DAAD Bridge Scholarships for Palestinians in Germany
Objective
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) administers the scholarship programme “Bridge Scholarships for Palestinians in Germany” with funds from the Federal Foreign Office. As part of the programme, qualified Palestinians, who are in Germany and not able to return to their home country due to the current situation, will receive the possibility to begin or continue their career.
The aim of the programme is to support students and researchers from the Palestinian Territories – especially from the Gaza Strip – with bridging scholarships after completing their studies or research in Germany. These grants are intended to enable them to build up academic or professional prospects for a future in safety. In the long term, the aim is to integrate them into the education and labour market in Germany, if it is not possible for them to return home.
Who can apply?
Graduates from the Palestinian Territories from all academic disciplines are eligible to apply,
- who have obtained a Bachelor’s, Master’s or doctoral degree in Germany within the last six months or will have obtained their degree before the start of the scholarship and require transitional funding for their job search or
- who have completed a research project as part of a postdoctoral position or as a university lecturer in Germany within the last six months or will have completed their project before the start of the scholarship and require transitional funding for their job search or
- who have completed an internship at a company in Germany within the last six months as part of their studies or will have completed their internship before the start of the scholarship and require transitional funding for their job search,
- who can provide an ID issued by the Palestinian Authority or an East Jerusalem ID, and do not have any other citizenship,
- who, as a rule, are already in Germany with a valid residence permit at the time of the application deadline,
- who, as a rule, have not been staying in Germany for longer than four years at the time of the application deadline.
What can be funded?
The bridging period after completing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme, an internship as part of a degree programme, a doctorate or a research project in Germany, which must not have been completed more than six months prior to the application deadline or must be completed by the start of the scholarship, with the aim of finding suitable employment in the academic resp. public or private sector in Germany. Internships in companies or research projects in Germany are also eligible for funding as part of the scholarship.
Duration of the funding
Minimum 3 months and maximum 6 months.
The funding period is determined by the DAAD depending on the time required in accordance with the application documents submitted. Funding can start on 01 October 2024 at the earliest and must be completed by 31 March 2025 at the latest.
As a rule, the scholarship cannot be extended.
Value
Scholarship benefits currently include:
- depending on the academic level, monthly payments of
– 934 euros for Bachelor’s or Master’s graduates
– 1,300 euros for doctoral graduates (incl. postdoctoral researchers*)
– 2,150 euros for (assistant) professors - payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover
* Status as postdoctoral researcher up to four years after obtaining the doctoral degree.
Under certain circumstances, scholarship holders may receive the following additional benefits:
- monthly rent subsidy
- monthly allowance for family members
- in the case of a disability or chronic illness: subsidy for additional costs which result from the disability or chronic illness and are not covered by other funding providers: Further information
To allow you to improve your language skills during the scholarship:
- allowance for a personally chosen German language course
Please note that, while on a DAAD scholarship, you must neither accept another DAAD scholarship, Erasmus+ scholarship or other scholarships from other German sources, nor apply for support from the German national education assistance system (BAföG). In addition, you may not work full-time during the DAAD scholarship. Income from part-time employment or an internship will be counted towards the DAAD scholarship, if you earn more than 538 euros (gross) per month.
Selection
The selection of candidates will be carried out by a selection committee appointed by the section ST33 – Middle East, North Africa of the DAAD.
The selection criteria are:
- Academic qualification (documented by higher education certificates, if applicable, school leaving certificate, curriculum vitae, letter of recommendation and if available, a list of recent publications, proof of language proficiency etc.)
- Quality of the pursuit (documented by, if applicable, a research proposal, an internship contract, part-time work contract or proof of job search)
- Personal motivation for the scholarship (documented by a letter of motivation describing the current personal risk situation as well as outlining the future prospects in Germany made possible by a scholarship)
In addition, in order to ensure equal opportunities, the selection committee may take into account special life circumstances, about which the candidate can provide information in the application form.
