Germany is home to around 430 universities, a total of over 1,000 public and publicly funded research institutions as well as various research and development centres run by industrial companies. Above all, German companies invest a great deal in improving their products: in hardly any other country does business spend as much on R&D.
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A quick guide to research funding in Germany
There areseveral main routes to financing your research in Germany: paid positions, scholarships/fellowships, programme-based placements, and project/PI grants that create jobs. This page explains the funding landscape in Germany for students, PhD researchers, postdocs and established academics.
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k €/year
Typical salary range for a public‑sector researcher at TV‑L E13 (varies by state and experience): 48,000 ‑ 60,000 euros/year
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€/month
Typical doctoral scholarship range: 861 ‑ 1,200 euros/month; some programmes add allowances
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% tuition fees
Public universities charge no tuition for PhD programmes
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bn €
Germany’s total R&D spending in 2022 — a large, active funding ecosystem
Your main paths to funding
International researchers and doctoral candidates in Germany can access a wide range of funding opportunities, including scholarships, project-based grants or paid positions at universities, research institutions and R&D companies. Learn more about the different funding options and programmes, get to know Germany’s biggest funding organisations, and find out where to look for open positions.
- Employment contract (salary): you are hired by a university, research institute or company. Typical public‑sector contracts include health insurance, pension, and social security
- Scholarship/fellowship (stipend): a monthly grant from a funding organisation or foundation; not an employment contract – you arrange insurance separately
- Programme-based funding: structured programmes (e.g. graduate schools or DFG Research Training Groups) that provide a cohort, training, and either contracts or stipends
- Project & PI grants that create positions: large grants to principal investigators (PIs) and research consortia that create salaried positions for PhD researchers, postdocs and assistants
- Awards & visiting grants: grants for short research stays, travel support and prizes that help you build collaborations and start projects
GOOD TO KNOW
Stipend: a grant paid to an individual; usually not an employment contract
TV‑L: public‑sector pay scale used by many universities and research institutions
RTG (Research Training Group): a structured doctoral programme typically funded to a university consortium
PI (Principal Investigator): the lead researcher who holds a project grant and hires staff
Learn how these funding options differ in practice:
Best for:
stability, social benefits, team environment
Found in:
job ads from universities/institutes/companies; positions within funded projects and programmes
Application:
CV, transcripts, motivation/cover letter, references; interviews
Best for:
independence, mobility, building your own project with a host
Found in:
calls from funding organisations and foundations
Notes:
usually not an employment contract; check rules on additional part-time work and insurance
Best for:
cohort experience, methods training, structured supervision
Found in:
graduate schools, DFG RTGs and similar; fixed application windows
Outcome:
either a contract or a stipend, depending on the programme
Best for:
salaried positions aligned with a funded research agenda
Found in:
openings in groups that have secured grants; positions follow project timelines
Next Steps:
track active groups and watch their institution/university job pages
Best for:
initiating supervision/partnerships, short stays, preliminary data collection
Found in:
travel grants, short‑term fellowships and prestigious awards
GOOD TO KNOW
Tip: start with the route that suits you best today. You can switch between contracts, scholarships and programme places as your project and opportunities evolve.
What to do next — by career level
Here you will find recommendations for your next steps on the path to securing your funding – tailored to your current career level.
- Check scholarship options for study or short research stays.
- Look for assistant/student jobs at universities and institutes.
- If you plan a PhD in the future, browse structured programmes in your field.
- Decide between employment contract vs. scholarship (you can combine over time).
- Track structured programmes (graduate schools/RTGs) with fixed calls.
- Follow active groups with grants and watch their job pages.
- Shortlist fellowships and fixed‑term project posts in funded groups.
- Align proposals with host expertise and programme priorities.
- Use visiting grants to start collaborations that lead to larger roles.
- Explore project grants and collaborative programmes to build teams.
- Leverage awards and visiting schemes to grow your network.
- Advertise positions clearly; link roles to funded work packages.
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Who supports what: Germany’s main funding organisations
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The German research funding system
Germany’s research funding system combines institutional base funding with competitive project funding. Discover here how this works in detail or jump right to some of the main actors of the country’s funding system.
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DAAD
Grants scholarships and fellowships for students, PhD researchers, postdocs and visiting academics
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DFG
Funds research projects, Research Training Groups (RTGs), Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs) and more; these grants generate salaried positions.
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Research institutions
Max Planck, Helmholtz, Fraunhofer, Leibniz: operate institutes that hire researchers and host programmes
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Universities & state research institutions
Run graduate schools and hire for externally funded projects
Go deeper: official resources
Explore the core building blocks of funding in Germany: how the system works, curated programme examples, searchable databases, and the key organisations behind them. This section summarises the essentials so you can decide what your next steps are.
Germany’s system combines competitive project funding with institutional funding. Project grants awarded to PIs and programmes often finance paid research positions; scholarships/fellowships support individuals. The organisations listed below are the main actors.
Key principles
- Dual model: institutional base funding + competitive project funding
- Project → jobs: PI and programme grants finance staff posts (PhD, postdoc assistants)
- Multiple levels: federal (e.g., BMBF), states (Länder), EU (e.g., Horizon), foundations
- Open competition: calls with peer review and fixed deadlines
What this means for you
- Look for funded groups and structured programmes to find salaried positions
- Use scholarships/fellowships if you want flexibility or already have a host
- Track application windows (programmes) and current ads (jobs)
Quick actions
Curated programmes show typical, named schemes across all levels. Use them to understand formats, eligibility, timelines, and what a strong application looks like.
- DFG Research Training Groups (RTGs): structured doctoral training with positions or stipends
- Postdoc fellowships & programme overview: curated selection of fellowships and fixed‑term roles
- Advanced research – funding & awards: grants, prizes, and professorship tracks
Funding databases collect many offers from multiple organisations. Filter by subject, nationality, host type, and deadlines to create a shortlist.
- DAAD scholarship database: scholarships & fellowships across study and research levels
- DFG GEPRIS: funded projects & research units that hire researchers
- EURAXESS Jobs: europe‑wide research positions, including Germany
- MSCA (Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions): EU fellowships & networks supporting mobility
- ERC (European Research Council): frontier (fundamental) research grants that create positions in top labs
Funding organisations are the institutions that run programmes or finance research. Learn who funds what to conduct your search efficiently.
Major organisations
- DAAD: scholarships/fellowships for students, PhDs, postdocs, visiting researchers
- DFG: research projects, RTGs, and large collaborations that hire PhDs/postdocs
- Research organisations: Max Planck, Helmholtz, Fraunhofer, Leibniz — offer salaried positions
- Universities & Länder: positions via projects; management of structured graduate schools
Your next steps
- Search the DAAD scholarship database for your career level & nationality
- Identify groups with funding via DFG GEPRIS and check their job pages
- Scan EURAXESS Jobs for current vacancies in your field
German companies spend a lot of money on research and development, pursue international activities, enjoy worldwide success and have labs and R&D departments that could hardly be better equipped. R&D enterprises are recruiting international researchers by offering them well-paid jobs and special funding programmes.
Find out more