Funding organisations: PhD students

PhD positions at research-based industrial companies provide doctoral students with – normally limited-term – employment contracts on a part-time basis, industry- and application-oriented research opportunities, social security and promising career prospects.

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG) provides financial support for research at universities and public research institutions. This includes graduate schools, which offer doctoral students outstanding PhD opportunities.

The European Union funds research in many different ways. This includes the multi-billion-euro Horizon Europe framework programme and support of basic research by the European Research Council.

The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD) runs a large number of programmes to help familiarise international PhD students with the German science and research landscape.

The Helmholtz Association offers PhD students outstanding opportunities for conducting independent research and establishing a research profile. PhD students will find excellent support for their research work at the Helmholtz International Research Schools and the Helmholtz Graduate Schools.

The Leibniz Graduate Schools offer PhD students excellent and well-structured PhD programmes. Independent PhD students will also find outstanding conditions at the Leibniz Institutes.

PhD students will find a top-class research environment at the Max Planck Research Schools. However, the Max Planck Society also provides grants or funded employment contracts to support independent PhD students, helping them get their academic career off to a successful start.

Thirteen nationwide organisations for the promotion of young talent support outstanding doctoral students during their PhD.