Information for DAAD Scholarship Applicants

The target group for scholarships are graduates and postgraduates from Sub-Saharan Africa with a first academic degree if applying for a Master’s programme, or with a Master’s degree if applying for a doctoral programme who want to pursue Master’s or PhD courses in their home country (so called In-Country scholarships) or in another Sub-Saharan African country (In-Region scholarships).

Female applicants and candidates from less privileged regions or groups are especially encouraged to participate in the programme.

Master and PhD studies

Generally, funding is provided for the usual duration of a course – up to two years for Master’s and up to three years for the PhD degree programmes.

• Monthly allowance
• Study and research allowance
• Printing allowance
• Tuition fees
• Travel allowance (only applicable for In-Region scholarship holders)
• Health insurance (only applicable for In-Region scholarship holders)

For further information, please see the call for applications of the degree programme you wish to apply for.

The selection process differs between the individual degree programmes. Please see the call for applications for further information.

Usually, the application procedure follows a two-step process. First, applicants submit their scholarship application to the host institution. After a pre-selection has been conducted, shortlisted applicants will be asked to submit their application again via the DAAD portal for the final selection. Please note that the application procedure may differ between the regions and host institutions. The specific application instructions regarding each host institution are listed in the respective calls for applications.

Please review the call for applications of the degree programme you wish to apply for to see the specific requirements. Generally, the minimum requirements are:

• Successful completion of a three-year degree with above average results (at least 2^nd class upper division or equivalent)
• Thorough knowledge of the language of instruction
• Completion of last university degree should not be more than 6 years ago at the time of application
• National or permanent resident of a Sub-Saharan African country
• Employed as a staff member of a public university, be a candidate for teaching or research staff recruitment, employed in the public sector, and/or an alumnus/a of the DAFI-programme

Explanatory note: Please note that the scholarship applicant is responsible for ensuring to apply for admission at the partner host university by the due date as indicated in the call for applications for the relevant degree programme. Each host institution might have additional requirements for admission that you will have to adhere to when you apply for the scholarship.

Please be aware that a scholarship from the DAAD is only valid if you have been admitted to the targeted study programme.

The language of instruction in study programmes is English. The necessary language skills for the desired field of study may need to be proven at the latest by the start of study programme. Suitable proof of necessary language skills can be submitted with the application documents.

Please note that all documents must be uploaded in the portal.

Incomplete applications will be formally rejected and will be excluded from the application process.

The following documents may be scanned in non-certified form and uploaded to the DAAD portal. If you submit documents in your national language, you must include English or German translations.

Required documents:

• • Online DAAD application form duly completed (available on the DAAD portal)
  • Curriculum vitae (max. 3 pages) containing information about the applicant’s academic career to date, former scholarships, current address and current or previous employers. (Please use the European specimen form at  https://europa.eu/europass/en
  • Letter of Motivation (1-3 pages) containing a precise description of the applicant’s academic / professional and personal reasons for the choice of degree programme and for wishing to participate in the programme: https://www.daad.or.ke/en/leadership-for-africa-faqs/
  • Recommendation letters by university teachers/lecturers not older than one year (review specific requirements on the call for applications of the relevant study programme)
  • Letter of admission from the host institution (this can be subsequently submitted before the scholarship begins if not available at the time of application)
  • Proof of necessary language skills for the desired master programmes https://www.daad.de/en/study-and-research-in-germany/scholarships/important-information-for-scholarship-applicants/
  • Certified copies of university degree certificates including transcripts of records for all study years with all individual grades incl. explanation of grading system or a grading scale.
  • Copy of the applicant’s passport/national identification card.
  • For research programmes: Declaration of acceptance from the academic supervisor or a commitment letter from the host institution that a supervisor will be assigned
  • For PhD programmes: Detailed and precise PhD proposal (8-10 pages), inclusive of detailed workplan and timetable (if applicable: mentioning the planned research stay in Germany)
  • For research programmes: Abstract of the proposal on one page (include name and title of proposal)

Optional:

Other documents you think might be of relevance to your application (e.g., certificates of employment and/or internship, proof of former scholarships, extracurricular engagement, recommendation letters)

December 15th every year

Applications have to be submitted via the DAAD portal through the application links found in the call for applications for the respective study programmes.

Applications submitted through other channels or to other authorities will not be considered.

The DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs. Central European Time (CET) on the last application day.

Incomplete applications cannot be considered. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their applications are complete as per the directions in the call for applications.

Please note that the “Application portal” tab in the scholarship database only appears while the current application period is running. Once the application deadline is expired, the portal for this programme is not accessible until next year’s application period.

Helpful information

• Click here to see the DAAD In Country In Region Previously Funded Programmes 

If you have any further questions, please look at our FAQs here or contact us via Email or telephone:

DAAD Regional Office for Africa

Email: icir.nairobi@daad.de

Madison Insurance House, 3rd floor, Upper Hill Close, Nairobi, Kenya

P.O. Box 14050 00800 Nairobi (physical visits once a week on Wednesday between 10am and 12pm at the moment).

Phone number: +254 (733) 929 929

The DAAD Regional Office for East Africa regularly offers virtual information and counselling seminars (WebSeminars) during the application period for the programme.
More information at:  https://www.daad.or.ke/en/online-seminar-schedule

We advise you to carefully read the specific call for scholarship applications for the programme you are interested in and check the DAAD scholarship requirements before applying for the programme. Make sure that you are aware of the host institution’s admission requirements and reach out to the contact person indicated in the call for applications or check the links to the websites of the host institutions/universities for more information.

Each call for scholarship application has a direct link to the DAAD portal for the particular programme of interest.

• Click here  for the DAAD In Country In Region Funded Programmes