Finding Scholarships
Welcome to our scholarship database!
Here you will find information about our DAAD scholarship programmes for international students and
researchers as well as offers from other selected funding organisations.
Future Network Weimar Triangle: Science for Europe - Postdoctoral researchers (to Germany) • DAAD
Overview
Eine Druckversion dieser Ausschreibung (PDF) steht Ihnen in den weiteren Registerkarten (z.B. „Bewerbungsvoraussetzungen“) zur Verfügung.
A print version of this announcement (PDF) is available in the further tabs (e.g. “Application requirements”).
Objective
The programme “Future Network Weimar Triangle: Science for Europe” aims to expand the political initiative “Weimar Triangle”, launched in 1991 by the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Poland, to include a sustainable science platform (to promote trilateral cooperation between Germany, France, and Poland). The programme aims to develop innovative solutions to European and global challenges through joint research projects and to strengthen Euro-pean integration and the European Research Area through networking and exchange.
Who can apply?
Exceptionally qualified researchers in all disciplines who wish to apply for a research stay up to 24 months in Germany and would like to get involved in one of the future-oriented topics listed below and are open to taking on the role of technical coordinator for one of the five working groups within the scholarship programme:
- Technologies for climate-neutral energy production and mobility, as well as climate protection) (e.g., fusion technologies, decarbonization of the economy and expansion of renewable energy, energy storage, and cross-border infrastructure)
- Artificial intelligence and digitalization, as well as microelectronics (e.g., strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty, research on AI applications, ethical standards, and cybersecurity; research on innovative, AI-enabled chip applications)
- Security in Europe and the resilience of the scientific system (e.g., knowledge security, research data security; research on countering hybrid threats, risk management; security of key strategic technologies and critical raw materials; science communication)
- Biotechnology and medicine of the future (e.g., resilient agricultural and food systems, innovative diagnostics and therapies, bioeconomy, medical technology, and sustainable health research)
- Challenges, impacts, and benefits of new technologies on and for society (social sciences and humanities research, e.g., on human-machine interaction and the challenges posed by new technologies to the state and society in Europe).
Postdoctoral researchers receiving funding must be willing to take on the role of coordinating a working group as part of the fellowship, with the support of other mentors (ideally continuing beyond their own stay in the host country).
What can be funded?
Funding is provided for a research stay in any field of study at a host institution of the applicant’s choice in Germany.
Participation in courses, workshops, or similar events is not eligible for funding.
In addition to promoting mobility, a central component of the program is the establishment of working groups designed to identify common interests and research areas, support interdisciplinary projects, and build long-term net-works. The working groups consist of program fellows, doctorate candidates, postdocs, relevant DAAD alumni, university faculty and partners, thereby forming an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary community.
This programme funds exchanges between scientists and researchers from Germany, France and Poland. Applications may also be submitted as a tandem. Please indicate this in the comments field of the application form if you have organised a research project jointly with other applicants.
Duration of the funding
- Funding is provided for seven to 24 months.
- The earliest funding start is in October 2026.
- The scholarship may be used flexibly for several shorter stays within a 24-month period starting in October 2026, if necessary. When applying, you must provide a timetable outlining the breakdown of the stays (see ‘Application documents’). If the funding period is divided into several stays, you must provide concrete confirmation of supervision for at least the first period with your application.
Value
The scholarship includes the following financial benefits:
- a monthly scholarship instalment of 2,000 Euros
- payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover
- Travel allowance (lump sum) for the outward and return journey
- Upon request: a monthly lump sum for research expenses in the amount of 313 Euros
- lump sum grants for attending conferences in the countries of the Weimar Triangle (Germany, France, Poland)
- monthly allowance for accompanying members of family, only for a funding period of more than six months; please also read our important information for scholarship applicants / section F, point 3
- monthly rent subsidy, only for a funding period of more than six months (see important information for scholarship applicants, section F, point 9)
- Grants for language courses taken during the funding period
- In the case of a disability or chronic illness: subsidy for additional costs which result from disability or chronic illness and are not covered by other funding providers
- Funding for an annual in-person networking meeting organised by the selected working group
As part of the 'Future Network Weimar Triangle: Science for Europe programme, three major networking forums will be held in person, in Warsaw in 2027, Paris in 2028, and Germany in 2029. These events will bring together partner organisations, grant recipients, alumni and active programme participants, providing an opportunity to present projects and results and establish further collaborations.
Alongside the current programme participants, partner organisations, grant recipients and alumni will also be invited.
Furthermore, outstanding trilateral projects will be awarded a research prize at the closing forum in Germany.
Selection
The selection committees are composed based on academic and, where applicable, regional criteria. The volunteer committee members are appointed by the DAAD Executive Board and are primarily professors and lecturers at German universities and research institutions. They review the applications and decide on the awarding of scholarships. Former DAAD scholarship recipients may also participate in the selection process. DAAD staff members chair the meetings but do not have voting rights.
The selection criteria are:
- Academic qualifications, documented through a description of your academic background, letters of recommendation, and publications
- The quality and academic rigor of the research project
- The implementation plan
- The expertise of the host institution
- The suitability of the research project in terms of long-term career planning (the applicant’s potential)
- Documentation of previous research achievements in publications. In addition to the number of publications and the applicant’s own contribution (if multiple authors are involved), the quality of the journal or publisher is also an important criterion. The duration of previous research activity and the specific publication culture of the respective field are considered.
- The applicants’ academic independence. This should be demonstrated by the selection of a new research focus and a new research environment following the completion of the doctoral degree or in connection with the planned project. If these conditions are not met, we recommend explaining the reasons in the supplementary remarks.
- An explanation of your motivation for international networking within the framework of trinational cooperation, as well as your willingness and commitment to lead one of the working groups, if applicable
In addition, to ensure equal opportunity, the selection committee may consider special life circumstances, which you can describe in the online application form. Please refer to the Important Scholarship Information / Section E, Point 3.
Application requirements
What requirements must be met?
You must have completed your doctoral degree with excellent results before the start of the fellowship (at least magna cum laude/very good for a doctoral degree earned in Germany). For doctoral degrees without a grade, the DAAD Selection Committee will make the final decision.
At the time of application, no more than four years have elapsed since the completion of the doctoral degree. For medical doctors, the period is calculated from the date of obtaining the medical license.
It is also possible to apply if the doctoral degree has not yet been awarded.
Language skills
The letter of invitation from the host institution must confirm that the applicant possesses the language skills necessary to carry out the research project. A language certificate for English is not required. If English is not the working language at the destination, proof of the necessary language skills must be provided.
Application Procedure
Application deadline
Application deadline: June 15, 2026
Selection period: July through mid-August
Funding begins: October 2026
Application documents
After registering on the DAAD portal, please complete the online application in full. Then upload the application documents listed below to the DAAD portal in the section ‘Attachments’.
Documents to be uploaded to the DAAD portal:
- Full curriculum vitae in tabular form (max. 3 pages)
- Letter of motivation (1-3 pages) considering the following question: What do you hope to gain from your project in Germany (personally, professionally, for your career)? The letter of motivation must also include a statement explaining which of the five future-focused working groups you wish to coordinate in a specialist capacity, why you wish to contribute to the relevant topic, and how you intend to help achieve a successful outcome.
- List of publications, organized by publications in peer-reviewed journals, academic books, and conference papers, with details on the type of publication (original research, review, etc.). For each publication, indicate the publication status (published, in press, accepted, submitted). Complete bibliographic information (including the first and last page numbers) is required. Where available, please provide the URL, DOI, and any other identifiers for the selection committee’s review.
- Mention of the most important publications (min. 1, max. 3) and justification for your selection (max. 1 page). If available online, uploading is not required. In this case, please provide the link.
- Cover page with a summary of the research project, working title, and keywords. The cover page is used for subject classification and to provide preliminary information to potential reviewers. It is not sufficient to include the summary only in the application form.
- Detailed research proposal developed independently and coordinated with the host (max. 5 pages, excluding references). References may be attached as an appendix.
- Schedule for the stay in Germany: in tabular form, with monthly and, if applicable, weekly details of the work steps
- Letter of invitation from the supervisor at the host institution (with official letterhead and signature), stating that
- the research project has been discussed in detail with the host institution
- the language skills required for the research work at the host institution are available, and
- the host institution provides a workspace.
- Certificates/transcripts for the last two academic degrees: a) Doctorate and master’s degree / Diploma (each with final grade(s)), or b) master’s degree / Diploma and bachelor’s degree (each with final grade(s)), if the doctorate has not yet been completed. If a transcript does not list exam grades, the applicant must provide an explanation to the DAAD. A translation into English is required. If the doctoral degree has not yet been completed, the doctoral advisor must state in the letter of recommendation or separately when the successful completion of the doctoral degree is expected
- Individual grades from your respective degree program. Please submit a transcript of records issued by the university detailing the grades from your relevant bachelor’s, master’s, or diploma program. This does not refer to the grades listed on your final diploma. If individual grades cannot be provided, you must explain the reason to the DAAD. A translation into English is required
- A current, supportive letter of recommendation from a faculty member at a university in your home country (or, with justification, a foreign university). The letter of recommendation consists of a freely written section and the DAAD cover sheet, which you can download from the DAAD portal. Both must be submitted together with the rest of the application documents via the DAAD portal.
As a rule, the letter of recommendation should be written by the doctoral thesis advisor. Any deviations from this must be justified. The letter of recommendation must not be written by the host institute.
If the doctoral degree has not yet been completed, the doctoral advisor must state in the letter of recommendation or in a separate document when the successful completion of the doctoral degree is expected. - Summary of the dissertation (1–2 pages)
- Language certificate, if applicable, in cases where knowledge of additional languages is required for the project.
Documents that are not yet available by the application deadline (e.g. letter of admission) can be submitted later. Please upload a free form statement to your application in which you explain why the documents are not at hand yet and when they will be available.
Please note
- The application procedure occurs online through the DAAD portal.
- Please note that the access to the application portal only appears while the current application period is running. After the application deadline has expired, the portal for this programme is not available until the next application period.
- Your application is only valid if you submit all the required documents to the DAAD portal by the application deadline.
- The DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs. (CET or CEST) on the last application day. If possible, please do not send your application on the final date in case technical problems occur.
- A subsequent application after the application period has expired is no longer possible.
- Incomplete applications cannot be considered. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete.
Data protection: The application documents remain with the DAAD. Your personal data is saved by the DAAD in accordance with the Federal Data Protection Act and with the EU Data Protection Regulation insofar as this data is needed to process the application.
Contact and Consulting
Information and advisory centres
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
German Academic Exchange Service
ST22 – Northern-/Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Caucasus
Team Future Network Weimar Triangle
Kennedyallee 50
53175 Bonn
E-Mail: weimartriangle@daad.de
Please read the description of your programme of interest in detail. If you still have any question about DAAD scholarships, you will find further information among “Important information for scholarship applicants”.
In case you cannot find the right answer, you can also get in touch with our digital colleague “Amiko” to receive an immediate response (bottom right, by clicking on the chat bubble). Alternatively, please use the contact form to get in touch with the DAAD Info-Center. They will answer your question as soon as possible. However, this can take up to three working days.
Furthermore, the DAAD Info-Center can also be contacted by phone, to get a guidance in English and German. Here is their number: +49 228 882 180 and their contact hours:
Monday – Thursday: From 9am till 12pm & 2pm till 4pm (CET or CEST)
Friday: From 9am – 2pm (CET or CEST)
More detailed information
Submitting an application
General information on the application via DAAD portal
Applications for this scholarship programme are possible in the period May until the stated application deadline.
Click on 'Application portal' at the bottom of the page to go to the DAAD portal. There you will be provided with an online application form to enter your application data.
This is what you have to do:
1. Register in the DAAD portal (Read notes about registering in the portal >>)
2. Request recommendation form
You can generate the recommendation form in the DAAD Portal as a writable PDF under 'Request recommendation form'. It can only be generated during the application period. Please send it to your university teacher and ask him or her to complete the form in full. When you have received it back, upload it in the portal under 'Letter of Recommendation'.
3. Applying online in the DAAD portal (Read notes on applying in the portal >>)
- Prepare application documents
- If necessary, translate documents (unless they are already in German or English).
- Scan paper documents and save in PDF format. You can only upload PDF files to the portal.
- Fill out the application form and upload the application documents to the portal in PDF format. Translations, if applicable, should be uploaded together with the document issued in the original language.
- Submit the application online.
Please note:
If you have any technical questions or problems your local information and advice centres could not help you with, please do not hesitate to contact portal@daad.de via e-mail.
You can also call the technical portal hotline on weekdays from 9-12 and 14-16 (CET/CEST) on +49 (0) 228 882-8888.
Please consider possible processing times of your request when you are planning your application.
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