Neuroscience provides a top-level, internationally competitive program in this rapidly growing field.

BIGS CPS's interdisciplinary approach combines medical, agricultural and pharmaceutical research.

BIGS Chemistry 10 doctoral candidates enjoy an exceptional and ambitious program covering all fields of chemistry.

This three-year doctoral program  is offered in conjunction with the University’s ImmunoSensation Cluster, which is funded by Germany’s Excellence Initiative.

Part of the University of Bonn’s Center for Development Research, BIGS-DR   trains students for an international career in development cooperation, policy or research through a combination of academic study and intensive tutorship.

The BIGS Land and Food combines the research at the agricultural Faculty with an interdisciplinary study program.

BIGS-LIMES offers a graduate program for doctoral students in Bonn specializing in biochemistry, life sciences and biomedicine.

Clusters of Excellence stand for international and interdisciplinary elite research and offer young scientists excellent funding and career conditions. The University of Bonn currently has six clusters of excellence, more than any other university in Germany, and thus opens up a broad spectrum of possible research topics to doctoral candidates. Here you will find an overview of the university's clusters of excellence.

Eine Wissenschaftlerin und ein Wissenschaftler arbeiten hinter einer Glasfassade und mischen Chemikalien mit Großgeräten.

PhD Programs within our Excellence Cluster

The goal of the Hausdorff Center of Mathematics is to identify and address mathematical challenges of the 21st century, to advance groundbreaking fundamental mathematical research worldwide, and to develop the mathematical methods and tools required by science and society.

Part of the Hausdorff Center is also a graduate school: The Bonn International Graduate School of Mathematics (BIGS-M) hosts all doctoral students of mathematics and contributes to the outstanding international reputation of the university in this field. The duration of the program is usually 3 years, and the doctorate (Dr. rer nat.) can be earned as a degree.

More information: https://www.bigs-math.uni-bonn.de/de/studies/ 14 15 15

ImmunoSensation2 aims to continue the success story of the existing ImmunoSensation cluster. While the emphasis so far has been on fundamental research in particular of the innate immune system, now the mechanisms of immune intelligence are to be uncovered, i.e. the question of how the body succeeds in adapting immune responses to specific situations and then remembers this in order to be optimally prepared for similar challenges in the future. The cluster's graduate school, the Bonn International Graduate School Immunosciences and Infection offers a structured, three-year doctoral program.

You can find further information about this program here: 

https://www.immunosensation.de/opportunities/young-scientists

Until today, dependency studies has almost exclusively dealt with slavery on the American continent or in antiquity. The Cluster of Excellence "Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS)" aims to broaden this perspective in terms of content, space and time. Within the framework of the cluster, a structured doctoral program with a duration of 4 years is offered.

Further information can be found at:  https://www.dependency.uni-bonn.de/en 15 16

Over the last few decades, computer hardware has become smaller and smaller, but their technology remains more or less the same. Slowly, this development is reaching its limits.Thus, we need new technologies that satisfy our growing hunger for even more powerful hardware.

Quantum physics could be a solution.

Together with the University of Cologne and the RWTH Aachen, Bonn researchers want to work on making this new technology usable. To achieve this, quantum bits or even qubits - the quantum counterpart to our previous bits - quantum communication channels that build networks and error correction methods have to be explored from the ground up. As part of the Excellence Initiative, the Bonn-Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy (BCGS) offers a doctoral program with an integrated honors program.

Further information can be found at:  http://www.gradschool.physics.uni-bonn.de/. 4 4

The ECONtribute researches the functioning of markets as well as reasons for their failure. In doing so, the cluster goes beyond traditional analyses by systematically combining model-based theoretical approaches and behavioral explanatory models while incorporating legal and political frameworks. Within the cluster, the Bonn Graduate School of Economics (BGSE) offers doctoral students a tailored structured doctoral program that includes an internationally recognized research network.

Further information can be found at:  https://www.bgse.uni-bonn.de. 3 3

Increasing agricultural production despite limited land while reducing the ecological footprint of agriculture - this is one of the challenges of our time. For this reason, the University of Bonn and Forschungszentrum Jülich are jointly developing methods and new technologies to observe, analyze, better understand and more specifically treat plants. The cluster's graduate school, the Theodor Brinkmann Graduate School, offers an interdisciplinary study program to master's students and doctoral candidates at the Faculty of Agriculture.

More information: https://www.phenorob.de/ .

Eine Wissenschaftlerin und ein Wissenschaftler arbeiten hinter einer Glasfassade und mischen Chemikalien mit Großgeräten.

The Third-Party Funded Programs at the University of Bonn offer structured doctoral studies on selected research topics. They enable close networking among doctoral students conducting research on related topics.

Bonn International Graduate School of Mathematics (BIGS-M) 2 17 18 18 Located at the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics, BIGS-M provides an umbrella for all Bonn PhD students in mathematics. Thus, the BIGS-M contributes to the excellent national and international reputation of mathematics at Bonn.

Bonn International Graduate School Immunosciences and Infection The BIGS Immunosciences and Infection is a structured 3-year PhD program in conjunction with the ImmunoSensation Cluster/Bonn. The ImmunoSensation Cluster is part of the Excellence Strategy.

DFG Research Training Group "Gegenwart/Literatur. Geschichte, Theorie und Praxeologie eines Verhältnisses" (GRK 2291) [only in German] The Research Training group supported by the DFG  aims at the exploration and analysis of the constitutive dimensions of the concept of contemporary literature.  

DFG international Research Training Group "Myeloid antigen presenting cells and the induction of adaptive immunity" GRK (2168) 19 19 19 19 The DFG-funded project is a cooperation of the University of Bonn and the University of Melbourne. The principal research focus is the intersection between innate and adaptive immunity in the context of infection.

DFG Research Training Group "Template-designed Organic Electronics (TIDE)" (GRK 2591) 21 21 21 The Graduate Program 'Template-Designed Optoelectronic Devices' (TIDE) aims to provide comprehensive doctoral education in the field of Organic Electronics (OE) to meet the requirements of highly qualified and multidisciplinary professionals. 

DFG Research Training Group "Tools and Drugs of the Future - Innovative Methods and New Modalities in Medicinal Chemistry" (GRK 2873) The goal of the RTG " Tools and Drugs of the Future" is to modernize medicinal chemistry and train a new generation of medicinal chemists and researchers at the interface with interconnected disciplines. In addition, the projects are intended to contribute to the development of new drug substances.

Integrated Research Training Group at the DFG Collaborative Research Centre "Synaptic Micronetworks in Health and Disease" (SFB 1089) 22 22 27 27 Located at the newly inaugurated SFB 1089 on neuronal networks, the Integrated Research Training Group offers a structured graduate program for all doctoral researchers at the Centre.

Integrated Research Training Group at theDFG Collaborative Research Centre "Future Rural Africa" (SFB/TRR 228) The integrated research group is investigating the relationship between land use change and shaping the future in rural Africa in a total of 14 subprojects.

Integrated Research Training Group at the DFG Collaborative Research Centre "Open System Control of Atomic and Photonic Matter" (SFB/TRR 185) 24 The collaborative research centre Oscar will explore the physics of open systems.

Integrated Research Training Group at the DFG Collaborative Research Centre "Aortic Diseases" (SFB/TRR 259) 25 The aim of this research initiative is to better understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of resident and non-resident cells in aortic diseases.

Integrated Research Training Group at the DFG Collaborative Research Centre "Regional Climate Change: Disentangling the Role of Land Use and Water Management" (SFB 1502) The SFB combines the strengths of the University of Bonn and its project partners to answer one of the most difficult questions in understanding climate change.

Integrated Research Training Group at the DFG Collaborative Research Centre "Brown and Beige Fat - Organ Crosstalk, Signaling and Energetics (BATenergy)" (SFB/TRR 333) The CRC investigates metabolism/diabetes and focusses on brown adipose tissue. 

One Health and Urban Transformation

The NRW Forschungskolleg One Health and Urban Transformation is a transdisciplinary graduate school that aims to find interventions to achieve optimal health for humans, animals, plants and the environment with a special focus on developments in NRW, Saõ Paulo, Accra and Ahmedabad.

International Max Planck Research School Moduli Spaces 27 27 In cooperation with the University of Bonn, the renowned Bonn Max-Planck-Institute for Mathematics offers a PhD program with a special focus on the study of moduli.

International Max Planck Research School for Astronomy and Astrophysics 28 28 In cooperation between the Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the Universities of Bonn and of Cologne, the Research School facilitates 3 years of PhD studies with a curriculum tailored to the individual student.

International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior 29 The IMPRS for Brain & Behavior is a cooperation between the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, the University of Bonn and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn

International Max Planck Research School - Recharge IMPRS-RECHARGE focuses on interdisciplinary research between chemistry and physics with an emphasis on catalytic mechanisms, physical-chemical analysis and energy topics. Scientific challenges shall be looked at from different angles. Furthermore the combination of theory and practice is a vital aim of the IMPRS-RECHARGE.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network "Macro and Microplastic in Agricultural Soil Systems“ (SOPLAS) The SOPLAS project will assemble a multidisciplinary team to study the nexus of plastic–agriculture–soil. It will also train a new generation of leading experts. The project aims to identify the plastic cycle within agricultural soil systems and support the development of environmental policies related to mitigating the impact of plastics. The findings will advance our knowledge about the sustainable use of plastics in European agriculture.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network "Early Stage Researchers EDUCational Program on Factor VIII Immunogenicity“ (EDUC8 ) 32 37 The EDUC8 program is a multidisciplinary training program with exposure of the enrolled ESRs to a core common educational package and development of individual PhD researchprojects dedicated to decreasing the societal burden associated with the development of anti-FVIII antibodies in Europe.

Tools4Teams - "Research Training to Design and Implement Tools Supporting Safe Teamwork in Healthcare"

The Tools4Teams research project will prepare the next generation of teamwork experts to contribute new insights and smart technologies for safe and effective care. Tools4Teams brings together expertise from social and technical sciences, human-centered design, education, and clinical specialties.

Trinational Graduate College "Mass and Integration in Antique Societies" [in German/French] Supported by the Deutsch-Französische Hochschule since 2011, the tri-national Graduate School in Ancient History offers curriculum events in Bonn, Berne, and Strasbourg.

Structured Doctoral Programs by Discipline

Find the right structured doctoral program at the University of Bonn in your discipline here:

  • Cross-Disciplinary Options
  • Medicine and Life Sciences
  • Mathematics and Natural Sciences
  • Agriculture

Graduierte

Faculties at the University of Bonn work together to design interdisciplinary programs that combine key perspectives and offer unique insights.

Cross-Disciplinary Programs

Bonn International Graduate School for Development Research (BIGS-DR) 42 Unique in Europe, BIGS-DR links perspectives from the Faculties of Philosophy, Agriculture, and Law and Economics – with an international focus.

Bonn International Graduate School of Neuroscience (BIGS Neuroscience) 8 8 A collaboration between the University’s Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, as well as external partners, BIGS Neuroscience offers a medical program alongside five research areas in medicine.

SciMed Doctoral College 43 42 The Doctoral College offers scientific training for students in medicine and dental medicine, leading to a dual Dr. med. and Dr. med. dent. degree.

Researchers at the University of Bonn explore a wide variety of issues in economics, including game theory, applied microeconomics, monetary and international macroeconomics, contract theory, labor economics and finance.

Economics Programs

Bonn Graduate School of Economics (BGSE) BGSE offers a structured program that is tailored to the needs of doctoral candidates, including an internationally recognized research network.

Law Programs

Graduate School of Law and Political Science Department of Law The Graduate School of the Faculty of Law and Political Science was founded in the summer semester of 2018 and supports the doctoral students in preparing their doctoral studies.

The University of Bonn’s Faculty of Medicine offers doctoral programs in medical biochemistry, neurosciences and pharmacology. With the exception of the SciMed Doctoral College, all programs are administered in cooperation with the University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

Cross-Disciplinary Program

SciMed Doctoral College The Doctoral College offers scientific training for students in medicine and dental medicine, leading to a dual Dr. med. and Dr. med. dent. degree.

Neuroscience

Bonn International Graduate School of Neuroscience (BIGS Neuroscience) BIGS Neuroscience provides a top-level, internationally competitive program in this rapidly growing field.

Synaptic Micronetworks in Health and Disease (SFB 1089) Supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG) collaborative research centers, this integrated research training group works to identify fundamental rules that govern neuronal behavior at the network level and translate network dynamics to mammalian and human behavior.

International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior A joint venture of the University of Bonn, the Max-Planck-associated Center of Advanced European Studies and Research, the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, and Florida Atlantic University, this graduate school offers a complete doctoral and research program in the neurosciences.

Pharma Research

Bonn International Graduate School of Drug Sciences (BIGS DrugS) Home to an international community of talented biomedical scientists, BIGS DrugS is the hub for doctoral candidates from pharma research institutes within the University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Faculty of Medicine.

Bonn International Graduate School of Immunosciences and Infection

This three-year doctoral program is offered in conjunction with the University's ImmunoSensation Cluster , which is funded by Germany’s Excellence Initiative.

DFG Research Training Group "Myeloid antigen presenting cells and the induction of adaptive immunity" GRK (2168) The DFG-funded project is a cooperation of the University of Bonn and the University of Melbourne.

At the University of Bonn’s Faculty of Arts, you’ll find a highly international environment with students and researchers in a wide range of fields.

German Studies, Comparative Literature and Culture 

Structured Doctoral Program in German Studies (SPP) [website in German] Taught in German, the SPP supports doctoral candidates’ initiatives within the Institute for German, Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies.

German-Italian Doctoral College [website in German] Taught in German, this three-year grant program provides structured doctoral studies for researchers in German and Italian, with time in both Bonn and Florence.

History and Ancient History 

Mass and Integration in Antique Societies [website in German and French] Supported by Franco-German University and taught in German and French, this trinational doctoral program includes study in Bonn; Berne, Switzerland; and Strasbourg, France.

Oriental and Asian Studies Bonn

International Graduate School of Oriental and Asian Studies (BIGS-OAS) BIGS-OAS offers a wide range of courses within a research context, focused on the cultures and societies of Asia and Asia Minor.

Romance Studies

Italian Studies [website in German and Italian] Offered in cooperation with the Universities of Florence and Paris-Sorbonne IV, this trinational doctoral program is taught in German and Italian.

Structured DPhil program at the Faculty of Arts The program supports qualified doctoral candidates from all disciplines in their doctoral projects. It provides the opportunity for networking, interdisciplinary exchange in diverse social sciences and humanities subjects, progress monitoring and financial support for travel, workshops or research funding as part of the doctorate.

European Founding Myths in Literature, Arts and Music [website in German, French and Italian] This trinational program is jointly organized by the Universities of Bonn, Florence and Paris-Sorbonne IV and taught in German, French and Italian.

Bonn International Graduate School for Development Research (BIGS-DR) Part of the University of Bonn’s Center for Development Research, BIGS-DR trains students for an international career in development cooperation, policy or research through a combination of academic study and intensive tutorship.

The University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences offers numerous externally funded doctoral programs in areas including mathematics and informatics, physics, biology, pharmacology and molecular biomedicine.

Programs in neuroscience, pharma research, immunoscience, and infection and molecular biomedicine are offered in cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine.

Mathematics

Bonn International Graduate School of Mathematics (BIGS-M) 2 2 Located at the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics, BIGS-M is home to all of the University’s doctoral candidates in mathematics and contributes to Bonn’s excellent international reputation in the field.

International Max Planck Research School on Moduli Spaces 53 53 This program includes courses, seminars and activities focused on the geometric spaces whose points represent fixed algebro-geometric objects (or isomorphism classes of such objects).

Physics und Astronomy

Bonn-Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy (BCGS) 4 4 Supported by Germany’s Excellence Initiative and jointly administered by the renowned Physics Institutes at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne, BCGS offers doctoral studies through an integrated honors program.

International Max Planck Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics 55 55 This program offers a broad spectrum of topics in observational and theoretical galactic and extragalactic astrophysics, observational and theoretical cosmology, and fundamental physics – using astronomical tools and instrumentation.

Leibniz Graduate School on Genomic Biodiversity Research Based at Bonn’s Alexander Koenig Research Museum, this school is focused primarily on insect genome evolution.

Bonn International Graduate School of Chemistry (BIGS Chemistry) 57 57 BIGS Chemistry offers an internationally competitive doctoral program and opportunities to perform cutting-edge research.

Neurosciences

Bonn International Graduate School of Neuroscience (BIGS Neuroscience) 8 8 BIGS Neuroscience provides a top-level, internationally competitive program in this rapidly growing field.

Synaptic Micronetworks in Health and Disease (SFB 1089) 22 22 Supported by DFG collaborative research centers, this integrated research training group works to identify fundamental rules that govern neuronal behavior at the network level and translate network dynamics to mammalian and human behavior.

International Max Planck Research School for Brain and Behavior 29 29 The IMPRS for Brain & Behavior is a cooperation between the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar, the University of Bonn and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn.

Bonn International Graduate School of Drug Sciences (BIGS DrugS) 6 6 Home to an international community of talented biomedical scientists, BIGS DrugS is the hub for doctoral candidates from pharma research institutes within the University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Faculty of Medicine.

BIGS Immunoscience and Infection A structured, three-year doctoral program, IITB is offered in conjunction with the ImmunoSensation Cluster at the University of Bonn.

Doctoral candidates in the field of agriculture may choose to study through the Faculty of Agriculture’s Theodor Brinkmann Graduate School or earn their degree through the University of Bonn’s Center for Development Research.

Agriculture Programs

Bonn International Graduate School for Land and Food (BIGS Land and Food)  Founded in 2008, the Brinkmann School is home to master's and doctoral candidates in the Faculty of Agriculture, combining research with an interdisciplinary study program.

Bonn International Graduate School for Development Research (BIGS-DR) 12 Part of the University of Bonn’s Center for Development Research 59 , BIGS-DR trains researchers for an international career in development cooperation, policy or research through a combination of academic study and intensive tutorship.

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doctoral program phd in germany

  • Study for a PhD in Germany: Programs, Funding & Opportunities
  • International

When considering a  PhD in Germany , you’ll encounter a diverse and globally recognised academic environment rich in opportunities for research and academic growth. To apply, you’ll typically need a Master’s degree or equivalent , and language requirements vary by program. Germany offers internationally-oriented  structured PhD programs , which last three years and include compulsory units for ECTS credits. You’ll work closely with a PhD supervisor and research training group. As an international candidate, you’ll find various  scholarships and grants  to support your studies. With tuition fees waived at  public universities  and diverse PhD programs often taught in English, Germany provides an ideal destination to study abroad.

Key Takeaways

  • Applying for a PhD in Germany requires a minimum of eight semesters of academic study, usually a Master’s degree or equivalent.
  • Language prerequisites for PhD programs in Germany vary, but many are taught in English, especially structured programs.
  • Financial support options include DAAD grants, stipendiums, and research positions at universities, which cover living expenses and provide income.
  • Structured PhD programs in Germany last typically three years and involve compulsory units for ECTS credits.
  • International students without a Master’s degree may be admitted with a Bachelor’s degree in exceptional cases.

Why Undertake a PhD in Germany?

Germany offers many compelling reasons to pursue a PhD:

  • High-quality research and education : German universities and research institutions have an outstanding reputation globally, providing access to cutting-edge research facilities and expertise across various disciplines.
  • No tuition fees : Most public universities in Germany do not charge tuition fees for PhD students, regardless of nationality, making it an affordable option for international students.
  • Excellent funding opportunities : There are numerous scholarships and funding programs available for PhD students in Germany. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) alone supports over 4,000 international doctoral students annually.
  • Strong industry connections : Germany has a robust research ecosystem with close ties between academia and industry. Many PhD programs offer collaborations with companies, providing valuable experience and potential career opportunities.
  • International environment : German universities welcome international researchers, creating a diverse and multicultural academic community. PhD theses and dissertations can often be written in English.
  • Career prospects : A German PhD is highly respected globally and can lead to excellent career opportunities in academia, international research institutions, or industry. Many PhD graduates find employment in Germany’s thriving industrial sector, making it a favourable place to work in Germany post-study.
  • Work-life balance : PhD students in Germany typically receive employment contracts with benefits such as health insurance, pension contributions, and vacation days.
  • Research freedom : Germany values academic freedom highly, with constitutional protection for research and scientific pursuits.
  • European mobility : As a PhD student in Germany, you can easily travel to other European Union countries for research or study purposes.
  • Cultural experience : Germany offers a rich cultural landscape, high quality of life, and relatively moderate living costs compared to other developed countries.

In short, Germany provides an ideal environment for pursuing a PhD, combining academic excellence, affordability, strong funding support, and promising career prospects in both academia and industry.

doctoral program phd in germany

What is it like to study and live in Germany as a research student?

Academic environment.

The research culture in Germany places a strong emphasis on independent research and critical thinking, with high expectations for original contributions to your field. Students regularly participate in seminars and colloquia to present and discuss their ongoing research. Supervision tends to be less structured than in some other countries, with regular meetings with supervisors but an expectation that students will take significant initiative in their work. Being part of a research group often offers additional opportunities for collaboration.

German universities are well-equipped with extensive digital resources and state-of-the-art laboratories. Students also have numerous opportunities to attend and present at international conferences. While many PhD programs, especially in STEM fields, are conducted in English, learning German can greatly enhance your overall experience and career prospects.

Day-to-Day Life

Germany is known for valuing a healthy work-life balance. PhD students typically work 38-40 hours per week and enjoy generous vacation time, usually around 30 days per year. Most PhD students live in shared apartments (WGs) or student dormitories, with rent in major cities ranging from €300 to €800 per month. The country boasts excellent public transportation systems, and many students use bicycles for daily commuting. Often, a student ID includes a public transport ticket for the local area.

The social life for students in Germany is vibrant, with active student communities organising regular events and activities. There are numerous opportunities to join sports clubs, cultural groups, and student organisations, along with international student networks that offer support and socialising opportunities.

Financial Aspects

Many PhD positions in Germany are funded, providing a salary rather than requiring tuition payments. Typical monthly salaries range from €1,500 to €2,500 before taxes. Additional funding opportunities are available through scholarships and research grants. Average monthly expenses, including rent, range from €850 to €1,000, and health insurance, which is mandatory, costs around €80 to €100 per month. Students can also take advantage of various discounts for cultural activities and museums.

Support Services

German universities offer robust support services for abroad students. International offices assist with visa processes, accommodation, and integration, providing orientation programs and language courses. Career services offer guidance on job searching and career development, organising career fairs and networking events. Mental health support and counseling services are also available, ensuring access to quality healthcare through the German health insurance system.

Challenges and Opportunities

While navigating German bureaucracy can be challenging, patience and attention to detail can help manage administrative processes. Initial culture shock is common but typically subsides over time, offering the opportunity to experience German culture and traditions firsthand. Building an international network of researchers and professionals is a significant benefit, with potential collaborations with industry partners. The strong job market for PhD graduates, especially in STEM fields, is an added advantage, and the option to stay in Germany for job searching after graduation (with an 18-month visa extension) provides further opportunities.

The Two Paths to a PhD in Germany

In Germany, doctoral candidates can choose between Individual Doctorates and Structured PhD Programs. The Individual Doctorate remains the most common path, chosen by over 75% of doctoral students, while Structured PhD Programs are gaining popularity, especially among international students, with about 25% opting for this route.

Individual Doctorates: Flexibility and Independence

Supervision and Structure : Individual Doctorates are characterised by their flexibility and self-directed nature. Candidates are supervised by a single professor, known as the Doktorvater or Doktormutter, and the research process is highly flexible. This approach demands a high degree of personal initiative and responsibility, with no fixed curriculum or mandatory coursework.

Research Focus and Duration : In this model, candidates often propose their own research topics, enjoying greater freedom in choosing their research direction and methodology. The duration of an Individual Doctorate typically spans 5-6 years, though there’s no strict timeframe as it depends on individual progress and the specific research project.

Funding and Employment : Individual Doctorate candidates often work as part-time research associates at universities. However, they may need to secure their own funding or scholarships, which requires proactive effort on the part of the doctoral student.

Structured PhD Programs: Guidance and Collaborative Learning

Supervision and Structure : Structured PhD Programs offer a more defined approach to doctoral studies. Candidates are supervised by a team of advisors and follow a predefined curriculum. This model includes regular progress checks, guidance, and mandatory coursework, seminars, and colloquia.

Research Focus and Duration : Research topics in Structured PhD Programs often align with existing program themes or research groups, and candidates may be part of larger research projects or collaborations. These programs are usually completed in 3-4 years, following a more defined timeline due to their structured nature.

Funding and Additional Benefits : Structured PhD Programs often come with funding or stipends and may offer more opportunities for paid doctoral positions. They also provide training in academic and scientific methods, as well as opportunities to develop soft skills such as presentation techniques.

Comparing the Two Approaches

International Orientation : While Individual Doctorates can be conducted in German or other languages depending on the field and supervisor, Structured PhD Programs often have a strong international orientation and frequently use English as the primary language.

Networking and Collaboration : Structured PhD Programs offer extensive opportunities to broaden research networks and encourage collaboration with peers and interdisciplinary work. In contrast, networking in Individual Doctorates depends largely on individual initiative, with fewer built-in opportunities for peer collaboration.

Entry Requirements for undertaking a PhD in Germany

The entry requirements for undertaking a PhD in Germany are generally similar for both home and international students, with some additional steps for international applicants.

Here are the specific requirements:

General Requirements for All Applicants

  • A master’s degree or equivalent (e.g., German Staatsexamen) in a relevant field
  • Strong academic record, typically with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Research Proposal : A detailed outline of your intended research topic , objectives, methodology, and significance
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV) : Highlighting academic achievements, research experience, publications, and relevant qualifications
  • Statement of Purpose : Explaining your motivation for pursuing a PhD , academic goals, and how the program aligns with your objectives
  • Academic References : Letters of recommendation or contact information for professors/advisors who can attest to your academic abilities
  • Master’s Thesis : A copy of your master’s thesis or equivalent research work
  • For German-taught programs: TestDaF or DSH certificates
  • For English-taught programs: TOEFL or IELTS scores
  • Interview : Many programs include an interview stage

Additional Requirements for International Students

  • Qualification Recognition : Ensure your foreign degree is recognised in Germany. You may need to submit your credentials to uni-assist for evaluation
  • Visa Application : Apply for a student visa at the German embassy in your home country
  • Health Insurance : Obtain valid health insurance coverage for Germany
  • Residence Permit : Apply for a residence permit for study upon arrival in Germany

Application process for applying to a PhD in Germany

The application process for a PhD degree in Germany can vary depending on whether you’re pursuing an individual doctorate or a structured PhD program, and whether you’re a home or international student.

Here are the key steps and requirements:

General Application Process

  • Choose your path : Decide between an individual doctorate (traditional route) or a structured PhD program.
  • A master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field
  • Strong academic record (typically a GPA of 3.0 or higher)
  • Proficiency in English and/or German, depending on the program
  • For individual doctorates, contact potential supervisors directly
  • For structured programs, search for openings at universities or research institutions
  • Curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Copy of your master’s degree certificate
  • Master’s thesis (or a copy)
  • Research proposal
  • Statement of purpose
  • Academic references
  • Language proficiency certificates (e.g., TestDaF, DSH for German; TOEFL, IELTS for English)
  • Follow the specific guidelines of the university or program
  • Applications may be submitted online or by post
  • Many programs, especially structured ones, include an interview stage
  • This may be in person or via video conference

Considerations for International Students

International students face some additional steps and requirements:

  • Qualification recognition : Ensure your foreign degree is recognised in Germany. You may need to submit your credentials to uni-assist for evaluation.
  • Provide proof of German proficiency (TestDaF or DSH) for German-taught programs
  • For English-taught programs, submit TOEFL or IELTS scores
  • Apply for a student visa at the German embassy in your home country
  • You’ll need an admission letter from a German university
  • Health insurance : Obtain valid health insurance coverage for Germany
  • Residence permit : Apply for a residence permit for study purposes upon arrival in Germany. This typically lasts for two years and is extendable.

Application Process for Structured PhD Programs

Structured programs often have a more formalised application process:

  • Check for specific application deadlines, which may occur once or twice a year
  • Submit initial application materials online
  • Visits to the institution
  • Meetings with potential supervisors and current students
  • A short presentation of your previous research
  • A panel interview

Application Process for Individual Doctorates

For individual doctorates, the process is more flexible:

  • Identify a potential supervisor whose research aligns with your interests
  • Contact the professor directly with a brief inquiry
  • If the professor expresses interest, submit a full application including your research proposal
  • The professor may invite you for an interview or further discussion
  • If accepted, you’ll need to formally enroll at the university

Remember that the specific requirements and processes can vary between universities and programs. Always check the official website of the institution you’re applying to for the most up-to-date and accurate information.

PhD in Germany

Typical Cost of a PhD in Germany

The costs of pursuing a PhD in Germany are generally similar for both home and international students, with a few key differences:

Tuition Fees

  • Most public universities in Germany charge no tuition fees for PhD students, regardless of nationality
  • There is a small semester contribution (administrative fee) of up to €300 per semester for all students, which typically covers student services and public transport

Living Costs

  • The average annual living costs in Germany range from €10,200 to €12,000
  • This includes rent, food, health insurance, and other daily expenses
  • Costs can be higher in major cities like Munich or Berlin

Breakdown of Monthly Expenses (approximate)

  • Rent: €280-€400 (shared flat or student residence)
  • Health insurance: €80-€100
  • Public transport: Often included in semester contribution
  • Other expenses (phone, internet, leisure): €100-€200

Visa for International Students

  • Non-EU students must prove they have access to about €11,208 per year (€934 per month) to cover living costs as part of their visa application.
  • Visa application fee: approximately €75

Health Insurance

  • Mandatory for all students, including PhD candidates
  • Costs around €80-€100 per month
  • EU students may be covered by their home country’s insurance through agreements

Additional Costs

  • Research-related expenses (e.g., conference attendance, materials) are often covered by the research group or university
  • Language courses (if needed): €200-€500 per course

In short, the main costs for PhD students in Germany are living expenses, as tuition is generally free. The overall experience is affordable compared to many other countries, especially considering the lack of tuition fees. International students should factor in additional costs for visa applications and potentially language courses. However, with many funded positions available, pursuing a PhD in Germany can be financially viable for both home and international students.

Research Grants

Funding Sources for PhD students in Germany

Many PhD positions in Germany are funded, offering a salary (of typically €1,500-€2,500 per month before taxes) rather than requiring payment of fees.

The main funding sources and opportunities for PhD students in Germany include:

  • Doctoral Programmes in Germany: Supports international PhD students to complete their doctoral degree at a German university or research institution. Provides monthly payments of 1,300 euros, health insurance, travel allowance, and annual research allowance.
  • One-Year Grants: For international doctoral candidates to carry out research as part of a doctoral project for up to one year.
  • Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degrees/Cotutelle: Supports doctoral degrees at the student’s home university with integrated research phases in Germany.
  • Research Training Groups: Established by universities to promote early career researchers. Funded for up to 9 years, providing structured training and qualification programs.
  • Collaborative Research Centres: Offer opportunities for PhD students to pursue research across disciplines and institutions.
  • Individual Doctoral Projects at Max Planck Institutes
  • International Max Planck Research Schools ( IMPRS ): Structured PhD programs at 68 locations
  • Max Planck Schools: Joint graduate programs in specific interdisciplinary fields
  • Individual Doctoral Projects at Leibniz Institutes
  • Leibniz Graduate Schools and Leibniz ScienceCampi: Structured doctoral programs
  • Individual Doctoral Projects at Fraunhofer Institutes: Opportunity to complete a doctorate while working on cutting-edge technology projects
  • DLR-DAAD Research Fellowships: For PhD students in fields like space, aeronautics, energy, and transport
  • PhD Fellowships: For early career researchers in basic biomedical research
  • Travel Grants: For PhD students and postdoctoral researchers
  • Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks: Structured doctoral training within European institution networks
  • ERA Fellowships – Green Hydrogen: Funding for research projects in green hydrogen
  • Green Talents: Competition winners can complete a research stay at a German institution
  • Munich Aerospace PhD Scholarships: For research in aerospace-related fields
  • Many PhD positions are offered directly by universities and research institutes, often tied to specific research projects or programs
  • These typically provide a salary (often around 1,500-2,500 euros per month before taxes) rather than requiring payment of fees

Top Universities in Germany for PhD study

As of 2024, the top universities in Germany for PhD study in STEM subjects include:

Technical University of Munich (TUM)

  • Ranked as the best university in Germany for engineering and technology
  • Offers structured PhD programs through the TUM Graduate School
  • Known for excellence in research and strong industry connections
  • Provides interdisciplinary training and professional skills development for doctoral candidates

Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin)

  • Ranked 2nd in Germany for engineering and technology
  • Offers doctorates across various STEM fields through its Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
  • Provides structured support for international doctoral candidates
  • Known for interdisciplinary research and collaboration

Technische Universität Berlin, TUB, Hauptgebäude

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

  • Ranked 3rd in Germany for engineering and technology
  • Strong focus on energy, mobility, and information technologies
  • Offers both individual and structured doctoral programs
  • Emphasises international collaboration and industry partnerships

RWTH Aachen University

  • Ranked 4th in Germany for engineering and technology
  • Considers doctoral studies as the first part of professional practice, with an application-oriented focus
  • Offers both individual doctorates and structured PhD programs
  • Strong emphasis on industry partnerships and applied research

Technical University of Dresden

  • Ranked 5th in Germany for engineering and technology
  • Known for its research in microelectronics, materials science, and bioengineering
  • Offers structured PhD programs and graduate schools
  • Strong focus on interdisciplinary research and innovation

Technical University of Dresden

When choosing a university for PhD study, prospective students should consider factors such as:

  • Specific research areas and expertise of potential supervisors
  • Availability of funding or paid positions (many PhD students in Germany work as research assistants)
  • Language requirements (some programs require German proficiency, while others are conducted in English)
  • Opportunities for international collaboration and research stays abroad
  • Post-graduation career prospects and industry connections

Prospective PhD candidates should thoroughly research potential supervisors and reach out to them directly to discuss research opportunities before applying to a program.

Your journey to  PhD study  in Germany awaits. With its exceptional research landscape, structured programs taught in English, and excellent  funding opportunities , Germany offers a unique experience for international students.

Enjoy the benefits of no tuition fees, low living costs, and a safe, culturally rich environment.

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  • Higher Education and Research

The way to a doctorate

You would like to get a PhD in Germany? Here you will find attractive programmes for international doctoral students.

Structured PhDs: research in teamwork

Working in a team, following a clear programme and intensive mentoring by several scholars or scientists: if that sounds like a good idea, a structured PhD programme is the right choice for you. Two more pluses: such programmes usually offer an international environment and the language of teaching and working is often English.

doctoral program phd in germany

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Research training group

In a research training group you are part of a team of doctoral students, post-docs, and scholars or scientists. You carry out research together on a subject, often interdisciplinary and focused on the specialty of the scholar or scientist who is supervising your doctorate.

International research training groups specifically promote scholarly and scientific exchange. During your doctorate work, you conduct research abroad for six months.

Some collaborative research centres of universities operate integrated research training groups . There you can do your PhD in a research-intensive environment in a structured PhD programme.

A survey of research training groups can be found on the DFG website. Applications must be sent to the head of the respective group.

Quick facts

Research schools.

In non-university research institutions, it is almost the rule to participate in structured, largely interdisciplinary doctoral programmes. The Max Planck Society , Helmholtz Association and Leibniz Association have set up research and graduate schools for their doctoral students, which are also open to international doctoral candidates.

Max Planck Schools

The new Max Planck Schools are something special. They are a joint project of universities and the major research organizations of the Max Planck Society, Helmholtz Association, Leibniz Association and Fraunhofer Society. In these international graduate schools, excellent graduates from all over the world work together in a structured doctoral programme with the best scholars and scientists in their fields.

doctoral program phd in germany

Doctoral programmes and courses of study

Many universities also run special international doctoral programmes that either target specific research topics or support doctoral students with interdisciplinary offerings. These programmes can be found in the DAAD database (in English).

More information and tips can be found at Research in Germany

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Doctoral degree programs

The University of Stuttgart has graduate schools, PhD research groups, and doctoral degree programs in an interdisciplinary research environment for doctoral researchers from Germany and abroad.

The University of Stuttgart offers multiple structured programs leading to a doctoral degree in a variety of subjects. Please refer to the respective homepages of individual programs to find out how to apply.

Cooperative doctoral degree programs Thanks to the University of Stuttgart’s cooperation with both post-secondary technical schools (universities of applied sciences that lack the right to confer doctorates) and with private sector companies, students in cooperative doctoral degree programs get an excellent scientific education with strong practical relevance. As a student in one of these programs, you will have two supervisors, one from the University and one other from the technical school or business enterprise.

Doctoral Degree Programs

Cooperative doctoral degree programs.

Engineering and Natural Sciences

  • German-French doctoral student research group: Analyse intelligenter Systeme unter Berücksichtigung von Mehrfeldkopplungen
  • Doctoral student research group: Aerothermodynamic design of a scramjet propulstion system for future space transportation systems
  • Graduate School: Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (GSaME)
  • Graduate School: Simulation Technology (SimTech)
  • Graduiertenkolleg: Intelligent Methods for Test and Reliability (GS-IMTR)
  • International doctoral degree studies program: Environment Water (ENWAT)
  • Integrated doctoral student program: CRC/TRR Biological Design and Integrative Structures
  • Integrated doctoral student program: Interface-Driven Multi-Field Processes in Porous Media (IRTG-IMPM)
  • International Research Training Group: Droplet Interaction Technologies (DROPIT)
  • Graduate and Research School: Efficient Use of Energy Stuttgart (GREES)
  • Research Training Group 2543: Intraoperative Multisensoric Tissue Differentiation in Oncology

Completed projects

  • Doctoral student research group: Non-linearities and upscaling in porous media (NUPUS)
  • Graduate School  KIC InnoEnergy , a European consortium for promoting sustainable energy supply that has some 160 partners from industry, universities, research facilites and business schools. The University of Stuttgart is one of its founding members.
  • Doctoral degree studies research group: HYBRID (University of Stuttgart, Esslingen University, Daimler AG, Robert Bosch GmbH)
  • Doctoral degree studies research group: PROMISE 4.0 – Intelligent production systems and methods in the Industry 4.0 context for smaller and mid-size enterprises (University of Stuttgart, Esslingen University, Aalen University, Heilbronn University) (in formation).
  • Doctoral degree studies research group: Windy Cities (University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart Technology University, Esslingen University)
  • Doctoral degree studies research group: Robert Bosch Center for Power Electronics
  • Doctoral degree studies research group: Services Computing (University of Stuttgart, Reutlingen University)
  • Doctoral degree studies research group: Soft Tissue Robotics (University of Stuttgart, University of Auckland)  

Media studies

  • Doctoral degree studies research group:  Digital Media (University of Stuttgart, University of Tübingen, Stuttgart Media University)

Team of the Graduate Academy GRADUS

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Doctoral studies at HHU

There are several ways to earn a doctorate depending on the faculties, the individual research fields as well as on the type of doctorate. It can be completed within a structured programme or quite independently under the supervision of a professor. Over a period of about three to four years, doctoral students conduct independent research, write a dissertation and usually defend it through an oral examination. The starting date is not bound to the university semesters, but rather depends on the available funding options for the individual research projects.

At HHU, doctoral candidates are individually supervised and supported in order to advance their careers. The following applies to all faculties of HHU:

  • the regulations for doctoral studies stipulate that doctoral theses must be overseen by two supervisors; i.e. a second supervisor may be added to the PhD advisory committee
  • the course "Good Scientific Practice" is mandatory for all doctoral candidates
  • the doctoral research is conducted within a structured doctoral programme or, alternatively, can be completed within the framework of a structured curriculum at the respective faculties' graduate academies
  • international junior researchers receive advice and support from the Junior Scientist and International Research Center (JUNO) regarding their stay in Germany and at HHU
  • the faculties' graduate academies offer a broad qualification programme for doctoral students and a comprehensive counseling service
  • the  Heine Research Academies and the graduate academies of the  Faculty of Medicine (MedRSD) , the  Faculty of Mathematics & Natural Sciences (iGRAD)  and the  Faculty of Arts and Humanities (PhilGRAD) provide a common framework of support and structured education for all doctoral researchers.

In Germany and at HHU, the most common PhD track is completing an individual doctorate under the supervision of a professor and thereby conducting research largely independently on one's own research topic. This offers a great deal of flexibility but also demands a high degree of personal initiative and responsibility. To start such a doctoral project, you first need to find a supervisor at HHU. The supervision of a doctoral thesis is an individual agreement between the doctoral researcher and the supervisor. In some faculties at HHU (e.g. Faculty of Mathematics & Natural Sciences) an additional supervising professor is mandatory. 

Doctoral students conducting an indivual doctorate may be employed by the supervisor's institute, which often requires them to work on a specific project or to participate in the teaching requirements of the institute. Vacancies for this path to a doctorate are often advertised on the research institute's website or can be found at the HeRA job portal . Doctoral researchers who are not employed by the institute are advised to organise funding for their dissertation project , for example by a scholarship.

How long it takes to complete an individual doctorate depends mainly on one's own time schedule. Three to four years are within in the normal range.

Find further information on how to apply for an individual doctorate here .

In structured doctoral programmes, doctoral students and their research topics are integrated into a larger scientific framework in which the students work on a common research focus or methodology. These programmes are often interdisciplinary and/or have a strong international orientation with English as the team language. In general, they offer a subject-specific curriculum as well as opportunities to acquire transferable skills and additional qualifications. Doctoral students are generally supervised by a thesis advisory committee, i.e. in teams of several professors participating in the programme. 

At HHU you have a broad spectrum of structured doctoral programmes in research training groups and graduate schools funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Excellence Initiative, the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and HHU itself. Sometimes they include collaborations with other universities, non-university research institutes such as the Helmholtz Association or the International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) as well as other international partners.

Programme specific scholarships or job offers for doctoral candidates usually provide funding for at least three years. Find further information on available scholarships or job offers at the graduate programmes' websites or and the HeRA job portal . Click here  for details on how to apply for a graduate programme.

Steps to a doctorate

Application

Re-Registration of doctoral students for a new semester

Events & dates, 16.09.2024 - 20.09.2024, 00:00 - 23:55 postdoc appreciation week, 16.09.2024, 16:30 - 17:30 good to know - the german social security system (juno online seminar), 18.09.2024, 13:00 - 14:00 info session – postdoc support at hhu, 26.09.2024, 17:00 - 19:00 urban walking tour for researchers, 01.10.2024, 15:00 - 16:30 unterstützung beim umgang mit digitaler gewalt.

Hochschulkompass

  • Doctoral studies
  • Admission with an FH degree possible
  • Admission with a Bachelor's degree possible
  • in english possible
  • in other foreign language possible
  • Collaborative dissertation (groupwork) possible
  • Cumulative possible
  • Doctoral Studies

Obtaining a doctoral degree in Germany

In Germany, doctoral degrees are conferred by universities or higher education institutions with equivalent status. This process is known as Promotion. Doctoral degrees are obtained through a specific process, during which an individual demonstrates his or her ability to carry out independent research. If the required examinations have been passed and all the formal prerequisites are met, the university or the faculty authorised by the university to award doctoral degrees confers the academic degree of Doktor supplemented by the appropriate field, e.g. Dr. rer. nat. or Dr. theol. Some universities also offer the academic degree of Ph.D.

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Foto: Heike Zappe/HU Berlin)

The dissertation is an independent piece of research

The exclusively research-based nature of a doctoral degree distinguishes it from university and state examinations for which you prepare while studying or as a means of completing your studies. These examinations are vocational in character and are intended as preparation for an academically or scientifically oriented profession. In addition, the writing of a dissertation – and thus your own research – makes a substantial contribution to the state of knowledge in the relevant discipline.

If you wish to enrol on a doctoral programme and write your dissertation at a German higher education institution, you must have an academic degree, usually a master's degree, Staatsexamen , Diplom or Magister . It is sometimes possible to enrol with a bachelor's degree if you have successfully completed an appropriate qualification programme.

After the successful completion of doctoral training, doctoral candidates are awarded the degree of doctor by the university. This is described as being "promoviert" by the university. In everyday use the verb "promovieren" is often used to mean 'to obtain a doctorate', which is why this verb is mostly used intransitively in German in the Higher Education Compass.

[Translate to English:] Studierende der Universität Würzburg (Foto: Universität Würzburg)

Preparing for a doctoral degree

Al lot of questions  have to be considered when deciding whether to do a doctoral degree.

[Translate to English:] Bibliothek der Universität Leipzig (Foto: Jan Woitas/Universität Leipzig)

Doctoral phase

The doctoral phase includes the independent writing of a dissertation and an oral examination, which takes place after the successful assessment of the dissertation.

[Translate to English:] Absolventen der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (Foto: Volker Lannert/Universität Bonn)

Completing your doctorate

The doctoral process is successfully completed when the dissertation has been accepted, the candidate has passed the oral examination and the dissertation has been published.

[Translate to English:] Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Foto: Kurt Fuchs/Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)

Research Map

The Research Map allows you to search for the research areas that are of strategic institutional importance for each institution.

doctoral program phd in germany

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doctoral program phd in germany

  • PhD Global Health

The structured PhD program Global Health at the Charité is a collaboration between seven partnering institutions. It aims to train excellent scientists for leadership positions in global health. The program imparts an interdisciplinary  perspective on health and a sensitivity to inter-cultural factors affecting health.

Applications are accepted from June 20 to August 20, 2024 for admission in October 2024.

The next application window will be January 15 to March 1, 2025  for admission in October 2025.

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  • Academic Programs .
  • PhD Programs .

Key Facts - PhD Global Health

Seven collaborating partners in Berlin

  • Enrollment at the Charité
  • Language of instruction is English
  • University degree conferred: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Standard period of study 3 years / 6 semesters

  • 30 ECTS course work
  • 150 ECTS scientific research work (dissertation)

Admission of 15 doctoral candidates per year

  • Eligibility requirements are a master’s degree or equivalent
  • Application period 2024 TBA
  • First PhD Cohort starting October 2024

The structured PhD Global Health is tuition free

If you have any questions please check our FAQs oder send an Email to  phd-globalhealth(at)charite.de

Cooperating Partners - PhD Global Health

doctoral program phd in germany

The structured PhD Global Health is a joint doctoral program hosted at the Charité. It brings together the outstanding expertise in Global Health of the following seven cooperating partners (in alphabetical order):

  • Charité -  Universitätsmedizin Berlin
  • Freie Universität Berlin (FU)
  • Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU)
  • Robert Koch-Institut (RKI)
  • Technische Universität Berlin (TU)
  • Universität Potsdam
  • Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB)

PhD candidates are enrolled at the Charité. The degree awarded upon completion of the three year program is PhD in Global Health. The program requires participants to complete 30 ECTS of coursework divided over the 6 semesters and work on a research project (equivalent to 150 ECTS / 5 Semesters) that will result in publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals (doctorate by publication). The program concludes with an oral defense.

The thematic focus of the doctoral program is based on the health-relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The topics we wish to address include communicable and non-communicable diseases, the prevention and control of disease outbreaks, global health security, migration and health, universal health coverage, the role of climate and the environment as determinants of health, One Health, governance and health policy, health economics, community engagement as well as digitalization in healthcare. The doctoral program approaches research topics from an interdisciplinary perspective and incorporates a variety of methodological and conceptual approaches. Through the close exchange between teachers, supervisors and doctoral students, we support the critical examination of institutional and political constellations in the field of global health.

Modes of Study

The PhD Global Health seeks to develop expertise around the globe. We hope to provide prospective students with modes of participation that match their needs and their lifestyles, regardless of where they are from. You can chose to relocate to Berlin for the program or you can stay in your home country and travel to Berlin to participate in coursework and for temporary research stays.

Berlin-based track

  • The Berlin-based PhD allows you to live in Berlin and expects you to travel for field research, research exchanges or conferences. This path is often more convenient for EU candidates.

Sandwich track

The intent of the sandwich track is for PhD students to conduct their research as well as to continue their work and career development in their home country, while receiving input and exchange opportunities in Berlin. Sandwich track PhD students join a cohort of young researchers in Berlin, but also maintain a strong research network and the career support of a sending institution in their home country, where their PhD research is embedded. Sandwich track PhD students expand the Berlin PhD Global Health program’s research networks and collaborative reach. The sandwich track allows PhD students to limit the time spent in Berlin to research stays of 3 months or less per year. This often makes it easier to meet visa requirements and limits costs.

  • Sandwich track PhD students start the doctoral program by spending 3 months from October to December in Berlin, while completing the required Core Course in Global Health. They subsequently return to their home country to continue their work and pursue their research project in their home country. Sandwich track PhD students participate in the required course Doctoral Student Seminar remotely, together will all the other PhD students.  
  • Sandwich track PhD students come back to Berlin for a second research stay the following year, again for 3 months from October to December, while completing the required course Mentored Teaching in Global Health.
  • Sandwich track PhD students can complete their elective courses either in their home country, or during their research stays in Germany, or in any other country of their choice.
  • Sandwich track PhD students are supervised by an interdisciplinary supervisory team that includes researchers from Berlin and their home institution. Though the first supervisor must come from the Berlin Coorperating Partners, we aim to provide sandwich track PhD students with a shared and collaborative supervision.
  • The oral defence of the PhD can take place either online or in-person.

What is Global Health?

Global Health is a dynamic and interdisciplinary field dedicated to addressing health challenges on a global scale. Focused on promoting well-being, preventing diseases, and improving healthcare access for all , it transcends national borders to tackle complex health issues that affect diverse populations worldwide. Global Health professionals work collaboratively to understand and address the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health, striving to create equitable and sustainable solutions.

From infectious diseases to non-communicable illnesses, Global Health emphasizes the importance of international cooperation, research, and policy development to build resilient healthcare systems and foster a healthier future for communities across the globe.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guide the major themes of  PhD Global Health program. Program participants are encouraged to approach their research from conceptually and methodologically innovative perspectives. The topics to be addressed include communicable and non-communicable diseases, pandemic intelligence, monitoring, surveillance and prevention, migration and health, universal health coverage, the role of climate and environment as determinants of health, One Health, governance and health policy, as well as digitalization and health. The PhD Global Health aims to approach research from an interdisciplinary perspective, incorporating a variety of methodological and conceptual approaches. Close exchanges between faculty, supervisors and doctoral candidates encourage critical thinking and innovation in Global Health.

A PhD in Global Health opens the door to a myriad of impactful and diverse career prospects at the intersection of healthcare, research, and policy. Graduates are well-equipped to take on leadership roles in international organizations, governmental agencies, non-profit institutions, and academic settings. As researchers, they contribute to advancing our understanding of global health challenges, developing innovative interventions, and shaping evidence-based policies. Professionals with a PhD in Global Health may also engage in fieldwork, implementing health programs and strategies in diverse communities around the world. Additionally, opportunities exist in academia, where individuals can contribute to the education and mentorship of the next generation of global health leaders. With a unique skill set that combines research, critical thinking, and cross-cultural understanding , those with a PhD in Global Health are poised to make a meaningful impact on global healthcare disparities and contribute to the development of sustainable and equitable health systems worldwide.

Further information

doctoral program phd in germany

Doctoral candidates

Mehr erfahren

doctoral program phd in germany

Treppenaufgang im Kollegiengebäude, Gipsabdruck

Doctoral Training in Heidelberg

Heidelberg University offers its PhD candidates a wide range of doctoral programmes with diverse levels of structuring – individual doctoral training, small and medium-sized training groups, or large Graduate Schools.

  • Forms of Doctoral Training
  • Doctoral Guidelines
  • Structured Doctoral Programmes

The team at the Graduate Academy Service Point provides doctoral candidates from all faculties of Heidelberg University with comprehensive advice and services.

  • Service Point of the Graduate Academy
  • Dean’s Offices of the Faculties

The Graduate Academy assists doctoral candidates in their search and application for various types of funding.

  • Doctoral Fellowships
  • Fellowships in Structured Doctoral Programmes

The Graduate Academy of Heidelberg University offers doctoral candidates a seminar programme tailored to their specific needs and a wide range of further education opportunities.

  • Seminar Programme for Doctoral Candidates
  • Qualification and Further Training for Postdoctoral Researchers

doctoral program phd in germany

International doctoral training

The Graduate Academy supports cooperation with international institutions and assists doctoral candidates in finding funding for research trips abroad.

  • In Heidelberg - Incoming

Current News

Solidarity with ukraine.

The Graduate Academy offers information on support and offers of assistance.

Digital resources for doctoral candidates

The Graduate Academy has assembled a collection of online workshops and digital resources for self-study, which we will be updating continuously from now on. Visit our website to complete information about our digital program.

Places available

The course programme is open for registration. Further information on available places can be found on the Graduate Academy’s website.

Academic writing in English / German for doctoral candidates

The aim of the course is to support doctoral candidates who are not native speakers of English or German and who are writing their dissertation in English or German.

German Language Course

German Language Courses for doctoral candidates begin each April and October. Please see our website for more information.

homepage of the instituion

  • News in English
  • News in German
  • Press Releases in German
  • Imprint/Contact
  • Institutions
  • Prospective Students
  • Doctoral Candidates
  • Postdoctorates
  • Tenure-Track-Professors

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Phd studies, enrollment office for phd students.

  • Office location:

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Referat Studierendenservice Unter den Linden 6 10117 Berlin

  • Contact person:

Ms. Olga Vorobyeva

Consultation hour by phone Wednesday 09:00 - 10:00 a.m. Phone: (+49) 30 2093-70330

*If you are already enrolled or registered at HU Berlin, please submit your full name, your enrollment or registration number, your date and place of birth.

If you are not aiming for a degree at HU and only want to complete a few semesters as part of your guest/research stay at HU , you cannot apply for enrollment at the enrollment office. Please contact the International Office with your questions regarding the enrollment process: [email protected]

I. Beginning your doctoral studies: Admission, enrollment and registration

Please find general information for doctoral candidates at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin) on our Doctoral Candidates Portal .

Please contact the PhD office of the faculty at which you would like to do your doctorate. Notice that there are no fixed deadlines for applying as a doctoral candidate. You get all necessary information on the application procedure directly there. Please find corresponding contact details on the websites of the faculties .

Please submit your application for admission exclusively to the PhD office at the faculty of your choice. Your application must contain all specified documents. Please note, if you have a non German university degree, your documents will be checked for equivalence with the German education system before the application procedure. Any coordination that may be necessary for this process is carried out between the faculty’s PhD office and the department for student services internally. We kindly ask you, do not send any documents to the enrollment office for doctoral studies before you received your admission by the faculty of your choice.

Please submit the enrollment form for PhD studies [ PDF ] and all the required documents as soon as possible, but no later than four weeks after you received the letter of admission from your faculty. If you are employed at HU and prefer to be only registered, please choose the registration-form for a doctorate [ PDF ]. Please send the filled out and signed form with all required documents to the following address

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Referat Studierendenservice Unter den Linden 6 10099 Berlin

or drop them into the mailbox at the Student Service Center (SSC) in the main building of  Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10117 Berlin (Opening hours: Mon - Fri, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.).

To keep the four-week deadline for enrollment/registration it is sufficient to submit the documents during this period to the enrollment office for PhD students.

Enrollment forms submitted digitally (e.g. as e-mail attachments) cannot be accepted for your enrollment.

You can only enroll for PhD studies after you have received your formal admission in a doctoral-study-program from the PhD office/PhD board of your faculty.

Enrolled doctoral candidates do have a student status and receive a student card (Campus-Card) but cannot receive the semester ticket for public transport. Enrolled PhD students have to pay the semester fees. Enrollment as a doctoral candidate is not contingent upon employment as a staff member at the HU Berlin.

However, if you are employed at HU, you have two options:

Either you enroll or you register for PhD studies. Registration is only possible as long as you are an employee/staff member at the HU Berlin. In case of registration, no fees or contributions have to be paid. But you do not have a status of a student at HU Berlin and cannot receive a Campus Card.

Differences between enrollment and registration for PhD studies

 

(possible with or without
employment contract at
the HU Berlin)

(possible only during the
employment at the HU Berlin)

yes

no

yes

not possible/excluded

yes

not possible/excluded

yes

not possible/excluded

Please enroll for PhD studies within four weeks after receiving the letter of admission from your faculty and submit the following documents:

- the completed and signed enrollment form [ PDF ] incl. details on your educational biography,

- a simple copy of your admission letter from the PhD board,

- the payment confirmation of the semester fee (e.g. a simple copy of the bank transfer). You will find detailed information about the amount of semester fee which has to be paid for your enrollment below under "How much semester fee do I have to pay to be enrolled for PhD studies?".

- a simple copy of the de-registration certificate from your last German university (does not apply if you have never been enrolled at a university in Germany),

- a simple copy of your university entrance qualification (in most cases the secondary school certificate and/or university entrance examination),

- simple copies of your previous university degree certificates (German and/or foreign certificates),

- proof of a scholarship (if applicable).

How much semester fee do I have to pay to be enrolled for PhD studies?

Enrollment for the summer semester 2024 (01.04.2024 – 30.09.2024)

In the summer semester 2024, PhD students are not entitled to use the Deutschlandsemesterticket.

When enrolling from the beginning of the re-registration period for the winter semester 2024/25 (in the months of June, July, August and September 2024), we ask you to transfer the semester fee for the winter semester 2024/25.

Enrollment for the winter semester 2024/25 (01.10.2024 - 31.03.2025)

With the new Deutschlandsemesterticket contract, which was negotiated between the student body of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, represented by the Referent_innenrat (legally AStA), and the transport companies and comes into force on October 1st, 2024, the purchase of the Deutschlandsemesterticket is mandatory for PhD students.

Enrollment with the beginning date on 01.06.2024

 

(semester fee for the SoSe2024 of 114,59 € semester ticket + semester fee for the WiSe 2024/25 of 299,90 € Deutschlandemesterticket from October 2024)

Enrollment with the beginning date on 01.07.2024

 

(semester fee for the SoSe2024 of 114,59 € semester ticket + semester fee for the WiSe 2024/25 of 299,90 € Deutschlandemesterticket from October 2024)

Enrollment with the beginning date on 01.08.2024

 

(semester fee for the SoSe2024 of 114,59 € semester ticket + semester fee for the WiSe 2024/25 of 299,90 € Deutschlandemesterticket from October 2024)

Enrollment with the beginning date on 01.09.2024

 

(semester fee for the SoSe2024 of 114,59 € semester ticket + semester fee for the WiSe 2024/25 of 299,90 € Deutschlandemesterticket from October 2024)

Enrollment with the beginning date on 01.10.2024

 

(semester fee for the WiSe 2024/25 of 299,90 € Deutschlandemesterticket from October 2024)

 

Exemption from the enrollment fee (currently €50)

PhD students who receive a scholarship (e.g. from the DAAD) as part of funding programs that are financed exclusively or predominantly from public funds from the federal or state governments and who submit a proof of this for enrollment can be exempted from the fee for enrollment and re-registration, currently 50 € per semester, in accordance with Section 2 Paragraph 7 of the BerlHG ( § 2 Abs. 7 BerlHG ).

Please find detailed information about the composition of semester fees and contributions here:

https://hu.berlin/rueckmeldung

Recipient: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
IBAN: DE64 1001 0010 0651 8231 04
SWIFT (BIC): PBNKDEFF (PBNKDEFFXXX)
Bank: Postbank Berlin
Reference: [surname], [given name], Promotion

Please note that only this bank account can be used for enrollment and re-registration.

Please note that additional fees may apply for transfers outside of Germany. You should ask your bank about these and include them in the transfer.

If you are employed at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and have chosen to register as a PhD student, please submit the following documents within four weeks after receiving the letter of admission from your faculty:

- the completed and signed application registration-form for PhD studies incl. details on your educational biography [ PDF ],

- a proof of employment at HU which contains the begin-date and the end-date of your employment (e.g. a copy of your employment contract),

- simple copies of your previous university degree certificates (either German and/or foreign certificates).

Please note that the enrollment office will not send you a confirmation that your documents have been received . The application deadline is met if your documents for enrollment or registration have reached the enrollment office within one month after your admission for PhD studies.

After we have received your documents, we will check them carefully. If any documents are missing, you will be informed by email or via mail and we will give you a deadline for submitting the missing evidence.

If you submitted all the required documents in full, you will receive a confirmation of completed enrollment/registration by e-mail. In addition, we will provide you with further information (in case of enrollment: e.g. how to create the Campus Card (student ID) or to activate the student HU account).

Please note that the processing of your application for enrollment or registration for PhD studies usually takes at least two weeks after the enrollment office has received all the required documents. Before the start of the semester or shortly after the semester start, there may be longer processing times.

II. During PhD studies: Re-registration, semester fees and semester ticket

Yes, re-registration for the next semester is mandatory. In order to retain your status as a doctoral student and to be able to complete your PhD studies, you must re-register within the re-registration period. Please note the information on the main deadlines for re-registration in your AGNES account and on our website for re-registration .

If you have appropriate reasons, you can apply for a leave of absence as a PhD student by using our application form [ PDF ]. For further information please visit our website .

However, the leave of absence has no influence on the standard processing time of your doctoral studies and your processing time will not be automatically extended for the duration of your leave of absence.

Please complete the extension form ("Bescheinigung über die Verlängerung der Regelbearbeitungszeit der Promotion" [ PDF ]) and have it signed by your PhD supervisor. Then send the signed form to the PhD office of your faculty. Please note that the PhD office may need additional documents from you. Contact the office for more information and procedure details.

If your request has been approved by the faculty’s PhD board, the PhD office will forward the signed form to the enrollment office for doctoral studies.

As a registration for PhD studies is only possible for the duration of your employment at the HU Berlin, you have to enroll as a PhD student after your employment relationship has expired. Please submit the application form for enrollment for PhD studies to the enrollment office. In addition, please submit a proof of payment of the semester fee and an informal letter in which you inform us that you are currently registered for doctoral studies.

The amount of the semester fee depends on the date on which you apply to enroll for your doctorate.

If you apply for enrollment after the first month of the semester, the semester ticket fee only has to be paid pro rata from the month of enrollment.

If you enroll in the last three months of the semester (July - September and January - March), we ask you to transfer the semester fee for the enrollment semester as well as the re-registration fee for the following semester.

Please try to re-activate your HU account for students via our Computer and Media Service (CMS) to solve this issue. If this is not possible, please contact the enrollment office for generating a new PIN letter for re-activating your HU account for students.

Please note that a new PIN can only provided via a PIN letter send to you by mail.

III. Finishing your doctoral studies, de-registration

If you do not re-register for the upcoming semester, .e.g. not paying the required semester fee, you will be automatically de-registered (“Exmatrikulation”). If you would like to be de-registered before the end of the semester, please submit the application for de-registration [ PDF ] to the enrollment office for doctoral studies.

Please contact the PhD office of your faculty and clarify whether the enrollment is necessary to defend your thesis and proceed accordingly. If the regular processing time for your doctorate has expired, and you have submitted your thesis and you need to be enrolled in the upcoming semester, ask the PhD office to inform the enrollment office about this. After the enrollment office has received the confirmation from the PhD office and your payment of the semester fee has been received, we will re-register you.

IV. Legal bases

Fächerübergreifende Satzung zur Regelung von Zulassung, Studium und Prüfung der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (ZSP-HU)

Sections 59 and 60 regulate form, procedure and conditions of enrollment and registration as a doctoral student at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

V. Additional information

Doctoral regulations of the faculties

https://hu.berlin/promord

Humboldt Graduate School

https://www.humboldt-graduate-school.de

International Scholar Services

https://hu.berlin/issprom

Financing the PhD studies

https://hu.berlin/promfinanz

https://www.daad.de

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PhD in Germany: Top Universities, Admissions 2024-25, Fees, Scholarships

doctoral program phd in germany

Veda Burman

| Updated On - Sep 5, 2024

The top PhD universities in Germany do not charge any tuition fee from international students. You might need to pay a semester fee between 100 and 325 EUR (8,900 to 28,930 INR) to pursue PhD courses in Germany. After completing a PhD degree in Germany, graduates annually earn an average salary of 69,000 EUR (61.43 lakhs INR).


3.1

Best Universities in Germany for PhD

Germany is a center for higher education, with few top-ranked yet affordable institutions offering doctoral programs. Some top PhD universities in Germany and their corresponding details are as follows:

QS World University Rankings 2024 University Program/ Faculty Fees
#37 Technical University of Munich Econometrics | Strategic Management | Innovative Technologies in Management Research No tuition fees
#54 Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Humanities and Cultural Studies | Social Sciences and Economics | Natural Sciences and Medicine Semester Fee: 100-300
#120 Humboldt University of Berlin Individual Doctorate | Structured PhD Programs Semester Fee: 290.99
#=239 University of Bonn Microeconomic Theory | Management and Applied Microeconomic | Financial Economics | Macroeconomics and Public Economics | Econometrics and Statistics Semester Fee: 325
#98 Freie University of Berlin Humanities & Social Sciences | Natural & Life Sciences | Computational Neuroscience Berlin Semester Fee: 295.49
#106 RWTH Aachen University Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences | Medicine | Architecture | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering and Information Technology | Arts and Humanities | Business and Economics No fee
#232 University of Goettingen Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB) Semester Fee: 300
#=192 University of Freiburg Humanities and Social Sciences | Natural Sciences | Life Sciences | Engineering | Marie Curie Programs | Cooperative Doctoral Research Groups Semester Fee: 180

Why Study PhD in Germany?

  • In Germany, a majority of the PhD programs are tuition free, at least for the first 6 semesters. The German government sponsors these programs. You will only need to pay a minimal semester fee between 100 and 325 EUR (8,900 to 28,930 INR).
  • According to UNESCO, Germany has enrolled over 28,000 Indian students including PhD scholars every year, higher than any other EU member state.
  • Germany allows students to pursue doctoral programs without a masters degree. Students with a bachelors degree can directly pursue doctoral studies in Germany with satisfactory eligibility criteria.
  • As a student, you can work for 120 full-days or 240 half days per year to earn extra pocket money.

PhD in Germany Admissions

The admission requirements for doctorate in Germany vary based on the chosen university and subject. The common requirement for PhD in Germany eligibility criteria for international students are listed below:

  • Diploma, Magister, or Master’s degree with above-average aggregate from a recognized university
  • At least 2.5 GPA in German grading system or B+ overall grade
  • IELTS: 7.0 (with 6.5 in each band)
  • TOEFL iBT: 80 - 100
  • German language proficiency proof: TestDaf: Level 4
  • GRE: 160 overall score or above
  • Germany student visa

PhD in Germany Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for admission to the PhD programs in various German universities are as follows:

University Eligibility Criteria Language Proficiency Requirement Additional Requirements
Diploma, Magister or Master’s degree with above-average aggregate or at least 2.5 GPA from a recognized university NA CV | Transcripts
MSc in a relevant stream from a recognized university | Exceptional candidates with BSc Hons. degree with a written thesis NA 2 Letters of recommendation | 1 Letter of motivation |

CV

Diploma, Magister or Master’s degree with at least 2.3 GPA from a recognized university NA CV | Copy of identity card
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Economics or a related field IELTS: 7.0 (with 6.5 in each band) | TOEFL iBT: 100 (with 23 in each band) 2 Letters of recommendation | Letter of motivation | CV | GRE: at least 160
Diploma, Magister, or Master’s degree from a recognized university NA Copy of identity card | Copy of University entrance qualification | Copy of control view
Diploma, Magister or Master’s degree from a recognized university NA Resume
University degree with at least 2.5 GPA on German grading scale TestDaf: Level 4 | IELTS: 7.0 (with 6.5 in each band) | TOEFL iBT: 80 (with 23 in each band) CV | Transcripts
Master’s degree from a recognized university NA CV | Transcripts

PhD in Germany Cost

The German universities do not charge any tuition fee for PhD programs. You might need to pay a semester fee between 100 and 325 EUR (8,900 to 28,930 INR) across some universities. Besides, you can estimate to spend around 850 EUR per month as the cost of living in Germany . Following are some top-ranked universities and their respective fees:

PhD in German Uni: Semester Fees

University Fees (EUR) Equivalent Fees (INR)
Technical University of Munich No fees No fees
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Semester Fee: 100-300 8,900 to 26,700
Humboldt University of Berlin Semester Fee: 290.99 25,900
Bonn Graduate School of Economics Semester Fee: 325 28,930
Freie University of Berlin Semester Fee: 295.49 26,303
RWTH Aachen University No fees No fees
University of Goettingen Semester Fee: 300 26,705
University of Freiburg Semester Fee: 180 16,000

PhD in Germany Scholarships

Although the doctoral programs in Germany are fully funded, candidates are still required to make the ends meet and bear the living costs. Therefore, such candidates may look forward to the following scholarships in Germany :

Scholarships Eligibility Criteria Award Amount
TUM GS Bridge Financing Grant Completion of a Master’s degree with above-average aggregate along with the intention to pursue doctoral studies EUR 1,000 per month + EUR 150 for family and child support
University of Goettingen Funding Candidates pursuing PhD at the University of Goettingen Employment contract or EUR 1,100-1,400
Central Sector Scheme of National Overseas Scholarship Candidates pursuing a Master’s or doctoral program with academic excellence EUR 30,000
Heinrich Boll Scholarship International graduate and doctorate students studying in Germany with proficiency in German EUR 934

PhD in Germany Salary

Students with PhD in Germany secure an average salary of 69,000 EUR per annum. The average salary of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) ranges between 45,000 to 94,000 EUR per annum. Doctor of Science (DS) degree holders annually earn between 42,000 to 120,000 EUR. The average salary of doctoral candidates pursuing jobs in Germany according to their levels of experience are as follows:

Levels Average Salary Per Month (EUR) Equivalent Salary for Indians (INR)
1 3,672.02 3.27 lakhs
2 4,075.76 3.63 lakhs
3 4,293.17 3.82 lakhs
4 4,715.55 4.20 lakhs
5 5,299.43 4.72 lakhs
6 5,378.92 4.79 lakhs

Note: The stage duration (time spent) of each of the 6 levels of experience increases by 1 year per stage. The contractual term at first level is at least 12 months with no interruption.

PhD in Germany is pursued by international students for a combination of benefits. The top public universities in Germany offer tuition-free education, removing the financial burden from students. You can get research opportunities from industry experts in Germany. After completing education, you can get employed as research associate for Postdoc positions in German higher education institutions.

Ques. Is it free to do PhD in Germany for Indian students?

Ans . Yes. The public universities in Germany offer PhD programs without any tuition fees. The universities might charge a minimal semester fee to Indian students. You can estimate to pay between 100 and 325 EUR (8,900 to 28,930 INR) as semester fees in the German universities for pursuing a PhD program.

Ques. Do PhD students get paid in Germany?

Ans . Yes, some German universities provide financial support to PhD students through grants, stipends, and scholarships. You can also pursue part-time jobs while pursuing PhD, with permission from your university to earn some pocket money.

Ques. How many years is a PhD in Germany?

Ans . PhD programs in Germany can be around 5 years long or more. However, PhD in Germany is available within 3 years span across some universities. According to experts, the average time taken for PhD in Germany ranges between 3 and 4 years.

Ques. Is it easy to get PhD in Germany?

Ans . No. PhD in Germany requires you to be involved in research and activities on a particular subject or multiple subjects. The entry requirements for PhD programs in Germany for international students vary with the university and specialization. The most important requirements for admission to PhD in Germany are as follows:

  • IELTS : 7.0 (with 6.5 in each band)
  • German Proficiency proof: TestDaf: Level 4
  • GRE Score: 160 overall score or above
  • Germany Student Visa

Ques. Is a PhD in Germany taught in German?

Ans . PhD in Germany is taught in both the languages, German and English. You can choose the university and specialisation, based on the proficiency of language. If possible, German language proficiency is recommended to enhance your chances of securing admission to your dream university.

Ques. Can I pursue PhD in Germany without a Master’s degree?

Ans . PhD in Germany can be pursued by exceptionally performing Bachelor’s degree graduates. Moreover, candidates possessing an international Graduate Diploma with 2.5 or more GPA may also apply.

Ques. Is German PhD valid in India?

Ans . Yes. PhD degrees offered by prestigious universities in Germany are valid in India. You can pursue a faculty post in the Indian universities with a PhD from Germany. You can also look for postdoc opportunities or suitable employment opportunities for you with a PhD from Germany.

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PhD in Medical Physics | College of Engineering | University of Miami

The PhD in Medical Physics Program focuses on training students’ research ability and experience in the field of medical physics with an emphasis on radiation therapy, in addition to the course work required by the MS in Biomedical Engineering – Medical Physics Program. Students graduating from the program are required to take the American Board of Radiology (ABR) exam and to apply for medical physics residency programs. Students are encouraged to seek academic positions after graduating from the program.

Students will complete required coursework by the program and will join research projects in the Department of Radiation Oncology, or other collaborative departments or clinical sites. PhD students in the program will take two qualify exams. The first one is the general qualify exam required by the Department of Biomedical Engineering, usually after two-semester study and before the third semester starts. The second qualify exam is required by the Medical Physics Graduate Program, usually after all coursework has been completed.

The Medical Physics curriculum is designed to provide students with the technical and intellectual skills required for successful careers in the field of medical physics. In addition to the coursework required by the Biomedical Engineering PhD program, PhD students enrolled in the medical physics program must successfully complete 32 medical physics course credits, at least 12 credits in research dissertation (BME 830/840) in the field of medical physics, and other requirements by the BME PhD program.  Students who received MS in Medical Physics degree from other CAMPEP-accredited programs can transfer the medical physics coursework credits.  

Course # Title Credits
(Choose One of the Following)
BME 601 Unified Medical Sciences I 3
BME 603 Unified Medical Sciences III 3
BME 602 Unified Medical Sciences II 3
BME 620 Medical Imaging Systems (X-ray, CT) 3
BME 621 Medical Imaging Systems (MRI, NMI, Ultrasound) 3
BME 681 Radiation Biology and Physics 3
BME 682 Radiation Therapy Physics 3
BME 683 Radiation Protection 3
BME 701 Ethics and Professionalism for Engineers and Medical Physicists 1
BME 729 Advanced Medical Imaging 3
BME 781 Radiation Dosimetry and Physics 3
BME 783 Radiation Therapy Clinical Rotation 3
BME 784 Medical Physics Journal Club 1
TOTAL MEDICAL PHYSICS COURSE CREDITS 32
BME 830/840 Doctoral Dissertation Research 12+

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Fernando Alvarado and the first cohort of sustainability scholars

Sustainability scholars program is a win-win for graduate and undergraduate engineers

Departments:, focus areas:.

Professor Emeritus Fernando Alvarado spent 30 years in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying renewable energy, power systems pricing and computer applications in power systems. In retirement, he wanted to give back to the department—not just financially, but through a program that would directly serve students and the power engineering industry, while also advancing sustainability in the energy industry.

Finding the right project was difficult. Alvarado and his wife, Carla, kicked around a few ideas, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they shelved the project for a few years. When Alvarado started discussions again, Associate Professor Line Roald suggested an idea that hit the mark. Roald said, “Why don’t we support undergraduate research and expose undergraduates to power engineering and teach them how it can help in sustainability?” and Alvarado replied, “It sounds like a great idea!”

The result is the Alvarado Sustainability Scholars , a program hosted by the Wisconsin Power Systems research group and organized by Roald. Principal investigators and graduate students participating in the program come up with well-defined research projects in energy and sustainability, that also often blend in skills from optimization, control and data science. Interested undergraduates apply for the projects and conduct their research with the guidance of graduate student mentors. In spring 2024, an inaugural class of six undergraduates participated in mentored research projects.

doctoral program phd in germany

While the basic idea of the program doesn’t seem too radical, Roald says it actually flips the traditional path to undergraduate research. In most cases, interested undergraduates must reach out to a professor to inquire about doing research. By instead offering a well-defined program with a clear application process, the program demystifies the pathway to undergraduate research for students and allows them to get up and running on a meaningful research project more quickly.

“The program helps us manage undergraduate research in a more formal way,” says Roald. “And during our first round, we got a whole bunch of applications from students who indicated that they might not have done direct outreach to researchers. We wanted to lower the barriers to getting involved in research.”

The program also gives graduate students valuable experience as mentors. Joe Gorka, a fourth-year PhD student, mentored Reema Ibrahim, a rising junior, on a project to calculate carbon emissions. “It was my first time mentoring an undergrad, and it was very helpful in developing the skills necessary to properly define the project,” he says. “The undergraduates in the program are very capable, but also very busy. So we have to think about what is realistic, and satisfying, for someone to learn in a semester. I learned a lot about setting the pace of the project as well—choosing a next step that wouldn’t just take 5 minutes, but also wouldn’t take 18 hours.”

Gorka and the other mentors seem to have found a good middle ground. The program’s first semester concluded with a poster session in which the six undergrads presented their research to Alvarado and other researchers. Alvarado says he was impressed by the work, and hopes the program continues to generate enthusiasm. “Everyone in ECE really got behind the idea. I was fascinated by the amount of interest generated among students. We’re going to have some really good power engineers coming out of this, and some people who would have never considered power engineering, which is really what we need,” he says.

Roald says that they have successfully recruited a new cohort of undergraduates to participate in fall 2025. This time around, instead of applying to tightly defined research projects, the students applied for research areas and will collaboratively develop their research interests with their mentors.

“I’m very happy how it turned out, and we had a really good semester,” says Roald. “In particular, I like how we are able to bring in students from across ECE—even those studying data science and computing and other fields. We want them to see how they can leverage the skills they have for energy and sustainability.”

Featured Image: Fernando Alvarado (third from left) and the first cohort of sustainability scholars: Caroline Murphy, Aayushi Singh, Eric Haag, James Towler and Sukriti Somvanshi. Submitted photo.

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Ways To Your PhD

Doktoranden

 You have the choice of two routes to your doctoral title in Germany. Check out the differences.

Individual Doctoral Studies

Most doctoral candidates choose the individual study model. In this model, you need to find a university professor who will supervise your dissertation. You may elect to write your dissertation alone or collaborate with other researchers – it really depends on your subject.

As a doctoral candidate you have three options as to where you carry out your research:  at a university, at a research organisation or in the industrial sector.  You can decide which option best fits your goals.

How long it takes to complete an individual PhD is down to your schedule, or the period of your research grant, but the length of this form of PhD usually ranges from 3 to 5 years.

Structured PhD Programmes

An alternative route to your doctorate is via the structured PhD programme, similar to those in English-speaking countries. This model offers regular and intense supervision by a team of advisors.  The programmes include a curriculum of courses, usually with an interdisciplinary focus. These programmes will advance your skills not only in academic and scientific methods such as presentation techniques but also foster soft skills. This systematic approach allows you to complete your doctoral studies within 3 – 4 years.  

Find out more about the two ways to do your PhD: www.research-in-germany.org > two ways to get a PhD

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Quantitative Methodology: Measurement and Statistics, Ph.D.

Fall, Spring

Min. 66 credits

Full-time, Part-time

  • September 27, 2024 (Spring 2025)
  • December 3, 2024 (Fall 2025)

June 30, 2025

  • In-State - $12,540
  • Out-of-State - $26,490

The Quantitative Methodology: Measurement and Statistics, Ph.D. program is tailored for aspiring scholars seeking advanced training in research methods and statistical analysis. With a focus on generating and disseminating new knowledge in quantitative methodology, this research-oriented program prepares you for careers in any industry. You will learn to design and conduct research studies, analyze data using sophisticated statistical techniques, and interpret and present research findings effectively.     

If you possess strong analytical ability and a passion for research, this program might be the right fit for you. 

Key Features

  • Research Focus : Engage in scholarly research activities aimed at advancing the field of quantitative methodology.
  • Teaching Preparation : Gain the necessary skills to teach courses at the university level in applied measurement, statistics, and evaluation.
  • Customizable Curriculum : Tailor your course of study with electives selected in consultation with your advisor to align with your research interests and career goals.
  • Interdisciplinary Opportunities : Collaborate with faculty and students from diverse academic backgrounds to address complex research questions.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in advanced quantitative research methods and statistical analysis.
  • Conduct original research contributing to the body of knowledge in quantitative methodology.
  • Effectively communicate research findings through scholarly publications and presentations.
  • Provide leadership in the design, implementation, and evaluation of research studies in various settings.

Information on admissions and application to this program can be found on the University Graduate Admissions website.

Admission Requirements           Guide to Applying

You are required to submit all required documents before submitting the application.

Program Specific Requirements

  • Letters of Recommendation (3)
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
  • Writing Sample

Yi Feng, Ph.D. candidate, Quantitative Methodology: Measurement and Statistics

Courses in this program are carefully selected from offerings of Quantitative Methodology: Measurement and Statistics program and other departments at the University. Your specific program of study will be structured to take into account your background and future aims. 

QMMS Graduate Student Handbook

Program of Study

  • EDMS 623 Applied Measurement: Issues and Practices (3) 
  • EDMS 626 Instrumentation (3) 
  • EDMS 646 General Linear Models I (3) 
  • EDMS 647 Causal Inference and Evaluation Methods (3)
  • EDMS 651 General Linear Models II (3) 
  • EDMS 655 Introduction to Multilevel Modeling (3) 
  • EDMS 657 Exploratory Latent and Composite Variable Methods (3) 
  • EDMS 722 Structural Modeling (3)
  • EDMS 724 Modern Measurement Theory (3) 
  • EDMS 779 Mathematical Foundations and Simulation Techniques (3) 
  • EDMS 787 Bayesian Inference and Analysis (3) 
  • EDMS 899 Doctoral Dissertation Research (12)

You must select at least 21 credits of elective courses in consultation with your advisor. A minimum of 30 credit hours (including EDMS 899) must be taken following admission.

In addition to courses, you must complete a doctoral preliminary examination and a doctoral comprehensive examination and are expected to participate in research and publication. A faculty advisor may require courses beyond those specified here.

The many and varied professional interests of faculty members provide opportunities for presentations of research reports by students as well as faculty. Recent presentations by students have dealt with a variety of original research topics, in such areas as applied statistics, modeling of traits, test construction, test evaluation, and survey research.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Gregory R. Hancock Director of QMMS [email protected]

For advising questions, please contact:

Dr. Ji Seung Yang Director of Graduate Studies [email protected]

Sep 17 Graduate Fair Expo Sep 17, 2024 4:00 – 6:00 pm

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Active funding opportunity

Nsf 24-591: nsf graduate research fellowship program (grfp), program solicitation, document information, document history.

  • Posted: July 12, 2024
  • Replaces: NSF 23-605

Program Solicitation NSF 24-591



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Application Deadline(s) (received by 5 p.m. local time of applicant's mailing address):

     October 15, 2024

Chemistry; Geosciences, Mathematical Sciences; Physics and Astronomy

     October 16, 2024

Life Sciences

     October 17, 2024

Engineering

     October 18, 2024

Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Materials Research; Psychology; Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, STEM Education and Learning

Important Information And Revision Notes

  • This solicitation covers the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 competition.
  • Applicants must use the Research.gov/GRFP site ( https://www.research.gov/grfp/Login.do ) to register in Research.gov and submit their applications through the GRFP Application Module. Only materials submitted through the GRFP Application Module will be accepted.
  • Applications are due on the deadline date at 5:00 p.m. local time of the applicant's mailing address.
  • Currently enrolled second-year graduate students are strongly advised to provide official Registrar-issued transcripts that clearly indicate the start date of their graduate degree enrollment as part of their application. If the start date is not clearly stated on the transcript, applicants should upload a Registrar-issued document indicating the start of graduate degree enrollment to avoid delay in processing.
  • NSF will continue to emphasize high priority research in alignment with the priorities laid out in pages 129-130 of the FY2025 budget [ Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2025 (whitehouse.gov) ]
  • Portions of the eligibility criteria have been rewritten for clarity.
  • Reference letters are due October 11 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). The reference letter deadline is a few days before the application deadline dates. Reference letter writers must use the Research.gov/GRFP site ( https://www.research.gov/grfp/Login.do ) to register in Research.gov and submit reference letters through the NSF Reference Letter System.
  • Applicants and reference letter writers requiring accessibility accommodation are asked to notify the GRF Operations Center at least four weeks before the deadline to coordinate assistance with NSF in submitting the application or reference letter.

Summary Of Program Requirements

General information.

Program Title:

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

Synopsis of Program:

The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. The GRFP provides three years of support over a five-year fellowship period for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. NSF actively encourages submission of applications from the full spectrum of diverse talent that society has to offer which includes underrepresented and under-served communities. NSF GRFP was established to recruit and support individuals who demonstrate the potential to make significant contributions in STEM. NSF especially encourages applications from undergraduate seniors and Bachelor's degree-holders interested in pursuing research-based graduate study in STEM. First- and second-year graduate students in eligible STEM fields and degree programs are also encouraged to apply.

Broadening Participation In STEM:

NSF recognizes the unique lived experiences of individuals from communities that are underrepresented and/or under-served in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and the barriers to inclusion and access to STEM education and careers. NSF highly encourages the leadership, partnership, and contributions in all NSF opportunities of individuals who are members of such communities supported by NSF. This includes leading and designing STEM research and education proposals for funding; serving as peer reviewers, advisory committee members, and/or committee of visitor members; and serving as NSF leadership, program, and/or administrative staff. NSF also highly encourages demographically diverse institutions of higher education (IHEs) to lead, partner, and contribute to NSF opportunities on behalf of their research and education communities. NSF expects that all individuals, including those who are members of groups that are underrepresented and/or under-served in STEM, are treated equitably and inclusively in the Foundation's proposal and award process.

NSF encourages IHEs that enroll, educate, graduate, and employ individuals who are members of groups underrepresented and/or under-served in STEM education programs and careers to lead, partner, and contribute to NSF opportunities, including leading and designing STEM research and education proposals for funding. Such IHEs include, but may not be limited to, community colleges and two-year institutions, mission-based institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), women's colleges, and institutions that primarily serve persons with disabilities, as well as institutions defined by enrollment such as Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).

"Broadening participation in STEM" is the comprehensive phrase used by NSF to refer to the Foundation's goal of increasing the representation and diversity of individuals, organizations, and geographic regions that contribute to STEM teaching, research, and innovation. To broaden participation in STEM, it is necessary to address issues of equity, inclusion, and access in STEM education, training, and careers. Whereas all NSF programs might support broadening participation components, some programs primarily focus on supporting broadening participation research and projects. Examples can be found on the NSF Broadening Participation in STEM website.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

  • Contact: GRF Operations Center, telephone: (866) 673-4737, email: [email protected]
  • 47.041 --- Engineering
  • 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
  • 47.050 --- Geosciences
  • 47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering
  • 47.074 --- Biological Sciences
  • 47.075 --- Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences
  • 47.076 --- STEM Education
  • 47.079 --- Office of International Science and Engineering
  • 47.083 --- Office of Integrative Activities (OIA)
  • 47.084 --- NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Fellowship

Estimated Number of Awards: 2,300

NSF will support up to 2,300 new Graduate Research Fellowships per fiscal year under this program solicitation pending availability of funds.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $159,000

Per award (Fellowship), pending the availability of funds.

Each Fellowship provides three years of support over a five-year fellowship period. For each of the three years of support, NSF provides a $37,000 stipend and $16,000 Cost of Education allowance to the graduate degree-granting institution of higher education for each Fellow who uses the support in a fellowship year. The Fellowship is portable and can be transferred to a different institution of higher education if a Fellow chooses to transfer to another institution after completion of the first Fellowship year. While the Fellowship is offered to the individual, the Fellowship funds are awarded to the institution of higher education at which a Fellow is enrolled and the institution is responsible for disbursement of the stipend to the Fellow.

Eligibility Information

Organization Limit:

Fellowship applications must be submitted by the prospective Fellow. Applicants must use the GRFP application module in Research.gov ( https://www.research.gov/grfp/Login.do ) to submit the application. Confirmation of acceptance in a graduate degree program in STEM or STEM education is required at the time of Fellowship acceptance, no later than the deadline indicated in the fellowship offer letter, of the year the Fellowship is accepted. Prospective Fellows must enroll in a non-profit university, college, or institution of higher education accredited in, and having a campus located in, the United States, its territories or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that offers advanced degrees in STEM and STEM education no later than fall of the year the Fellowship is accepted. All Fellows from the date of Fellowship Start through Completion or Termination of the Fellowship must be enrolled in a graduate degree-granting institution of higher education accredited in, and having a campus located in, the United States its territories or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Applicant Eligibility:

See the Detailed Eligibility Requirements in Section IV for full information. Eligibility is based on the applicant's status at the application deadline.

Applicants must self-certify that they are eligible to receive the Fellowship. To be eligible, an applicant must meet all of the following eligibility criteria at the application deadline. All academic credentials must be indicated in Registrar-issued transcripts.

  • Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
  • Intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in a research-based Master's or doctoral degree program in an eligible Field of Study in STEM or STEM education (See Appendix and Section IV.3 for eligible Fields of Study
  • Never previously accepted a Graduate Research Fellowship
  • Declined any previously offered Graduate Research Fellowship by the acceptance deadline
  • Never previously applied to GRFP while enrolled in a graduate degree program
  • Never earned a doctoral or terminal degree in any field
  • Have completed no more than one academic year (according to institution's academic calendar) while enrolled in a graduate degree program (non-degree coursework must be clearly identified in the transcript and does not count toward this limit)
  • Individuals holding joint Bachelor's-Master's degrees who did not apply while enrolled in the joint program, may apply as second-year graduate applicants if enrolled in an eligible doctoral program the beginning of the academic year immediately following the academic award year of the joint degree
  • not enrolled in a graduate degree program at application deadline
  • two or more consecutive years past graduate degree enrollment or completion at the application deadline
  • Not be a current NSF employee.

Applications that do not meet eligibility requirements will not be reviewed.

Number of Times an Individual May Apply

  • Undergraduate seniors and Bachelor's degree holders who have never enrolled in a graduate degree program have no restrictions on the number of times they can apply before enrolling in a degree-granting graduate program.
  • Currently enrolled graduate students who have completed no more than one academic year (according to institution's academic calendar) while enrolled in a graduate degree program can apply only once . Non-degree coursework (clearly identified in a transcript) does not count toward the one academic year limit.
  • Individuals applying while enrolled in a joint Bachelor's-Master's degree program are considered graduate students who: i) must have completed three (3) years in the joint program, and; ii) are limited to one application to GRFP; they will not be eligible to apply again as doctoral students. For GRFP, joint Bachelor's-Master's degrees are defined as degrees concurrently pursued and awarded .
  • Individuals holding joint Bachelor's-Master's degrees, currently enrolled as first-year doctoral students, who (i) have not previously applied as graduate students and (ii) enrolled in the doctoral program the beginning of the academic year immediately following the academic award year of the joint degree, may only apply in the first year of the doctoral program.
  • Applications withdrawn by November 15 of the application year do not count toward the one-time graduate application limit. Applications withdrawn after November 15 count toward this one-time limit.
  • Applications not reviewed by NSF do not count toward the one-time graduate application limit.

Limit on Number of Applications per Applicant: 1

An eligible applicant may submit only one application per annual competition.

Application Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. application preparation instructions.

  • Letters of Intent: Not applicable
  • Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not applicable
  • Application Instructions: This solicitation contains information that deviates from the standard NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) proposal preparation guidelines. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

B. Budgetary Information

C. due dates, application review information criteria.

Merit Review Criteria:

National Science Board approved Merit Review Criteria (Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts) apply. Additional Solicitation-Specific Review Criteria also apply (see Section VI.A below).

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions:

NSF GRFP awards are made to the institution of higher education at which a Fellow is or will be enrolled. The awardee institution is responsible for financial management of the award and disbursement of Fellowship funds to the individual Fellow. The institution will administer the awards, including any amendments, in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and provisions (and any subsequent amendments) contained in the document NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Administrative Guide for Fellows and Coordinating Officials . All Fellowships are subject to the provisions (and any subsequent amendments) contained in the document NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Administrative Guide for Fellows and Coordinating Officials .

Reporting Requirements:

See reporting requirements in full text of solicitation and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Administrative Guide for Fellows and Coordinating Officials . Fellows are required to submit annual activity reports and to declare fellowship status by the deadline specified in the notification sent by email each year. Additional reporting requirements are presented in Section VII.C of this solicitation.

I. Introduction

The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is a National Science Foundation-wide program that provides Fellowships to individuals selected early in their graduate careers based on their demonstrated potential for significant research achievements in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. Three years of support over a five-year period are provided for graduate study that leads to a research-based master's or doctoral degree in STEM or STEM education (see eligible Fields of Study in Appendix).

The program goals are: 1) to select, recognize, and financially support early-career individuals with the demonstrated potential to be high achieving scientists and engineers, and 2) to broaden participation of the full spectrum of diverse talents in STEM. NSF actively encourages submission of applications from the full spectrum of diverse talent in STEM.

GRFP is a critical program in NSF's overall strategy to develop the globally-engaged workforce necessary to ensure the Nation's leadership in advancing science and engineering research and innovation. The ranks of NSF Fellows include numerous individuals who have made transformative breakthrough discoveries in science and engineering, become leaders in their chosen careers, and been honored as Nobel laureates.

II. Program Description

The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) awards Fellowships for graduate study leading to research-based master's and doctoral degrees in STEM or in STEM education. GRFP supports individuals proposing a comprehensive plan for graduate education that takes individual interests and competencies into consideration. The plan describes the academic achievements, attributes, and experiences that illustrate the applicant's demonstrated potential for significant research achievements. The applicant must provide a detailed profile of their relevant education, research experience, and plans for graduate education that demonstrates this potential.

Prospective applicants are advised that submission of an application implies their intent to pursue graduate study in a research-based program in STEM or STEM education at an accredited, non-profit institution of higher education having a campus located in the United States, its territories or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. All applicants are expected to either have adequate preparation to enroll in a research-based master's or doctoral program, or be enrolled in such a program by fall of the year the Fellowship is accepted. From the date of the Fellowship Start through Completion or Termination of the Fellowship, applicants accepting the award (Fellows) must be enrolled in an accredited graduate degree-granting institution of higher education having a campus located in the United States, its territories or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

In FY2024, NSF will continue to fund outstanding Graduate Research Fellowships in all areas of science and engineering supported by NSF and continue to emphasize high priority research areas in alignment with NSF goals and priorities listed in pages 127-128 of the FY2024 budget ( https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/budget_fy2024.pdf ). Applications are encouraged in all disciplines supported by NSF.

III. Award Information

Fellowship funding will be for a maximum of three years of financial support (in 12-month allocations starting fall of the award year) usable over a five-year fellowship period. The anticipated announcement date for the Fellowship awards is early April each year.

The Fellowship is portable and can be transferred to a different institution of higher education if a Fellow chooses to transfer to another institution after completion of the first Fellowship year. While the Fellowship is offered to the individual, the Fellowship funds are awarded to the institution at which a Fellow is enrolled and is considered the official NSF awardee institution. The awardee institution receives up to a $53,000 award per Fellow who uses the support in a fellowship year. The awardee institution is responsible for disbursement of fellowship funds to the Fellow. The Graduate Research Fellowship stipend is $37,000 for a 12-month tenure period, prorated in whole month increments of $3,083. The Cost of Education allowance provides payment in lieu of tuition and mandatory fees to the institution of $16,000 per year of fellowship support.

During receipt of the fellowship support, the institution is required to exempt Fellows from paying tuition and fees normally charged to students of similar academic standing, unless such charges are optional or are refundable (i.e., the institution is responsible for tuition and required fees in excess of the Cost of Education allowance). Acceptance of fellowship funds by the awardee institution indicates acceptance of and adherence to these and other terms and conditions of the NSF GRFP award as indicated in the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Administrative Guide for Fellows and Coordinating Officials .

GRFP awards are eligible for supplemental funding as described in Chapter VI of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects as described in Chapter II.F of the PAPPG. Fellows with disabilities may apply for assistance after consulting the instructions in the document NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Administrative Guide for Fellows and Coordinating Officials.

Career-Life Balance Supplemental Funding Requests (Dear Colleague Letter NSF 21-021 ) can be requested by the awardee institution to provide additional personnel (e.g., technician) to sustain the research of Fellows on approved medical leave due to family leave situations as indicated in Chapter II.F of the PAPPG.

Fellows are eligible to apply for non-academic INTERN supplements; applications must be submitted according to GRFP-specific guidance stated in the INTERN program description.

Honorable Mention

The NSF accords Honorable Mention to meritorious applicants who do not receive Fellowship offers. This is considered a significant national academic achievement.

IV. Eligibility Information

Additional Eligibility Info:

Eligibility is based on the applicant's status at the application deadline. Detailed Eligibility Requirements: Described in detail below are the eligibility requirements for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program: (1) citizenship, (2) degree requirements, and (3) field of study, degree programs, and proposed research. Applicants are strongly advised to read the entire program solicitation carefully to ensure that they understand all the eligibility requirements. Applicants must self-certify that they meet all eligibility criteria. 1. Citizenship Applicants must be United States citizens, nationals, or permanent residents by the application deadline. The term "national" designates a native resident of a commonwealth or territory of the United States. It does not refer to a citizen of another country who has applied for United States citizenship and who has not received U.S. citizenship by the application deadline, nor does it refer to an individual present in the U.S. on any type of visa. 2. Degree Requirements Eligible applicants: 1) current undergraduates or Bachelor's degree holders never enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program, who will be prepared to attend graduate school in fall of the award year; 2) current graduate students with no more than one academic year completed according to institution's academic calendar of any degree-granting graduate program; or 3) currently unenrolled individuals who wish to return to graduate study and are at least two consecutive years past their most recent enrollment in any graduate degree-granting program, regardless of whether the degree was completed or awarded. Below are detailed guidelines to determine eligibility: a) Currently enrolled undergraduate students and Bachelor's degree-holders with no prior enrollment in a graduate degree-granting program (including joint Bachelor's-Master's programs): Undergraduate students on track to receive a Bachelor's degree by the fall of the year following the application (e.g., senior or final year of Bachelor's degree) and Bachelor's degree holders never enrolled in a graduate degree program can apply an unlimited number of times prior to enrolling in a graduate degree program. They must be prepared to enroll in a full-time graduate degree program by fall of the year they are offered a Graduate Research Fellowship. b) Currently enrolled joint Bachelor's-Master's degree students (joint Bachelor's-Master's defined as program in which both degrees are concurrently pursued and awarded as indicated on the transcript): Individuals applying while enrolled in a joint Bachelor's-Master's degree program are considered graduate students who: 1) must have completed three years in the joint program, and; ii) are limited to one application to GRFP; they will not be eligible to apply again as doctoral students. Joint Bachelor's-Master's degree-holders, currently enrolled as first-year doctoral students who have not previously applied as graduate students and enrolled in the doctoral program in the beginning of the academic year immediately following the academic award year of the joint degree, may only apply in the first year of the doctoral program. Individuals holding joint Bachelor's-Master's degrees who did not progress to a doctoral program the beginning of the academic year immediately following the academic award year of the joint degree, must apply as returning graduate students (see above). c) Currently enrolled graduate students: Applicants must not have completed more than one academic year of graduate study as indicated in the academic transcript issued by the Registrar of the universities attended, as of the application deadline. Graduate status is determined to begin on the date indicated on the Registrar-issued transcript and ALL activities after that date will be considered graduate activities. Summer research activities that are part of the graduate degree program (e.g. research credits) will be counted as graduate activities. Participation in non-degree summer activities PRIOR TO graduate degree enrollment as indicated in the Registrar-issued transcript before the start of the fall graduate program is not included in this total. Second-year graduate students are strongly advised to include official Registrar-issued transcripts. If the transcript does not clearly state the start date of graduate degree enrollment, they should also submit a Registrar-issued document confirming the start of graduate degree enrollment. Graduate coursework taken without being enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program is not counted in this limit. d) Currently unenrolled individuals who wish to re-enter graduate study: Applicants who earned a previous Master's or professional degree, or have completed more than one academic year in any graduate degree program (regardless of whether the degree was completed or awarded) are eligible only if they are currently unenrolled and at least two consecutive years past the most recent graduate degree enrollment at the application deadline . Applicants must not have engaged in any graduate coursework during the interruption. Applicants should address the reasons for the interruption in graduate study in the Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement. 3. Field of Study, Degree Programs, and Proposed Research Fellowships are awarded for graduate study leading to research-based Master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education, in eligible Fields of Study listed below: Chemistry Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering Engineering Geosciences Life Sciences Materials Research Mathematical Sciences Physics & Astronomy Psychology Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences STEM Education and Learning Research A complete list of eligible Major Fields of Study and their subfields are listed in the Appendix. If awarded, Fellows must enroll in a graduate degree program consistent with the Major Field of Study proposed in their application. A fellowship will not be awarded in a different Major Field of Study from that indicated in the application. Only research-based Master's and doctoral degrees in STEM or STEM education are eligible for GRFP support. Professional degree programs and graduate programs that are primarily course-based with no thesis are ineligible for GRFP support. Within eligible fields of study, there are ineligible areas of study and ineligible areas of proposed research. See below for ineligible areas of study and proposed research. Applications determined to be ineligible will not be reviewed. a) Ineligible degree programs Individuals are not eligible to apply if they will be enrolled in a practice-oriented professional degree program such as medical, dental, law, and public health degrees at any time during the fellowship. Ineligible degree programs include, but are not limited to, MBA, MPH, MSW, JD, MD, PharmD, DVM and DDS. Joint or combined professional degree-science programs (e.g., MD/PhD or JD/PhD) and dual professional degree-science programs are also not eligible. Individuals enrolled in a graduate degree program while on a leave of absence from a professional degree program or professional degree-graduate degree joint program are not eligible. b) Ineligible areas of study Individuals are not eligible to apply if they will be enrolled in graduate study focused on clinical practice, counseling, social work, patient-oriented research, epidemiological and medical behavioral studies, outcomes research (interventions, treatment, or therapies), and health services research. Ineligible study includes pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic, and behavioral interventions for physical or mental disease or disorder, prophylaxis, diagnosis, therapy, or treatment. Research to provide evidence leading to a scientific basis for consideration of a change in health policy or standard of care is not eligible. Graduate study focused on community, public, or global health, or other population-based research including medical intervention trials is also not eligible. c) Ineligible proposed research and limited exceptions to ineligible research: (i) Biological or psychological research for which the goals are directly human disease- or health- related, including the etiology, diagnosis of, and treatment and/or interventions for, physical or mental disease or disorder is not eligible for support, with limited exceptions for applicants in engineering, mathematical, physical, and computer or information sciences with health-related research topics (described below). Research activities using animal models of disease for developing or testing of drugs, procedures, or interventions for treatment of physical or mental disease or disorder are also not eligible. (ii) For applicants applying to degree programs in engineering, mathematical, physical, computer or information sciences disciplines, research with disease- or health-related goals (e.g., etiology-, diagnosis-, or treatment-related) that advance fundamental knowledge in engineering, mathematical, physical, computer or information sciences, is eligible for support. (iii) Certain areas of bioengineering research directed at medical use are eligible. These include research projects in bioengineering to aid persons with disabilities, or to diagnose or treat human disease or disorder, provided they apply engineering principles to problems in medicine while primarily advancing engineering knowledge. Applicants planning to study and conduct research in these areas of bioengineering should select biomedical engineering as the field of study. (iv) Certain areas of materials research directed at development of materials for use in biological or biomedical systems are eligible, provided they are focused on furthering fundamental materials research. (v) Research focused on basic questions in plant pathology is eligible, however, applied studies focused on maximizing production in agricultural plants or impacts on food safety are not eligible. (vi) Research with implications that inform policy is eligible. Research with the expressed intent to influence, advocate for or effect specific policy outcomes is not eligible. Applicants are advised to consult a faculty member, academic advisor, mentor, or other advisor for guidance on preparation of their research plans, and selection of Major Fields of Study and subfields.

V. Application Preparation And Submission Instructions

Fellowship applications must be submitted online using the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Application Module at https://www.research.gov/grfp/Login.do according to the deadline corresponding with the Field of Study selected in the application .

Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. local time as determined by the applicant's mailing address provided in the application. Applications received after the Field of Study deadline will not be reviewed . Applications submitted to a Field of Study deadline not in alignment with the proposed research plan will not be reviewed.

All reference letters must be submitted online by the reference writers through the NSF Reference Letter System in the Research.gov site ( https://www.research.gov/grfp/Login.do ) and must be received by the reference letter deadline (see Application Preparation and Submission Instructions/C. Due Dates of this Solicitation), of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). No reference letters will be accepted via email. Reference letter writers cannot be family members of the applicant. Applicants are required to provide the name and contact information for three (3) reference writers from non-family members. Up to five (5) potential reference letter writers can be provided. Two reference letters from non-family members must be received by the reference letter deadline to be reviewed. If fewer than two reference letters (one or none) are received by the reference letter deadline, the application will not be reviewed.

Applicants must submit the following information through the GRFP Application Module: Personal Information; Education, Work and Other Experience; Transcript PDFs; Proposed Field(s) of Study; Proposed Graduate Study and Graduate School Information; the names and email addresses of at least three reference letter writers; Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement PDF; and Graduate Research Plan Statement PDF.

Only the information required in the GRFP Application Module will be reviewed. No additional items or information will be accepted or reviewed. Do not provide links to web pages within the application, except as part of citations in the References Cited section. Images must be included in the page limits. Review of the application and reference letters is based solely on materials received by the application and reference letter deadlines. No application materials will be accepted via email.

Applicants must follow the instructions in the GRFP Application Module for completing each section of the application. The statements must be written using the following guidelines:

  • standard 8.5" x 11" page size
  • 11 point or higher font, except text that is part of an image
  • Times New Roman font for all text, Cambria Math font for equations, Symbol font for non-alphabetic characters (it is recommended that equations and symbols be inserted as an image)
  • Cited references should include the name of the journal (abbreviations accepted).
  • 1" margins on all sides, no text inside 1" margins (no header, footer, name, or page number)
  • No less than single-spacing (approximately 6 lines per inch)
  • Do not use line spacing options such as "exactly 11 point," that are less than single spaced
  • PDF file format only

Compliance with these guidelines will be automatically checked by the GRFP Application Module. Documents that are not compliant will not be accepted by the GRFP Application Module. Applicants are strongly advised to proofread and upload their documents early to ensure they are format-compliant and that non-compliant documents do not delay upload of the complete application for receipt by the deadline. Applications that are not compliant with these format requirements will not be reviewed.

The maximum length of the Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement is three (3) pages (PDF). The maximum length of the Graduate Research Plan Statement is two (2) pages (PDF). These page limits include all references, citations, charts, figures, images, and lists of publications and presentations. Applicants must certify that the two statements (Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement, and Graduate Research Plan Statement) in the application are their own original work. As explained in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG): "NSF expects strict adherence to the rules of proper scholarship and attribution. The responsibility for proper scholarship and attribution rests with the authors of a proposal; all parts of the proposal should be prepared with equal care for this concern. Authors other than the PI (or any co-PI) should be named and acknowledged. Serious failure to adhere to such standards can result in findings of research misconduct. NSF policies and rules on research misconduct are discussed in the PAPPG, as well as 45 CFR Part 689."

Both Personal and Research Plan statements must address NSF's review criteria of Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts (described in detail in Section VI). " Intellectual Merit" and "Broader Impacts" sections must be presented in individual separate sections, under individual separate headings, in each of the Personal and Research Plan statements. These separately headed sections cannot be combined into one section or combined with any other section. Applications that do not have separate headings and sections for Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts will not be reviewed.

Applicants must list their undergraduate institution, and all graduate institutions attended with a start date prior to the fall term in which the application is submitted. Transcripts are required for all degree-granting programs listed. Transcripts may be included for all other institutions listed in the Education section. If the applicant started at the current institution in the fall of the application year and the institution does not provide unofficial or official transcripts prior to completion of the first term, the applicant may submit a class schedule/enrollment verification form in place of a transcript. Second-year graduate students are strongly advised to submit an official transcript. If the transcript or enrollment verification form does not include the graduate enrollment start date, a Registrar-issued document that indicates graduate enrollment start date must be submitted.

At least one transcript must be included for the application to be accepted by the GRFP Application Module.

Transcripts must be uploaded through the GRFP Application Module by the Field of Study application deadline. Applicants should redact personally-identifiable information (date of birth, individual Social Security Numbers, personal financial information, home addresses, home telephone numbers and personal email addresses) from the transcripts before uploading. Transcripts must be uploaded as a PDF to be accepted by the GRFP Application Module. Transcripts must not be encrypted; the GRFP Application Module does not accept encrypted or password-protected transcripts.

Applicants who earned master's degrees in joint Bachelor's-Master's degree programs should submit transcripts that clearly document the joint program. If the transcript does not document the joint program and does not show that the Bachelor's and Master's degrees were conferred on the same date, applicants must upload a letter from the registrar of the institution certifying enrollment in a joint program, appended to the transcript for that institution. Failure to provide clear documentation of a joint program may result in an application being returned without review.

Failure to comply fully with the above requirements will result in the application not being reviewed.

Applications that are incomplete due to missing required transcripts and/or reference letters (fewer than two letters received), or that do not have "received" status in the Application Module on the application deadline for the selected Field of Study) will not be reviewed. Applicants are advised to submit applications early to avoid unanticipated delays on the deadline dates.

Reference Letters

Reference writers cannot be family members of the applicant. Applicants are required to provide the name and contact information for three (3) reference writers from non-family members. Up to five (5) potential reference letter writers can be provided. Two reference letters from non-family members must be received by the reference letter deadline for an application to be reviewed. If fewer than two reference letters (one or none) are received by the reference letter deadline, the application will not be reviewed.

No changes to the list of reference writers are allowed after the application is submitted. Applicants are strongly advised to check the accuracy of email addresses provided for reference writers before submitting their application. Applicants are strongly advised to contact potential reference writers and confirm their willingness to register in Research.gov and to submit a reference letter before the deadline for letters, before submitting their names.

All reference letters must be received through the NSF Reference Letter System by 5:00 p.m. ET (Eastern Time) on the letter submission deadline date (see the deadline posted in GRFP Application Module and in Application Preparation and Submission Instructions/C. Due Dates of this Solicitation). No exceptions to the reference letter submission deadline will be granted. Each letter is limited to two (2) pages (PDF). The GRFP Application Module allows applicants to request up to five (5) reference letters and to rank those reference letters in order of preference for review. If more than three reference letters are received, the top three letters according to ranked preference will be considered for the application. Reference writers will be notified by an email of the request to submit a letter of reference on behalf of an applicant. Reference writers will not be notified of the ranked preference for review provided by the applicant.

To avoid disqualifying an application, reference writers should upload the letter well in advance of the 5:00 p.m. ET deadline. No letters will be accepted via email. Letter writers will receive a confirmation email after successful upload via the GRFP Application Module.

For technical assistance with letter upload: NSF Help Desk: [email protected] ; 1-800-381-1532

Applicants must enter an email address for each reference writer into the GRFP Application Module. An exact email address is crucial to matching the reference writer and the applicant in the GRFP Application Module. Applicants should ask reference writers well in advance of the reference writer deadline, and it is recommended they provide copies of their application materials to the writers.

Applicant-nominated reference writers must first register in Research.gov then upload their letters through the NSF Reference Letter System. Reference letter requirements include:

  • Institutional or professional letterhead, if available
  • SIGNED by the reference writer, including the name, professional title, department, and institution
  • Two (2) page limit (PDF file format)
  • Standard 8.5" x 11" page size
  • 11-point or higher Times New Roman font and 1" margins on all sides
  • Single spaced using normal (100%) single-line spacing

The reference letter should address the NSF Merit Review Criteria of Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts (described in detail below). It should include details explaining the nature of the relationship to the applicant (including research advisor role), comments on the applicant's potential for contributing to a globally-engaged United States science and engineering workforce, statements about the applicant's academic potential and prior research experiences, statements about the applicant's proposed research, and any other information to aid review panels in evaluating the application according to the NSF Merit Review Criteria.

Application Completion Status

Applicants should use the "Application Completion Status" feature in the GRFP Application Module to ensure all application materials, including reference letters, have been received by NSF before the deadlines. For technical support, call the NSF Help Desk at 1-800-381-1532 or e-mail [email protected] .

Interdisciplinary Applications

NSF welcomes applications for interdisciplinary programs of study and research; however, data on interdisciplinary study is collected for informational purposes only. Interdisciplinary research is defined as "a mode of research by teams or individuals that integrates information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and/or theories from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialized knowledge to advance fundamental understanding or to solve problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline or area of research practice" (Committee on Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research, Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, 2004. Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research . National Academies. Washington: National Academy Press, p. 2).

Applications must be received by the deadline for the first Major Field of Study designated in the application. Applications will be reviewed by experts in the first Major Field of Study listed. If awarded, Fellows will be required to enroll in a degree program consistent with the Major Field of Study in which the application was funded.

Withdrawal of a GRFP application

To withdraw a submitted application, the applicant must withdraw their application using the Withdrawal option in the GRFP Application Module.

Applications withdrawn by November 15 of the application year do not count toward the one-time graduate application limit. Applications withdrawn after November 15 count toward this limit.

Cost Sharing:

Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:

No indirect costs are allowed.

Other Budgetary Limitations:

NSF awards $53,000 each year to the GRFP institution to cover the Fellow stipend and Cost of Education allowance for each NSF Graduate Research Fellow "on tenure" at the institution.

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Fellowship stipend is $37,000 for a 12-month tenure period, prorated in monthly increments of $3,083. The institutional Cost of Education allowance is $16,000 per tenure year per Fellow.

D. Application Submission Requirements

Applicants are required to prepare and submit all applications for this program solicitation through the GRFP Application Module. Detailed instructions for application preparation and submission are available at: https://www.research.gov/grfp/Login.do . For user support, call the NSF Help Desk at 1-800-381-1532 or e-mail [email protected] . The NSF Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the system. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation.

VI. Application Review Information

A. merit review principles and criteria.

Applications are reviewed by disciplinary and interdisciplinary scientists and engineers and other professional graduate education experts. Reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with oversight of the review process. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the applicants. Applications are reviewed in broad areas of related disciplines based on the selection of a Field of Study (see Fields of Study in Appendix). Selection of a Major Field of Study determines the application deadline, the broad disciplinary expertise of the reviewers, and the discipline of the graduate degree program if awarded a Fellowship. Applicants are advised to select the Major Field of Study in the GRFP Application Module (see Fields of Study in Appendix) that is most closely aligned with the proposed graduate program of study and research plan. Applicants who select "Other" must provide additional information describing their studies.

Each application will be reviewed independently in accordance with the NSF Merit Review Criteria using all available information in the completed application. In considering applications, reviewers are instructed to address the two Merit Review Criteria as approved by the National Science Board - Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts ( NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide ). Applicants must include separate statements on Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts in their written statements in order to provide reviewers with the information necessary to evaluate the application with respect to both Criteria as detailed below. Applicants should include headings for Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts in their statements.

The following description of the Merit Review Criteria is provided in Chapter III of the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) :

All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board approved merit review criteria. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities. The two merit review criteria are listed below. Both criteria are to be given full consideration during the review and decision-making processes; each criterion is necessary but neither, by itself, is sufficient. Therefore, proposers must fully address both criteria. (PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.d(i) contains additional information for use by proposers in development of the Project Description section of the proposal.) Reviewers are strongly encouraged to review the criteria, including PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.d(i), prior to the review of a proposal. When evaluating NSF proposals, reviewers will be asked to consider what the proposers want to do, why they want to do it, how they plan to do it, how they will know if they succeed, and what benefits could accrue if the project is successful. These issues apply both to the technical aspects of the proposal and the way in which the project may make broader contributions. To that end, reviewers will be asked to evaluate all proposals against two criteria: Intellectual Merit : The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge; and Broader Impacts : The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes. The following elements should be considered in the review for both criteria: 1. What is the potential for the proposed activity to: a. Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and b. Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)? 2. To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts? 3. Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success? 4. How well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the proposed activities? 5. Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home organization or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities?

Additionally, Chapter II of the PAPPG states:

Broader impacts may be accomplished through the research itself, through the activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project. NSF values the advancement of scientific knowledge and activities that contribute to achievement of societally relevant outcomes. Such outcomes include, but are not limited to: full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); improved STEM education and educator development at any level; increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology; improved well-being of individuals in society; development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce; increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others; improved national security; increased economic competitiveness of the US; and enhanced infrastructure for research and education.

Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria

Applicants are reviewed on their demonstrated potential to advance knowledge and to make significant research achievements and contributions to their fields throughout their careers. Reviewers are asked to assess applications using a holistic, comprehensive approach, giving balanced consideration to all components of the application, including the educational and research record, leadership, outreach, service activities, and future plans, as well as individual competencies, experiences, and other attributes. The aim is to recruit and retain a diverse cohort of early-career individuals with high potential for future achievements, contributions, and broader impacts in STEM and STEM education.

B. Application Review and Selection Process

Applications submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed online by Panel Review.

The application evaluation involves the review and rating of applications by disciplinary and interdisciplinary scientists and engineers, and other professional graduate education experts.

The primary responsibility of each reviewer is to evaluate eligible GRFP applications by applying the Merit Review Criteria described in Section VI.A, and to recommend applicants for NSF Graduate Research Fellowships. Reviewers are instructed to review the applications holistically, applying the Merit Review Criteria and noting GRFP's emphasis on demonstrated potential for significant research achievements in STEM or in STEM education. From these recommendations, NSF selects applicants for Fellowships or Honorable Mention, in line with NSF's mission and the goals of GRFP. After Fellowship offers are made, applicants are able to view verbatim reviewer comments, excluding the names of the reviewers, for a limited period of time through the NSF GRFP Module.

VII. Award Administration Information

A. notification of the award.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program applicants will be notified of the outcomes of their applications by early April of the competition year. The NSF publishes lists of Fellowship and Honorable Mention recipients on the GRFP Module at https://www.research.gov/grfp/Login.do in early April.

B. Award Conditions

NSF GRFP awards are made to the institution of higher education at which a Fellow is or will be enrolled. The awardee institution is responsible for financial management of the award and disbursement of Fellowship funds to the Fellow. The NSF GRFP award consists of the award notification letter that includes the applicable terms and conditions and Fellowship management instructions. All Fellowships are made subject to the provisions (and any subsequent amendments) contained in the document NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Administrative Guide for Fellows and Coordinating Officials .

NSF GRFP awards provide funds for NSF Fellows who have "on tenure" status. The institution will administer the awards, including any amendments, in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and provisions (and any subsequent amendments) contained in the document NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Administrative Guide for Fellows and Coordinating Officials .

The applicant must accept or decline the Fellowship by the deadline indicated in the award notification letter by logging into the GRFP Module at https://www.research.gov/grfp/Login.do with the applicant User ID and password. Failure to comply with the deadline and acceptance of Fellowship Terms and Conditions by the deadline will result in revocation of the Fellowship offer and render applicants ineligible to re-apply.

Terms and Conditions

Awardees must formally accept and agree to the terms and conditions of the Fellowship award. Acceptance of the Fellowship constitutes a commitment to pursue a graduate degree in an eligible science or engineering field. Acceptance of a Fellowship award is an explicit acceptance of this commitment and assurance that the Fellow will be duly enrolled in a graduate degree program consistent with the field of study indicated in their application by the beginning of the following academic year. Major changes in scope later in the graduate career require NSF approval. NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Administrative Guide for Fellows and Coordinating Officials includes the terms and conditions that apply to the Fellowship and subsequent institutional award, in addition to the eligibility requirements (U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident, degree requirements, and field of study) and Certifications in the application. Each institution, in accepting the funds, also certifies that the Fellows are eligible to receive the Fellowship under these terms and conditions. Fellows are expected to make satisfactory academic progress towards completion of their graduate degrees, as defined and certified by the Fellow's GRFP institution. In cases where Fellows have misrepresented their eligibility, or have failed to comply with the Fellowship Terms and Conditions, the Fellowship will be revoked, and the case may be referred to the Office of the Inspector General for investigation. This action may result in requiring the Fellow to repay Fellowship funds to the National Science Foundation.

An individual may not accept the Graduate Research Fellowship if the individual accepts or is supported by another federal graduate fellowship.

Responsible Conduct of Research

It is the responsibility of the Fellow, in conjunction with the GRFP institution, to ensure that all academic and research activities carried out in or outside the US comply with the laws or regulations of the US and/or of the foreign country in which the academic and/or research activities are conducted. These include appropriate human subject, animal welfare, copyright and intellectual property protection, and other regulations or laws, as appropriate. All academic and research activities should be coordinated with the appropriate US and foreign government authorities, and necessary licenses, permits, or approvals must be obtained prior to undertaking the proposed activities.

In response to the America COMPETES Act, all Fellows supported by NSF to conduct research are required to receive appropriate training and oversight in the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research.

Research Involving Human Subjects

Projects involving research with human subjects must ensure that subjects are protected from research risks in conformance with the relevant Federal policy known as the Common Rule ( Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects , 45 CFR 690 ). All projects involving human subjects must either (1) have approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) before issuance of an NSF award; or, (2) must affirm that the IRB has declared the research exempt from IRB review, in accordance with the applicable subsection, as established in 45 CFR § 690.104(d) of the Common Rule. Fellows are required to comply with this policy and adhere to the organization's protocol for managing research involving human subjects.

Research Involving Vertebrate Animals

Any project proposing use of vertebrate animals for research or education shall comply with the Animal Welfare Act [7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.] and the regulations promulgated thereunder by the Secretary of Agriculture [9 CFR 1.1-4.11] pertaining to the humane care, handling, and treatment of vertebrate animals held or used for research, teaching or other activities supported by Federal awards. In accordance with these requirements, proposed projects involving use of any vertebrate animal for research or education must be approved by the submitting organization's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) before an award can be made. For this approval to be accepted by NSF, the organization must have a current Public Health Service (PHS) Approved Assurance.

Projects involving the care or use of vertebrate animals at an international organization or international field site also require approval of research protocols by the US grantee's IACUC. If the project is to be funded through an award to an international organization or through an individual fellowship award that will support activities at an international organization, NSF will require a statement from the international organization explicitly listing the proposer's name and referencing the title of the award to confirm that the activities will be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws in the international country and that the International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research Involving Animals (see: https://cioms.ch/ ) will be followed.

Legal Rights to Intellectual Property

The National Science Foundation claims no rights to any inventions or writings that might result from its fellowship or traineeship grants. However, fellows and trainees should be aware that the NSF, another Federal agency, or some private party may acquire such rights through other support for particular research. Also, fellows and trainees should note their obligation to include an Acknowledgment and Disclaimer in any publication.

C. Reporting Requirements

Acknowledgment of Support and Disclaimer

All publications, presentations, and creative works based on activities conducted during the Fellowship must acknowledge NSF GRFP Support and provide a disclaimer by including the following statement in the Acknowledgements or other appropriate section:

"This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant No. (NSF grant number). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation."

Annual Activities Report and Annual Fellowship Status Declaration

Fellows are required to submit an Annual Activities Report and to complete Fellowship Status Declaration by the deadline date each year (deadline notification sent by email), using NSF's GRFP Module. The GRFP Module permits online submission and updating of activity reports, including information on research accomplishments and activities related to broader impacts, presentations, publications, teaching and research assistantships, awards and recognitions, and other scholarly and service accomplishments. These reports must be reviewed and satisfactory progress verified by the faculty advisor or designated graduate program administrator prior to submission to NSF.

Fellows must declare their intent to utilize the Fellowship for the following year using the NSF GRFP Module. Failure to declare Fellowship status by the established deadline violates the terms and conditions for NSF Fellowship awards, and results in termination of the Fellowship.

Program Evaluation

The Division of Graduate Education (DGE) conducts evaluations to provide evidence on the impact of the GRFP on individuals' educational decisions, career preparations, aspirations and progress, as well as professional productivity; and provide an understanding of the program policies in achieving the program goals. Additionally, it is highly desirable to have a structured means of tracking Fellows beyond graduation to gauge the extent to which they choose a career path consistent with the intent of the program and to assess the impact the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship has had on their graduate education experience. Accordingly, Fellows and Honorable Mention recipients may be contacted for updates on various aspects of their employment history, professional activities and accomplishments, participation in international research collaborations, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program. Fellows and their institutions agree to cooperate in program-level evaluations conducted by the NSF and/or contracted evaluators.

GRFP institutions are required to submit the GRFP Completion Report annually. The Completion Report allows GRFP institutions to certify the current status of all GRFP Fellows at the institution. The current status will identify a Fellow as: In Progress, Graduated, Transferred, or Withdrawn. For Fellows who have graduated, the graduation date is a required reporting element.

VIII. Agency Contacts

Please note that the program contact information is current at the time of publishing. See program website ( https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6201 ) for any updates to the points of contact.

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

For questions related to the use of GRFP Application Module, contact:

The Graduate Research Fellowship Operations Center is responsible for processing applications and responding to requests for information. General inquiries regarding the Graduate Research Fellowship Program should be made to:

Graduate Research Fellowship Operations Center, telephone: 866-NSF-GRFP, 866-673-4737 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada) or 202-331-3542 (international). email: [email protected] .

IX. Other Information

The NSF website provides the most comprehensive source of information on NSF Directorates (including contact information), programs and funding opportunities. Use of this website by potential proposers is strongly encouraged. In addition, "NSF Update" is an information-delivery system designed to keep potential proposers and other interested parties apprised of new NSF funding opportunities and publications, important changes in proposal and award policies and procedures, and upcoming NSF Grants Conferences . Subscribers are informed through e-mail or the user's Web browser each time new publications are issued that match their identified interests. "NSF Update" also is available on NSF's website .

Grants.gov provides an additional electronic capability to search for Federal government-wide grant opportunities. NSF funding opportunities may be accessed via this mechanism. Further information on Grants.gov may be obtained at https://www.grants.gov .

Students are encouraged to gain professional experience in other countries through their university graduate programs, and to participate in international research opportunities offered by NSF at: Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) | NSF - National Science Foundation . Other funding opportunities for students are available at https://www.nsfgrfp.org/ .

About The National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering."

NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations throughout the US. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of Federal support to academic institutions for basic research.

NSF receives approximately 55,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded. In addition, the Foundation receives several thousand applications for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. The agency operates no laboratories itself but does support National Research Centers, user facilities, certain oceanographic vessels and Arctic and Antarctic research stations. The Foundation also supports cooperative research between universities and industry, US participation in international scientific and engineering efforts, and educational activities at every academic level.

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects. See the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide Chapter II.F.7 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of proposals.

The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at (800) 877-8339.

The National Science Foundation Information Center may be reached at (703) 292-5111.

The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the NSF Website at .

2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314

(NSF Information Center)

(703) 292-5111

(703) 292-5090

 

Send an e-mail to:

or telephone:

(703) 292-8134

(703) 292-5111

Privacy Act And Public Burden Statements

The information requested on the application materials is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. It will be used in connection with the selection of qualified applicants and may be disclosed to qualified reviewers as part of the review process; to the institution the nominee, applicant or fellow is attending or is planning to attend or is employed by for the purpose of facilitating review or award decisions, or administering fellowships or awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and other individuals who perform a service to or work under a contract, grant, cooperative agreement, advisory committee, committee of visitors, or other arrangement with the Federal government as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies needing data regarding applicants or nominees as part of the review process, or in order to coordinate programs; and to another Federal agency, court or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party. Information from this system may be merged with other computer files to carry out statistical studies the results of which do not identify individuals. Notice of the agency's decision may be given to nominators, and disclosure may be made of awardees' names, home institutions, and fields of study for public information purposes. For fellows or awardees receiving stipends directly from the government, information is transmitted to the Department of the Treasury to make payments. See System of Record Notices , NSF-12, "Fellowships and Other Awards," 63 Federal Register 265 (January 5, 1998). Submission of the information is voluntary; however, failure to provide full and complete information may reduce the possibility of your receiving an award.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0023. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 12 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:

Suzanne H. Plimpton Reports Clearance Officer Policy Office, Division of Institution and Award Support Office of Budget, Finance, and Award Management National Science Foundation Alexandria, VA 22314

X. Appendix

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

Major Fields of Study

Note: Applications are reviewed based on the selection of a Major Field of Study. As an example, CHEMISTRY is a Major Field of Study, and Chemical Catalysis is a subfield under CHEMISTRY. A Fellowship can be accepted only in the Major Field of Study indicated in the application. Thus, an application that indicates CHEMISTRY as the Major Field of Study can be accepted in any subfield in CHEMISTRY, but cannot be accepted in CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, and ENGINEERING is a different Major Field of Study.

Selection of a Major Field of Study determines the application deadline, the broad disciplinary expertise of the reviewers who will review the application, and the discipline of the graduate program if the Fellowship is accepted. The subfield category designates specific expertise of the reviewers. Applicants can select "Other" if their specific subfield is not represented in the list of subfields under the Major Field of Study. The "Other" subfield category should be selected only if the proposed subfield is not covered by one of the listed subfields, and should not be used to designate a subfield that is more specific than the subfields listed.

Artificial Intelligence Chemical Catalysis Chemical Measurement and Imaging Chemical Structure, Dynamics, and Mechanism Chemical Synthesis Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods Chemistry of Life Processes Computationally Intensive Research Environmental Chemical Systems Macromolecular (including Polymer Chemistry), Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry Other (specify) Quantum Information Science Sustainable Chemistry

COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES & ENGINEERING

Accessibility Algorithms and Theoretical Foundations Artificial Intelligence Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, Graphics, and Visualization Bioinformatics and Bio-inspired Computing Communication and Information Theory Computationally Intensive Research Computer Architecture Computer Security and Privacy Computer Systems Computer Vision Cyber-Physical Systems and Embedded Systems Cybersecurity Data Science, Data Mining, Information Retrieval and Databases Electronic Design Automation and Design of Micro and Nano Computing Systems Fairness, Explainability, Accountability and Transparency in Analytics Formal Methods, Verification, and Programming Languages Human Computer Interaction Information Sciences Machine Learning Natural Language Processing Other (specify) Parallel, Distributed, and Cloud Computing Quantum Information Science Robotics Scientific Computing Social Computing Software Engineering Wired and Wireless Networking

ENGINEERING

Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering Agricultural Engineering Artificial Intelligence Bioengineering Biomedical Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computationally Intensive Research Computer Engineering (including Networking) Cybersecurity Data Science Electrical and Electronic Engineering Energy and Power Engineering Environmental and/or Ecological Engineering Industrial Engineering & Operations Research Machine Learning Manufacturing Engineering Materials Science & Engineering (including Polymers, Ceramics, Semiconductors) Mechanical Engineering Microwave Electromagnetics Engineering Nuclear Engineering Ocean Maritime Engineering Optical Engineering Other (specify) Quantum Engineering Quantum Information Engineering Quantum Information Science Robotics, Control, Automation Systems Engineering Wireless Engineering

GEOSCIENCES

Aeronomy Artificial Intelligence Arctic-Antarctic Atmospheric Chemistry Biogeochemistry Biological Oceanography Chemical Oceanography Climate and Large-Scale Atmospheric Dynamics Coastal Marine Science Coastal Studies Computationally Intensive Research Earth System Science Environmental Science Geobiology Geochemistry Geochronology Geodynamics Geoinformatics Geology Geomorphology Geophysics Glaciology Heliospheric Physics Hydrology Magnetospheric Physics Marine Biology Marine Ecology Marine Geology and Geophysics Ocean Technology (ROVs, AUVs, sensors) Other (specify) Paleoclimate Paleontology and Paleobiology Petrology Physical and Dynamic Meteorology Physical Oceanography Quantum Information Science Remote Sensing Sea Ice Sedimentary Geology Solar Physics Tectonics Volcanology

LIFE SCIENCES

Artificial Intelligence Biochemistry Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Biophysics Cell Biology Computationally Intensive Research Developmental Biology Ecology Environmental Biology Evolutionary Biology Genetics Genomics Microbial Biology Neurosciences Organismal Biology Other (specify) Physiology Proteomics Quantum Information Science Structural Biology Systematics and Biodiversity Systems and Molecular Biology

MATERIALS RESEARCH

Artificial Intelligence Biomaterials Ceramics Chemistry of Materials Computationally Intensive Research Electronic Materials Materials Theory Metallic Materials Other (specify) Photonic Materials Physics of Materials Polymers Quantum Information Science

MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

Algebra, Number Theory, and Combinatorics Analysis Applied Mathematics Artificial Intelligence Biostatistics Computational and Data-enabled Science Computational Mathematics Computational Statistics Computationally Intensive Research Geometric Analysis Logic or Foundations of Mathematics Mathematical Biology Other (specify) Probability Quantum Information Science Statistics Topology

PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY

Artificial Intelligence Astronomy and Astrophysics Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Computationally Intensive Research Condensed Matter Physics Nuclear Physics Other (specify) Particle Physics Physics of Living Systems Plasma Physics Quantum Information Science Solid State Physics Theoretical Physics

Artificial Intelligence Cognitive Neuroscience Cognitive Psychology Comparative Psychology Computational Psychology Computationally Intensive Research Developmental Psychology Industrial/Organizational Psychology Neuropsychology Other (specify) Perception and Psychophysics Personality and Individual Differences Physiological Psychology Psycholinguistics Quantitative Psychology Quantum Information Science Social/Affective Neuroscience Social Psychology

Anthropology, other (specify) Archaeology Artificial Intelligence Biological Anthropology Communications Computationally Intensive Research Cultural Anthropology

Cybersecurity Decision Making and Risk Analysis Economics Geography History and Philosophy of Science International Relations Law and Social Science Linguistic Anthropology Linguistics Medical Anthropology Other (specify) Political Science Public Policy Quantum Information Science Science Policy Sociology Urban and Regional Planning

STEM EDUCATION AND LEARNING RESEARCH

Artificial Intelligence Computationally Intensive Research Engineering Education Mathematics Education Other (specify) Quantum Information Science Science Education Technology Education

National Science Foundation

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) today opened applications for the 2024 Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program . This program supports graduate students working on marine energy-focused research theses or dissertations by providing access to expertise, resources, and capabilities available at DOE offices, national laboratories, government and industry partners, and other approved facilities. 

The program is open to full-time master’s and doctoral students enrolled at an accredited U.S. college or university. During the six-to-12-month fellowship, students will have access to leading scientists and researchers, along with state-of-the-art equipment. They will also gain insight into career and research opportunities and apply their academic interests to real-world challenges.  

Fellows are eligible to receive a monthly stipend, funding to cover health insurance costs, some tuition reimbursement, travel reimbursement for educational and research purposes, and a relocation allowance, if applicable.  

As part of the application process, students must identify a host institution. While students may identify their own hosts, a list of institutions that expressed interest in hosting a fellow is available on the WPTO website. (Students are not limited to this list of institutions.) Fellows can work with their host institutions remotely or on location and may conduct visits to the host facility or other sites for field research, based on their individual research plans. 

WPTO hosted an informational webinar for students on October 24, 2023.

Applications are due December 1, 2023. Details on the application components, proposed research plan, and stipend and other benefits are available on the program website .  

WPTO funds and ORISE administers the Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program.  

Learn about the 2023 fellows , as well as the 2022 fellows— Claire Gonzales , Habilou Ouro-Koura , and Christopher Ruhl —and their research.  

Stay in the know with WPTO! Learn about the latest marine energy funding opportunities, events, and news by subscribing to the monthly Water Column and the bimonthly Water Wire newsletters. 

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Structured PhD programmes

Three researchers are standing at a whiteboard and are looking towards the camera laughing. The one in the middle holds a pen in her hand holding it near the whiteboard as if she was interrupted in writing something on it.

DAAD/Volker Lannert

Structured doctoral programmes differ from traditional doctoral research. In Germany, structured doctoral programmes are  very similar to the PhD programmes in English-speaking countries , in which a team of supervisors look after a group of doctoral students.

Structured doctoral programmes often have a  strong international orientation  with English as the team language. Unlike the individual doctorate model that can be freely structured to suit the individual research project, here doctoral students and their research proposals have to fit in with an existing PhD programme.

The doctorate frequently entails a  clearly structured doctoral study   programme  with compulsory attendance at lectures or seminars and interim assessment (credit points). The programme frequently also covers  academic and scientific methods or soft skills , such as presentation techniques.

As a rule, PhD Students work steadily at realising their research project within the team and with intensive  support from a group of academic staff  (often referred to as the “thesis committee”).

The duration of your studies is generally   limited to three to five years, and there is usually a fixed curriculum within which you work toward your doctorate and write your thesis.

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  1. PhD Studies & Research

    PhD Studies & Research. Science and research in Germany are characterised by a distinguished infrastructure, a wide variety of disciplines, well-equipped research facilities and competent staff. Germany offers various career opportunities for international PhD students and researchers. Discover Germany's top-tier PhD programs and research scene.

  2. How to Apply for a PhD in Germany: Programs, Funding, & FAQs

    4. Secure Funding. You must demonstrate access to a minimum of €992 per month (€11,908 per year) to meet visa requirements and live comfortably while you're in Germany. You can prove this through an admission agreement or relevant PhD contract, or you can open a blocked account with individual funds.

  3. Structured Doctoral Programs

    The University of Bonn's Structured PhD Programs offer a comprehensive and cross-disciplinary curriculum designed to prepare students for a successful career. Programs such as the Bonn International Graduate Schools (BIGS), PhD programs within our Clusters of Excellence, Structured Doctoral Programs by Discipline, and Third-Party Funded Programs include innovative, personalized supervision ...

  4. Study for a PhD in Germany: Programs, Funding & Opportunities

    In Germany, doctoral candidates can choose between Individual Doctorates and Structured PhD Programs. The Individual Doctorate remains the most common path, chosen by over 75% of doctoral students, while Structured PhD Programs are gaining popularity, especially among international students, with about 25% opting for this route.

  5. Doing a PhD in Germany

    Doing a PhD in Germany. Germany's reputation as an outstanding research destination continues to attract the world's finest minds. In 2014 an incredible Number of 85,000 people chose Germany to write their dissertations or join one of our growing number of doctoral research teams. Discover your best route to a PhD in Germany, including ...

  6. Find your PhD position

    The "traditional" or "individual" path to a PhD remains the most common in Germany. An individual doctorate involves a thesis or dissertation that is produced under the supervision of one professor.This form of PhD study offers a great deal of flexibility, but demands a high degree of personal initiative and responsibility.

  7. PhDGermany

    Graduate School Global and Area Studies 2 Scholarships for International PhD Candidates at the Graduate School Global and Area Studies (GSGAS) Type of Promotion: Full PhD; Application deadline: 15.11.2024; Working language: English; Beginning: 01.10.2025; Required degree: Diplom, Magister, Magister (Masters degree course), Master, Theological ...

  8. PhD

    Your goal. PhD. The German doctorate enjoys an outstanding reputation. Germany's universities, research institutions and companies welcome international researchers and offer excellent opportunities for doctoral students. Structured PhD programmes, for example, often have a strong international orientation with English as the team language.

  9. How to apply for a PhD

    Doing a PhD in Germany (2019, 40 pages) This booklet for (prospective) international doctoral students presents the different options for doing a doctorate in Germany. It explains the formal requirements and gives some practical advice on finding the right supervisor or doctoral programme. It also outlines different sponsorship and funding options.

  10. Get your PhD in Germany: Structured PhD programmes

    slide 2 of 5. 33,300 visiting students are taking part in the European funding programme Erasmus in Germany. 359,000 foreign students are enrolled at German universities. That's 12.8 per cent of all students. 46,000 foreign scientists are researching and teaching at German universities. 90 per cent of the international students want to ...

  11. Doctoral degree programs

    Engineering and Natural Sciences. Graduate School KIC InnoEnergy, a European consortium for promoting sustainable energy supply that has some 160 partners from industry, universities, research facilites and business schools.The University of Stuttgart is one of its founding members. Doctoral degree studies research group: HYBRID (University of Stuttgart, Esslingen University, Daimler AG ...

  12. Universität Düsseldorf: Doctoral studies at HHU

    In Germany and at HHU, the most common PhD track is completing an individual doctorate under the supervision of a professor and thereby conducting research largely independently on one's own research topic. This offers a great deal of flexibility but also demands a high degree of personal initiative and responsibility.

  13. Doctoral Studies in Germany

    In Germany, doctoral degrees are conferred by universities or higher education institutions with equivalent status. This process is known as Promotion. Doctoral degrees are obtained through a specific process, during which an individual demonstrates his or her ability to carry out independent research. If the required examinations have been ...

  14. PhD Global Health

    PhD candidates are enrolled at the Charité. The degree awarded upon completion of the three year program is PhD in Global Health. The program requires participants to complete 30 ECTS of coursework divided over the 6 semesters and work on a research project (equivalent to 150 ECTS / 5 Semesters) that will result in publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals (doctorate by publication).

  15. Doctoral candidates

    Doctoral Training in Heidelberg. Heidelberg University offers its PhD candidates a wide range of doctoral programmes with diverse levels of structuring - individual doctoral training, small and medium-sized training groups, or large Graduate Schools. Forms of Doctoral Training. Doctoral Guidelines.

  16. PhD Studies

    Unter den Linden 6. 10117 Berlin. Contact person: Ms. Olga Vorobyeva. E-mail: [email protected] *. Consultation hour by phone. Wednesday 09:00 - 10:00 a.m. Phone: (+49) 30 2093-70330. *If you are already enrolled or registered at HU Berlin, please submit your full name, your enrollment or registration number, your date and place of birth.

  17. How to Find Your PhD Position in Germany

    "Research in Germany" also helps you to find the best PhD position in Germany. Not only with information on the Website, but "Research in Germany" will keep you informed about open PhD positions and funding opportunities in Germany on Facebook and Twitter. www.research-in-germany.org > find a PhD position "Research in Germany" on Facebook

  18. Two ways to get your PhD

    The "traditional" or "individual" path to a PhD remains the most common in Germany. An individual doctorate involves a thesis or dissertation that is produced under the supervision of one professor.. This form of PhD study offers a great deal of flexibility, but also demands a high degree of personal initiative and responsibility.A professor supervises a PhD student, who works on his or her ...

  19. PhD in Germany: Top Universities, Admissions 2024-25 ...

    PhD in Germany is a 3-5 year long program, available to international students across various top universities. You might need top pay a semester fee between 100 and 325 EUR (8,900 to 28,930 INR) to pursue PhD courses in Germany. ... Although the doctoral programs in Germany are fully funded, candidates are still required to make the ends meet ...

  20. Doctor of Philosophy

    A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD or DPhil; Latin: philosophiae doctor or doctor in philosophia) [1] is a terminal degree, that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research.The name of the degree is most often abbreviated PhD (or, at times, as Ph.D. in North America), pronounced as three ...

  21. PhD in Medical Physics

    PhD students in the program will take two qualify exams. The first one is the general qualify exam required by the Department of Biomedical Engineering, usually after two-semester study and before the third semester starts. The second qualify exam is required by the Medical Physics Graduate Program, usually after all coursework has been completed.

  22. Sustainability scholars program is a win-win for graduate and

    The program also gives graduate students valuable experience as mentors. Joe Gorka, a fourth-year PhD student, mentored Reema Ibrahim, a rising junior, on a project to calculate carbon emissions. "It was my first time mentoring an undergrad, and it was very helpful in developing the skills necessary to properly define the project," he says.

  23. Machine Learning Engineer, Launch Graduate Program 2025

    Machine Learning Engineer, Launch Graduate Program 2025 - Singapore Mastercard works to connect and power a sustainable and inclusive global economy. We are a vehicle for commerce, a connection to financial systems for the previously excluded, a technology innovation lab, and the home of Priceless®. We ensure every employee has an opportunity ...

  24. Online MS in Pharmacometrics and Personalized Pharmacotherapy

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  25. Ways To Your PhD

    These programmes will advance your skills not only in academic and scientific methods such as presentation techniques but also foster soft skills. This systematic approach allows you to complete your doctoral studies within 3 - 4 years. Find out more about the two ways to do your PhD: www.research-in-germany.org > two ways to get a PhD.

  26. Quantitative Methodology: Measurement and Statistics, Ph.D

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  27. Funding programmes

    The Max Planck Schools are a joint graduate programme run by German universities and research organisations. They offer ambitious bachelor's and master's graduates excellent conditions within a unique scientific network, and provide structured and fully funded PhD programmes in three interdisciplinary research fields: cognition, matter to ...

  28. NSF 24-591: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

    Eligible applicants: 1) current undergraduates or Bachelor's degree holders never enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program, who will be prepared to attend graduate school in fall of the award year; 2) current graduate students with no more than one academic year completed according to institution's academic calendar of any degree-granting ...

  29. Apply Now for the 2024 Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program

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  30. Find your structured PhD programme

    Structured doctoral programmes differ from traditional doctoral research. In Germany, structured doctoral programmes are very similar to the PhD programmes in English-speaking countries, in which a team of supervisors look after a group of doctoral students.. Structured doctoral programmes often have a strong international orientation with English as the team language.