Funding Opportunities
1. DAAD grants for international German Studies scholars
The DAAD grants we offer are part of the DAAD’s Graduate School Scholarship Program (GSSP). They are directed at international students of German literature and culture (“Germanist*innen”) who plan to earn a doctorate in literary studies, are not German nationals, and either currently live outside of Germany, or arrived in Germany no earlier than the year the scholarship is planned to start.
After having undergone the selection process, candidates will also have to submit their applications through the DAAD portal; the final decision lies with the funding agency.
2. Short-term fellowships for applicants from the Global South
The short-term fellowships are dedicated to applicants from the Global South with a background in literary studies. They are supported in preparing for a stay at FSGS, developing their doctoral project, and subsequently applying for an external doctoral fellowship.
Between April and October 2026, the fellows will participate in a digital program that will provide information on funding opportunities and coaching. Either from May to July or from October to December, they will also complete a three-month research stay at the FSGS, during which they will receive a scholarship of EUR 1450 per month.
Applications are open to early-career researchers from the Global South who hold a very good master’s degree in German Studies or a related subject, plan to pursue a comparative-literary doctorate at Freie Universität with a supervisor from among the PIs of the FSGS, do not hold a German passport, and live in a country of the Global South. In addition, applicants must have German and English language skills at C1/B2 level.
3. PhD positions at the Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School with secured external funding
PhD students with their own funding (scholarship from foundations or a position as a research assistant) can apply for positions at the graduate school. The positions are for the duration of three to four years, include a travel budget of 3000 EUR, and allow for financing requests to the board to fund own events. Further, our scholars are members of our graduate school’s extraordinary network, take part in our colloquia and events, and keep regular contact with their advisors who are all part of the circle of Principal Investigators (PIs) at FSGS.
4. PhD positions at the Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School without secured external funding
Researchers without secured external funding can also apply for a PhD position at the Graduate School. The FSGS offers a nine-month fellowship (formerly known as a “Projektstipendium”) of € 1103 per month for up to five oustanding applicants. Fellowship recipients will also participate in a program designed to help secure external funding. The program starts on June 1, 2026.
Applicants who are admitted but not offered a scholarship will receive support from the Graduate School in securing scholarships or other third-party funding for their doctoral studies. They may also participate in selected program events and take digital modules.
Please note that the FSGS is a structured doctoral program that can only be coursed full-time. We strongly recommend securing funding for your doctoral studies through external sources and advise against self-funding through non-academic employment. If you have access to funding sources other than standard institutional support (such as scholarships or academic staff positions) and do not wish to apply for external funding, please indicate this in your application.
5. CSC fellowships within the FUB-CSC program for researchers in the humanities from the PR China with a focus on German Studies
CSC fellowships with a duration of three to four years are awarded as part of the FUB-CSC program. Funding is only available to candidates from the People's Republic of China who wish to pursue a PhD at the FSGS in a humanities discipline with a focus on German Studies.
Candidates nominated by the FSGS will be informed about the next steps by the FUB-CSC Office and must submit their application via the CSC portal after completing the FSGS selection process. The final decision lies with the funding agency.
Application Process
After we have reviewed the applications, you will receive a response in case your application cannot be considered for formal reasons. All formally approved applications will go through an internal review process. The selection committee internally votes to select applicants who will be invited to the selection interviews.
During the interviews, each applicant has 5–10 minutes to give a verbal presentation on their project, followed by a 10–15-minute discussion. The prospective supervisors selected in the application are invited to this interview. You do not have to bring your application documents with you. Shortly after the selection interviews you will receive an acceptance or rejection.
The funding for the program to support the acquisition of external funding (formely project grants, “Projektstipendium”) starts in June.The short-term fellowships for applicants from the Global South begin in April at the earliest.
The doctoral program for those who have been awarded a PhD position starts in October.
The DAAD and CSC scholarships start in October.
