Funding options at GRADE
The GRADE brochure "Financing Your Doctorate" holds information on how to finance your PhD course. It gives an overview on how to finance your doctorate either as a research assistant or with a scholarship as well as general information on financial support in Germany: What kind of individual support do scholarships offer? What are the advantages of doing a doctorate within a structured program? Are there any support options for an international doctorate? What kind of support does Goethe University offer its PhD candidates?
You will also find information on support specifically for women in science, explanations on partially granted financial support and details about a possible bi national doctorate (Cotutelle de Thèse). Furthermore, the brochure includes practical hints on grant application and social security as well as helpful links.
Some scholarships and funding options are available directly at GRADE. They include:
- Starting Scholarships for international doctoral candidates
- Financial support for early career researchers with children
- Ad Infinitum Scholarship for PhD candidates in German Studies and related subjects
- GRADE Completion Scholarship
- GRADE Research Assistantship
Financial support for early career researchers with children
>> No Current Call <<
Funded by the Franz Adickes Stiftungsfonds, the Goethe Research Academy for Early Career Researchers (GRADE) financially supports 30 PhD candidates, postdocs and scientists in the R3 qualification phase with children performing their research at Goethe University.
Working on your research project is challenging and entails a high workload. Raising and taking care of your kids at the same time produces an additional financial burden and puts severe constraints on your time management. GRADE wants to support early career researchers in this special situation.
For candidates with small-scale employment, this support may take the form of a scholarship[1]. For persons with substantial employment, we can finance the hiring of research assistants, who can cover routine tasks in research and teaching, thereby creating relief for early career researchers. The total sum of support amounts to 2400 EUR.
We can only consider applications from individuals with children in need of care who live in their household and / or whom they are currently caring for at least part of the time. Furthermore, either the admission as doctoral candidate or a confirmation of employment at Goethe University is required.
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[1] Small-scale employment is possible if the content and purpose of the employment are clearly different from the research project. For details, see FAQ
Starting scholarships for international doctoral candidates
>> No Current Call <<
The Goethe Research Academy for Early Career Researchers (GRADE) awards up to 15 starting scholarships for international doctoral candidates at Goethe University. The scholarships are funded by the Franz Adickes Stiftungsfonds. They are open for international doctoral candidates right at the start and in the early phase of their doctoral project at the university.
International doctoral candidates face special challenges at the start of their doctorate in Frankfurt, namely considerable costs for mobility, furnishing an apartment, fees at public authorities etc. The scholarships are intended to facilitate the start of the doctoral project and provide funding for the first few months in Frankfurt. The scholarship amounts to 1000,- € per month for a period of three months. Only persons with an international background in the first 12 months of their doctoral project can apply. Grantees of a scholarship cannot have a full-time or substantial employment – at Goethe University or with another employer – during the period of the scholarship ¹
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¹ Small-scale employment is possible if the content and purpose of the employment are clearly different from the scholarship. For details, see FAQ.
GRADE Completion Scholarship
>>> No Current Call <<<
The Goethe Research Academy for Early Career Researchers (GRADE) awards five completion scholarships to international doctoral candidates of Goethe University Frankfurt. The scholarships are sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Stiftung zur Förderung der internationalen wissenschaftlichen Beziehungen der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität.
The GRADE Completion Scholarships aim at supporting international doctoral candidates in the final stages of their doctoral thesis.
The call for applications is open to all international doctoral candidates of Goethe University Frankfurt. Awardees of a scholarship cannot have a full-time or substantial employment – at Goethe University or with another employer – during the period of the scholarship or another scholarship for the same purpose.
Ad Infinitum Scholarship - for PhD Candidates in German Studies and Related Subjects*
>> No Current Call <<
GRADE (Goethe Research Academy for Early Career Researchers) offers two scholarships for PhD candidates in German studies and related subjects*. The scholarships are funded by the Ad Infinitum Foundation and cover up to 1,350 € per month.
Requirements
- Admission as a PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Modern Languages of Goethe University
- Fast course of study: “academic age” maximum 8 years (time for studies and previous duration of the doctorate)
- Exceptional capability for scientific work
- No sufficient alternative financial support
Conditions
- Scholarship of up to 1,350 €/month
- Period of funding: 2 years
* The scholarships are also available for PhD projects General and comparative literary studies, General linguistics, Scandinavian studies or Theatre, film and media studies that have a link to German Studies.
GRADE Research Assistantship
>> No Current Call <<
GRADE awards four research assistantships to international doctoral candidates of Goethe University. The scholarships are sponsored by the STIBET program of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
The call for applications is open to all international doctoral candidates of Goethe University who do not hold a position at the university (with the exception of other research-assistant contracts).