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DAAD (GERMAN ACADEMIC EXCHANGE SERVICE) GRANTS FOR STUDY AND RESEARCH IN GERMANY

General Information

An agreement between the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst, or German Academic Exchange Service) and Harvard University provides Harvard graduating seniors, recent graduates, and doctoral students (Ph.D. and other doctoral degrees) the opportunity to apply for study or research scholarships in Germany during the 2026-2027 academic year.

Harvard Nomination Process for DAAD Study Scholarship and Research Grant

As a DAAD partner university, Harvard is allowed to nominate a certain number of “preferred applicants” whose applications will be entered into a separate application pool. While preferred applicants are not guaranteed an award, their chances of receiving one are reasonably good. For this reason, it is recommended that students submit their application through the Harvard internal process. Please note, however, that all applications are forwarded on to DAAD for consideration in the preferred and at-large application pools.

Application Information

Harvard University students who wish to apply for a DAAD Study or Research Grant must complete the application form online at: daad.org AND email a copy of the application form and supplemental materials to the Committee on General Scholarships (cgs@harvard.edu) by October 6, 2025 in order to be nominated by Harvard.

Students who miss Harvard’s nomination deadline may apply directly to DAAD to meet its October 31 deadline. These candidates, however, will not have the opportunity to receive Harvard’s endorsement/nomination.

Please consult the DAAD website to access the online application portal and learn more about the requirements of the particular grant you are applying for. The guidelines document below includes additional information about eligibility and application requirements, as well as how to submit your materials.

Study Scholarships of All Disciplines (excluding architecture, and other artistic fields e.g. music, fine arts, performing arts) are awarded to graduating seniors and recent Harvard graduates to undertake a full Master’s degree in Germany starting in the Fall 2026. All recipients of study scholarships must enroll in courses.

Research Grants are awarded to candidates who wish to pursue research or an independent project at German universities, archives, or institutes. Doctoral students (Ph.D. and other doctoral degrees) are eligible. Research grants support projects of 2 to 12 months during the German academic year. Please note that for the Harvard nomination, preference will be given to research candidates who are applying for research grants for a minimum of seven months or longer.

Applicants for other DAAD funding competitions should be submitted directly to DAAD.

Applicants in the fields of music (performance, composition, conducting), dance (choreography, drama), fine arts (painting, drawing, sculpture), and architecture must apply directly to DAAD.

Please note there is only one Harvard campus nomination process, which takes place in the fall each year. There is no campus nomination process in the spring.