DAAD Scholarships

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With more than 100,000 DAAD Scholarships awarded each year, German and international students get a chance to pursue their masters, doctoral, and post-doctoral studies at minimum cost. Recipients of DAAD scholarships for masters get a monthly allowance of at least 934 EUR (1050 USD) while the Phd recipients get 1,200 EUR (1,348 USD), for the duration of their studies in Germany.

Indian students are eligible for 25 DAAD scholarships, out of 188 scholarship programs available in 2023.
Eligible applicants must have completed their prior degree with a minimum aggregate of 85%.
Each candidate must have at least two years of work experience, be it in terms of field research, employment, or graduate assistantship.
Payments for health insurance and travel expenses are also covered for all the recipients of DAAD scholarships.
Applicants must receive an invitation letter from their supervisors at eligible German universities.

While the in-depth benefits, requirements, and selection criteria vary for each DAAD scholarship program, the overall minimum eligibility and application guidelines remain the same.

Benefits of DAAD Scholarships for Indian students:

Flat-rate travel allowance
Health insurance
Accident and personal liability insurance
Research Allowance
Family benefits
Subsidy for monthly rent
Funds for preparatory language course

Highlights

Scholarship Type	Merit-Based
Offered by	Government bodies
Organization	Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
Application Deadline	Oct 20 ,2023
Number of Scholarships	100000
Amount	₹87,644 ($1,050)
Renewability	Yes, Yearly
International Student Eligible	Yes
Scholarship Website Link	https://static.daad.de/media/daad de/pdfs_nicht_barrierefrei/in-deutschland-studieren-forschen-lehren/2022_daad_stipendienprogramme_en_web.pdf

Eligibility Criteria

Since there are more than 100 scholarship programs available for international students, the eligibility criteria tremendously varies. However, there are a few basic requirements for DAAD Scholarships which all applicants must satisfy.

Language Skills: Excellent English language proficiency, with a minimum IELTS score of 6.5.
- Knowledge of German language is not mandatory but highly recommended.
Academic Grades: Minimum aggregate of 8.5 CGPA or 85% or equivalent depending upon the applied degree.
Obtain a NOC (No Objection Certificate) from home institution, if applying for exchange or short-term research program.
Work Experience: A minimum of 2 years of work experience, research work, teaching/graduate assistantship.
Submit a short 500- 1000 word research proposal/SOP. In some cases CV is sufficient.

Note: Apart from fulfilling these requirements, prospective applicants must also hold proof of accommodation for visa insurance.

Application Process

The DAAD application process for most scholarship programs takes place in two steps:

Complete the online application form and upload the documents.
Send a copy of the application form summy to the DAAD office via post.

Lets’ discuss these steps in detail.

STEP I

Beginning with the online application process, it is simple, direct, and takes about 30 minutes. Applications are to be made via DAAD Portal which opens around 6 weeks before the scholarship application deadline(s). Once you have completed the application form, upload the following supplementary documents:

Online Application Form
Curriculum Vitae
No Objection Certificate filled in and stamped by the previous institution
Invitation letter of German Supervisor
University Degree & Certificates

Note: The first and the last name in the application form should be identical to the name in the applicant’s passport.

STEP II

After submitting the form and uploading the supporting documents, candidates will be directed to another page, wherein they can verify their application package and download a PDF file. Mail the following documents to your nearest DAAD office:

One copy of the Application Summary which is generated in the portal (PDF)
Recent reference from Previous University Teacher

Indian students must post their application package for DAAD scholarships to the regional address mentioned below:

Regional Office New Delhi
German Academic Exchange Service
Regional Office of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
c/o DLTA Complex, R.K. Khanna Stadium, 1 Africa Avenue
1100029 New Delhi
India

Tel: +91(11)/6646-5500
Fax: +91(11)/6646-5555
Email: info@daaddelhi.org

Selection Process

All DAAD scholarships have their own set of selection committees which evaluate each application comprehensively. This committee may established locally (in India for Indian students) or in Germany, depending upon the scholarship program. Selections are primarily based on the following factors:

Quality of the project
Academic Achievements
Duration of research/fieldwork
Research proposal/Work experience

While there are no interview sessions, depending on the scholarship program and the applicant’s location, a personal introduction may be required.

Grant Details

The DAAD Scholarships are for students who have an excellent academic record and skills to pursue higher studies in German institutions but do not have the required finances to support their education. Presently, Indian students are eligible for 25 DAAD scholarship programs, a few of which are mentioned in the following table:

Name of Scholarship	Benefits	Eligibility Criteria	Award Duration	Deadlines for 2023-2024 awards
Graduate School Scholarship Program	Monthy allowance: 1,200 EUR; Health and travel expenses; Annual research allowance: 460 EUR	Commencing any PhD Project structured at German university	up to 4 years	N/A
Bilateral Exchange of Academics	Monthy allowance: 2000 EUR [Assistant teachers/lecturers] \| 2150 EUR [Professors] Travel expenses	Traveling to German institution for a short-term research stay	14 day to 3 months	October 05, 2021
Development-Related Postgraduate Course	Monthly allowance: 934 EUR (master’s); 1200 EUR (Doctoral); Monthly rent; Health and travel expenses	Beginning PG-level course in the field of development; Minimum 2 years of work experience	12 to 36 months	Course-specific
DLR-DAAD Research Fellowship Program	Monthly allowance between 1,760 EUR- 2760 EUR	Doctoral/postdoctoral students working in the field of Aeronautics, Space, Transportation, and Energy	up to 36 months	October 05, 2023

Apart from these DAAD scholarships, other grant programs that are funded by DAAD and provided to Indian students include Helmut-Schmidt-Programme, IIT Master Sandwich Scholarships, Semester Scholarships for Students of Indian Institutes of Management (IIM), Study Scholarship for Foreign Graduates in the Field of Performing Arts, and study visits for groups of foreign students to Germany.