Tips for the online portal
Tips for your successful application:
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First, please register via the online portal of the Dahlem Research School. Select the programme format you wish to apply for. If you would like to apply for more than one position, you must create separate applications, as they are evaluated in different selection processes. After registering, you will see an option called “My Progress” in the top-left corner under the “OpenCampus Menu.” Clicking on it will open your application. You can access your application at any time and save your progress before submitting it.
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You only need one account, even if you are applying for multiple positions. However, you must create a separate application for each position within your account by clicking on “Apply for FSGS.” You may submit one application per programme format (i.e. up to five in total). Please note that each click creates a new application, and applications cannot be deleted.
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Please complete the personal information page first. This page is part of your application file and is separate from the initial registration. The remaining sections can only be edited once this page has been completed. Here, you must also indicate the programme format you are applying for (DAAD, PhD position at the FSGS, short-term fellowship, CSC fellowship).
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Please select your first supervisor from the circle of principal investigators (PIs)at the Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School. The online portal will show you which PIs are available for selection. You do not need to contact them at this stage, and your choice is not binding. No confirmation from the supervisor is required at this point.
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Two letters of recommendation are required for all programme formats, except for PhD positions with already secured external funding. Referees may be professors or academic staff members familiar with your academic work. There are no formal requirements regarding the format of the letters. Once you submit your application, your referees will receive an automated email with instructions for uploading their letters. You should contact them in advance so they are aware of this request. Letters of recommendation may be uploaded up to seven days after the application deadline. Please inform your referees of this deadline in advance. If they encounter any technical issues, they may alternatively send a signed PDF via email.
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Supervisory teams in a structured doctoral programme may consist of up to three members. In addition to the first supervisor, one certified professor who is not affiliated with the FSGS may be included.
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Please do not submit seminar papers as work samples. Suitable submissions include an excerpt from your Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis or a publication. Work samples must be written in German or English. If you do not have a suitable sample in one of these languages, you may submit your own translation along with the original text.
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If you obtained your degree from a foreign university, we will verify its recognition in Germany using ANABIN.
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If you are applying for a doctoral position without secured external funding and wish to be considered for the nine-month scholarship and accompanying programme to help you obtain funding (formerly “Projektstipendium”), you must submit your degree certificate by the end of April at the latest. If your degree certificate is not yet available at the time of application, please upload alternative documents demonstrating your expected completion (e.g. transcripts, provisional records, or confirmation from your university).
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Language certificates may be submitted at a later stage. Please include a statement in your application indicating which certificates you already have, which are pending, and when you expect to provide them. However, a sufficient level of language proficiency is required at the time of application.
- Your application is only submitted once you click the “Save and Submit” button. You will then receive a confirmation email. Please note that this button will no longer be available after the application deadline. While you will still be able to view your application and uploaded documents, you will not be able to submit it after the deadline. Only the confirmation email serves as proof that your application has been successfully submitted.
