Eligibility

Eligibility requirements for a doctoral scholarship include outstanding academic performance during undergraduate studies as well as proof of social engagement in the spirit of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung.

Various kinds of scholarships for doctoral students exist which vary in their eligibility requirements. Applicants can only apply for one scholarship at a time!

Eligibility requirements for foreign doctoral students:

• Acceptance at a public or publicly accredited institution of higher learning in Germany or abroad
• Supervision by a professor in Germany
• Outstanding academic performance
• Social engagement in the spirit of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung
• High proficiency in German (proof of instruction required) – we cannot support German language courses!

If the scholar is writing dissertation at a German university, the maximum duration of the scholarship is two years. Further the scholar can apply for at most two semester-long extensions, with an additional year provided to parents, in cases of illness or other significant impairments.

For applicants who have already received a scholarship from other institutions, an RLS scholarship can only be provided if the previous scholarship lasted less than two years. Every previous scholarship is calculated into the overall duration, i.e. subtracted from the maximum scholarship duration of two years.

Generally speaking, we do not provide scholarships to finish a nearly-completed dissertation. Also, we do not allow full-time employment during the scholarship period.

The length of a research stay in Germany as part of a dissertation being completed at a foreign institution (proof of acceptance required) depends on the specifics of the research stay; it can last no longer than two years. Various extensions are possible, as described above.

How to Apply?