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Scholarships and funded PhDs.

Research schools, excellence clusters and scholarships for master's and PhD students, and the help you need to apply.

Master's and PhD fundingThree ways to afunded degree.

A doctorate in Germany is usually funded through a paid position or a scholarship, paying around €1,200 to €2,000 a month after tax. How you find one depends on the route you take.

01

Structured PhD programmes

Research schools and graduate schools recruit through open calls. You apply to the programme, and supervisors are matched during selection.

02

Individual doctorate

You find a professor who agrees to supervise you, then secure funding, such as a paid position in their group or a scholarship.

03

Master's scholarships

Fewer and very competitive. Most fund a monthly allowance for the length of the programme.

How we help

From your first email to a supervisor to a complete application.

Our founder earned a PhD at a Max Planck Institute, and our team has studied and researched in Germany and Europe, so we know what supervisors and selection committees look for.

1

Find the right programme

We match your background to research schools, clusters and scholarships, and keep track of their deadlines.

2

Find a German supervisor

We identify professors whose research fits yours and help you write a clear, specific first email.

3

Get a host letter

For an individual doctorate, and for funders such as the DAAD, you need a letter from a supervisor agreeing to host you. We guide you through asking for one.

4

Shape your research proposal

Many scholarships ask for a research proposal. We help you sharpen the question, structure the plan and improve each draft. The ideas and writing stay yours.

5

Prepare your application

CV, motivation letter, references and interview practice, so your file is complete and convincing.

We work with you at every stage, so the application you send is complete, well argued and as strong as it can be.

20 programmes · checked October 2026Where toapply.

Every programme here was checked against its official website. Calls and deadlines change each year, so we keep track of them for you and help you apply on time.

Showing 20 programmes

Research organisations

Germany's large research organisations. You work at one of their institutes, and a partner university awards your doctorate.

  • PhD

International Max Planck Research Schools

Max Planck Society

More than 60 structured doctoral programmes run by Max Planck Institutes with partner universities, which award the degree. Schools near Cologne include the IMPRS on Ageing and the IMPRS on Interdisciplinary Plant Biology.

Funding
Doctoral contracts of three years, with a possible one-year extension, paid on the TVöD public-sector pay scale.
How to apply
Each school runs its own selection and deadlines. Choose a school and apply through its website.
Who can apply
Open to international applicants. About half of IMPRS doctoral researchers come from outside Germany.
Explore programme IMPRS on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • PhD

Doctoral positions at Helmholtz centres

Helmholtz Association

About 8,000 doctoral researchers work at the 18 Helmholtz centres with partner universities, and almost every centre has a graduate school. The HIDA research schools combine data science with a scientific field.

Funding
As a rule, an employment contract with social insurance, usually for three to four years.
How to apply
Positions are advertised on the Helmholtz job portal and on the websites of the centres and graduate schools.
Who can apply
No nationality restriction is stated. Each position sets its own requirements.
Explore programme Helmholtz on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • Master's
  • PhD

Doctorates and student roles at Fraunhofer

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Doctoral positions in applied research at Fraunhofer institutes, with the degree awarded by a partner university. Enrolled students can write their master's thesis or work as student assistants at an institute.

Funding
Doctoral and research assistant positions, paid on the TVöD public-sector pay scale.
How to apply
Doctoral vacancies and thesis topics are posted on jobs.fraunhofer.de.
Who can apply
Student roles need current enrolment at a university. Each vacancy sets its own requirements.
Explore programme Fraunhofer on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • PhD

PhD positions at Leibniz Institutes

Leibniz Association

Leibniz Institutes offer PhD positions in the sciences, social sciences and humanities together with partner universities. Some also run Leibniz Graduate Schools.

Funding
Paid PhD positions, with terms set by each institute.
How to apply
There is no central application. Apply to an institute, to a vacancy on the Leibniz job portal or to a Leibniz Graduate School.
Who can apply
A completed master's degree. Not every post is advertised in English, so check the German job portal too.
Explore programme Leibniz on its official website (opens in a new tab)

Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf

Excellence clusters and graduate schools across the Rhineland, covering plant science, molecular medicine, ageing research and physics.

  • PhD

CEPLAS Graduate School

Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf and Cologne

A PhD programme in plant sciences, genetics, synthetic and computational biology. It starts with a one-year qualification phase of lectures and lab rotations, followed by the PhD in a CEPLAS lab.

Funding
A stipend in the first year, then an employment contract (E12/E13) for three years, with a possible one-year extension.
How to apply
One call a year. The call for the 2027 cohort will be announced in December 2026.
Who can apply
For bachelor's graduates only. CEPLAS does not regularly offer PhD positions to master's graduates. Students from Pakistan are among its members.
Explore programme CEPLAS on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • PhD

Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Program in Molecular Medicine

Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne

A three-year structured PhD in molecular biomedicine, coordinated by the CMMC and taught mainly in English. It leads to the Dr. nat. med., which corresponds to a PhD.

Funding
No scholarship. You need a funded PhD position in a CMMC research group first; open positions are listed on the CMMC website.
How to apply
Secure a position with a research group, then apply to the programme. Applications are accepted all year.
Who can apply
A master's in biology, biochemistry, chemistry or a related field, or a medical degree, plus lab experience. German is not required.
Explore programme CMMC on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • Master's
  • PhD

Cologne Graduate School of Ageing Research

CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, with two Max Planck Institutes

The graduate school of the CECAD ageing research cluster. It runs a four-year PhD programme in English with up to 12 places a year, and a fellowship for students in four life-science master's programmes.

Funding
PhD: a contract of at least three years at 65% of TV-L E13. Master's fellowship: €992 a month for up to a year and a half, plus a contract for the thesis.
How to apply
PhD: one call a year; the call for 2027 closes on 3 November 2026. Master's fellowship: applications open each April.
Who can apply
PhD: a master's in the life or natural sciences and English at C1. Master's fellowship: a place on one of the four University of Cologne programmes.
Explore programme CECAD on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • Master's

Bonn-Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy

Universities of Bonn and Cologne

A joint programme that takes physics graduates through an M.Sc. in physics or astrophysics, and the most successful on to a PhD, with mentoring and research internships.

Funding
A limited number of monthly scholarships, which BCGS says cover the cost of living.
How to apply
Apply online from early November to 1 December, for the following winter semester.
Who can apply
Open to applicants from outside the EU with a B.Sc. in physics or a related field.
Explore programme BCGS on its official website (opens in a new tab)

Doctoral programmes

Structured PhD programmes with their own selection rounds, in Germany and in EU networks with German partners.

  • PhD

DFG Research Training Groups

German Research Foundation (DFG)

Structured doctoral programmes at German universities, each built around a research focus with its own training. International groups add about six months at a partner abroad.

Funding
Most groups offer posts paid at 65% to 100% of TV-L E13, the public-sector pay scale.
How to apply
Apply directly to a group. Current groups are listed on the DFG website and in its GEPRIS database.
Who can apply
No nationality restriction is stated, and the DFG expects groups to recruit internationally.
Explore programme DFG on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • PhD

EMBL International PhD Programme

European Molecular Biology Laboratory

An interdisciplinary PhD in the molecular life sciences, with sites in Heidelberg and Hamburg. You register with a university of your choice, which awards the degree.

Funding
A fellowship for three and a half years, with a possible six-month extension, including health care and pension benefits.
How to apply
Two recruitment rounds a year. The winter round for 2027 closes on 12 October 2026.
Who can apply
Open to all nationalities, but applicants from EMBL member states get priority when equally qualified, and Pakistan is not one. No GRE, IELTS or TOEFL is needed.
Explore programme EMBL on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • PhD

DKFZ International PhD Program

German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg

A structured PhD in cancer research in Heidelberg, Dresden and partner sites, taught in English. More than half of its students are international.

Funding
Every position is fully funded for at least three years with no tuition fee, on a contract with social security.
How to apply
Two selection rounds a year. The winter round closes on 19 October 2026.
Who can apply
Usually a bachelor's plus a two-year master's with a research thesis. A one-year master's may need an entrance exam or extra courses.
Explore programme DKFZ on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • PhD

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks

European Union, Horizon Europe

EU-funded doctoral programmes run by networks of universities, institutes and companies across Europe, many with partners in Germany.

Funding
A living allowance paid by the EU, plus mobility and family allowances where they apply.
How to apply
Apply to individual vacancies, which are published on the EURAXESS portal.
Who can apply
Any nationality, without a doctorate. You usually must not have lived or worked in the host country for more than 12 of the last 36 months.
Explore programme MSCA on its official website (opens in a new tab)

Scholarships

Funding you apply for yourself, for a master's or PhD at a German university. Each one sets its own rules for applicants from Pakistan.

  • PhD

DAAD Research Grants: Doctoral Programmes in Germany

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

A scholarship for a full doctorate at a German university or research institute, either an individual project with a supervisor or a structured programme.

Funding
€1,400 a month, insurance, a travel allowance and €460 a year for research costs. Up to three years, with a possible fourth.
How to apply
Online through the DAAD portal from 1 June. For Pakistan the deadline is generally the end of August.
Who can apply
Open to applicants from Pakistan with a master's, usually completed no more than six years before the deadline. Individual projects need a research proposal and a letter confirming supervision.
Explore programme DAAD on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • Master's
  • PhD

DAAD Development-Related Postgraduate Courses

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

Scholarships for professionals from developing countries to take a development-related master's, or in some cases a PhD, from a fixed list of German courses.

Funding
€992 a month for a master's or €1,400 for a PhD, plus insurance and a travel allowance, for 12 to 42 months.
How to apply
Apply directly to up to three courses from the DAAD list. Deadlines vary by course.
Who can apply
Pakistan is eligible. A four-year bachelor's with results in the top third, and at least two years of related work experience.
Explore programme EPOS on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • Master's

Helmut-Schmidt-Programme: Master's Scholarships for Public Policy and Good Governance

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

Scholarships for an English-taught master's in public policy, law, economics, political science or administration at a German university.

Funding
€992 a month, no tuition fees, health insurance, travel allowances and a German course before the master's starts.
How to apply
Apply directly to up to two participating courses. For Pakistan the deadline is generally the end of July.
Who can apply
Pakistan is eligible. A degree in a related subject with results in the top third, plus practical experience.
Explore programme PPGG on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • Master's

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters

European Union, Erasmus+

Joint master's programmes run by at least three universities in different countries, so you study in more than one. Only some include a German university.

Funding
Full scholarships for the best-ranked applicants, covering participation costs and contributing to travel, visa and living costs.
How to apply
Apply to the consortium that runs the programme, in most cases between October and January.
Who can apply
Open to students worldwide with a bachelor's, or in the final year of one.
Explore programme EMJM on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • Master's
  • PhD

Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarships for International Students

Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

For international students who studied abroad and want to do a master's or PhD at a German university, with seminars and support alongside the funding.

Funding
€992 a month for a master's or €1,500 a month for a PhD, plus a health insurance allowance.
How to apply
Two rounds a year. The next run from 15 January to 1 March 2027 and from 15 July to 1 September 2027.
Who can apply
Priority for applicants from developing countries, including Pakistan, who do not yet live in Germany. German at B2 is required.
Explore programme Böll on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • Master's
  • PhD

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung International Scholarship Program

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung

For socially engaged international students and doctoral candidates at German universities, with seminars and mentoring.

Funding
Up to €992 a month for a master's and up to €1,400 a month for a PhD, plus a health insurance subsidy.
How to apply
If you already live in Germany, apply through the KAS Campus Portal by 15 July each year.
Who can apply
German at B2. Applicants from Pakistan can currently apply only once they live in Germany.
Explore programme KAS on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • Master's
  • PhD

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Scholarships for International Students

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

For socially and politically engaged international students and doctoral candidates at German universities.

Funding
€992 a month for students and €1,500 a month for doctoral candidates, plus health care costs.
How to apply
Apply in German. Master's students must apply by the end of their first semester.
Who can apply
Only for international students who already study in Germany and can prove their German.
Explore programme FES on its official website (opens in a new tab)
  • Master's

Deutschlandstipendium

Federal government and private sponsors, awarded by universities

A merit scholarship that participating universities award to high-achieving, engaged students.

Funding
€300 a month, half from a private sponsor and half from the federal government, whatever your income.
How to apply
Apply to your university, which sets its own requirements and deadlines.
Who can apply
Students of any nationality at a participating university.
Explore programme Deutschlandstipendium on its official website (opens in a new tab)

Planning a funded master's or PhD?

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