Scholarship Database

Here you can find information on various kinds of DAAD funding for students, graduates and postdocs as well as on funding offered by other selected organisations.

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Bilateral Exchange of Academics (to Germany) • DAAD

Objective

To improve international relations and bilateral research cooperations between German and foreign universities, the DAAD supports the exchange of scientists and academics. The basis for the exchange of scientists are cultural exchange programmes between the Federal Republic of Germany and partner countries as well as bilateral agreements with foreign partner organisations. The scholarships are funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.

Who can apply?

The programme is aimed at university teachers and experienced academics and scientists. As a rule, you should have a doctorate and you should be working at a university or research institute in your home country.

What can be funded?

Research stays at state or state-recognised universities or non-university research institutes in Germany are funded.

This programme funds exchanges between scientists and researchers from Germany and partner countries. In the implementation of the bilateral programme, care is taken to ensure equal exchanges in both directions.
Lecture tours or visits to congresses are not funded.

Duration of the funding

Your research stay should last at least 14 days (for stays from applicants from EU countries as well as from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ukraine: at least 7 days) up to a maximum of three months. Please indicate in your application form how long you wish to receive funding. The funding period will then be determined during the selection process, taking into account your study plan.
The grant cannot be extended.
Funding must begin in 2026.

Value

Monthly payments of:
2,000 euros for assistant teachers, assistant professors and lecturers
2,150 euros for professors
Unless otherwise regulated by bilateral agreements, the costs of the outward and return journey are borne by the respective sending country.
In case of a disability or chronic illness: on application, a subsidy may be provided for justified additional costs incurred abroad that are necessary to realise the project in Germany and that are not covered by a third party; whether and to what extent a subsidy will be paid, will be reviewed and determined on an individual basis (see important information for scholarship applicants, section F, point 8)
Please note: Health insurance coverage is mandatory in Germany. If you do not have a corresponding home health insurance, you will be insured by the DAAD. The costs will be deducted from the scholarship payment.

Selection

An independent selection committee reviews applications.

The most important selection criteria are:

Your academic achievements and, if applicable, your publications, which must be documented in the curriculum vitae and a list of publications (see ‘Application documents’)
A convincing and well-planned research project (see ‘Application documents’)

What requirements must be met?

You must work at a university or research institution in your home country.
You must coordinate the date and purpose of your stay in advance with your host institution in Germany see (‘Application documents’). A workplace must be provided.
Because this is a bilateral exchange programme, a visit of the German Counterpart has be agreed upon.

Application deadline

Application deadlines are updated annually in the second quarter. In most cases, they are in the same period as the previous year. You can find the current dates here:

03.09.2025
Selection date in February 2026
Start of funding in May 2026 at the earliest

Application documents

Documents to be uploaded to the DAAD portal

Online application form
Full curriculum vitae in tabular form (max. 3 pages)
List of your academic publications (max. 3 pages)
Comprehensive statement about research project (max. 10 pages). Also read our Important information for scholarship applicants / section B, point 2.
Time plan for your planned research visit (please also name the host institute(s) and academic hosts).
Written confirmation from your host (informal) about the academic cooperation that must refer to your proposal and guarantee that the host institute in Germany will provide you with a workplace.
The German counterpart should apply under the following link: https://www2.daad.de/ausland/studieren/stipendium/de/70-stipendien-finden-und-bewerben/?detail=50015506
Valid identification document (passport, ID card, driver licence or student identity card) including your photograph, full name, date of birth and country of origin (please upload under “Miscellaneous” in the DAAD portal; please note that you would need an official travel document, i.e. passport, upon your visa application at the latest)
Invitation letter for the German counterpart from the host university

The application procedure occurs online through the DAAD portal.

Please note

The access to the DAAD portal opens at least 6 weeks before the application deadline.
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.
Late or incomplete applications cannot be considered. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete.
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.

Information and advisory centres

Regional Office Cairo
German Academic Exchange Service
11 Street El-Saleh Ayoub
Cairo-Zamalek
Egypt
Tel.: +20 2/27 35 27 26
Fax.: +20 2/27 38 41 36
E-Mail.: info@daadcairo.org
WWW.: https://www.daad-egypt.org

You can find an overview of the current DAAD lecturers here.

More detailed information

DAAD website section 'Doing a PhD and Research in Germany'
Website 'Research in Germany'
Website 'GERiT – German Research Institutions'
DAAD website 'Important information for DAAD scholarship applicants'

General information on the application via DAAD portal

The access to the DAAD portal opens at least 6 weeks before the 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:

Register in the DAAD portal (Read notes about registering in the portal >>)

Applying online in the DAAD portal (Read notes on applying in the portal >>)

Download and complete the online application form
Prepare application documents
If necessary, translate documents (unless they are already in German or English).
Scan paper documents (except references) and save in PDF format. Please note that you can only upload PDF files to the portal.
Upload the completed application form and the other 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 uploaded application documents 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.