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Paths to a doctorate: discover funding opportunities for doctoral students!
The FSGS of the FU Berlin is offering virtual events on doctoral funding and scholarship information in June 2025.
Paths to a doctorate: discover funding opportunities for doctoral students!
The Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School for Literary Studies (FSGS) at the Free University of Berlin is hosting an innovative virtual “WorldCafé” in 2025 with the title “Paths to a Doctorate – Which Foundation is Right for Me?” This event aims to give those interested in doctoral studies an overview of the funding programs of German foundations and to promote dialogue between future doctoral students and foundation representatives. As can be read on the Freie Universität website, the FSGS will inform participants about the application process, selection criteria and the type of support offered.
The event is aimed at those interested in doing a doctorate as well as advanced master's students in all disciplines from Germany. Participation is free of charge and prior registration is not required. The series of events begins on June 3, 2025 with an information event on doctoral financing. Further dates are scheduled for June 10th, June 17th, June 24th and July 1st, 2025, when various foundations will be presented.
Variety of scholarship offers
The foundations that will be presented as part of the WorldCafé include the DAAD, the Elsa Neumann Foundation, the German National Academic Foundation and the German Business Foundation. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Hans Böckler Foundation are on the program on June 17th, followed by other institutions on June 24th and July 1st, 2025. The FSGS was founded in 2007 and is part of the Excellence Initiative, which offers a structured doctoral program.
In addition to the FSGS, numerous scholarships offer opportunities for doctoral students. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has a scholarship database that supports research scholarships for doctoral students. These scholarships are particularly intended for research stays abroad. Applications must be submitted via desktop computers, and the duration of the stays abroad can vary between one and twelve months.
Application and selection process
Eligibility to apply for DAAD scholarships includes doctoral students at German universities, cooperative doctoral students and non-German citizens, with certain exceptions. A scholarship is paid monthly, supplemented by travel allowances and insurance benefits. Compared to other types of scholarships, doctoral scholarships are highly permeable, especially if they are topic-related.
The selection criteria for the scholarships are diverse and include, among other things, academic qualifications, the quality of the research project and extra-disciplinary commitment. The application period for the DAAD scholarships runs until June 16, 2025, followed by further deadlines in 2025 and 2026. During this period, the application documents must be submitted in full.
In addition to financial support, many scholarships also offer funding for printing costs, conferences and travel costs. It is worth noting that 20 percent of scholarships are reserved for doctoral students. The FSGS and the DAAD thus provide essential resources for anyone seeking a doctorate and not only offer financial support, but also valuable networks and information.