Completing a doctorate

Doctoral candidates of non-German citizenship from all disciplines at Jena University

• who will not receive any other funding after the submission of their thesis
• who are not affiliated with an external research institute
• and who submit their dissertation no later than four months after application.

They can apply for a monthly grant of € 1,000 in order to:

• complete a research project
• conduct a clearly defined research project
• prepare a new research project.

The grant can only be awarded if the applicant receives no other public funding.

Applications quarterly via our Internet portal for scholarship applications. There you can process your application online and upload the required documents.

The following documents are required for the application:

Upload to portal

• Data sheet from doc-in (log in to doc-in, on the Front Page select the option "Download", select "Datenblatt/data sheet", and save as pdf)
• CV including list of publications (if applicable)
• Copy of the electronic residence permit or registration certificate (proof of residence)
• Description of the research project, work schedule and expected results e.g. publication, article, presentation or experiments (max. 2 pages, Arial 11pt, 1,5 line pitch)

You can find the current call for applications here.

Direct submission by supervisor

• Questionnaire  [docx, 49 kb] defor the doctoral supervisor of the applicant - please ask your supervisor to send the questionnaire directly to graduiertenstipendien@uni-jena.de

The short-term grants are awarded by the Graduate Academy's Awarding Committee based on the following criteria:

• academic quality and originality of the research project
• duration of the dissertation
• proof of active participation in the academic community (e.g. publications, conference presentations, organisation of academic events, participation in structured PhD programmes).

The award of the grant is subject to the opening of the doctoral examination procedure. Candidates may apply before the opening, but need to submit the confirmation of their faculty (via doc-in or separate confirmation letter) before receiving the grant.

Preference will be given to applicants and their supervisors who explicitly assure that no other form of financial support is available. The requested scholarship must be used to ensure the means of subsistence of the PhD candidate and therefore constitutes an essential condition to end the PhD.

A final report on the work performed and its results is to be presented on the doctoral candidate's own initiative no later than four weeks after the end of the scholarship. The results achieved (e.g. publication, application for external funds, essay, examination reports) are to be filed in copy along with the report. Documents may be submitted electronically.

Doctoral candidates at Jena University can apply:

• whose doctorate project has been subsidised for less than 36 months and
• who will be able to complete their doctorate within the period for which they have requested the grant (usually up to six months)

In the case of corona-related delays, up to 42 months, or in case of corona family related delays up to 48 months are possible (see points "Temporary regulations for pandemic-related delays" and "Temporary family support scheme"). 

The application is continously possible and ought to arrive no later than 4 weeks before the requested start of the awarding of a scholarship.

For checking your eligibility, please send us at first your CV, an overview of your previous financing of the doctorate (scholarships, employment contract), the requested funding period and a brief summary on the progress of your work (1 - 2 pages) by email.

After the positive review of the eligibility check, a complete application can be submitted by e-mail. Generally, it includes the following documents:

1. Application form [pdf, 1 mb] de (as the data is transmitted electronically, no signature is required)
2. CV with photo
3. An exposé of the dissertation project with details of the research question, its background and rationale, the current state of research, the methodological implementation, the current state of work and the planned timeline with a citation of relevant literature (1-2 pages, without bibliography, Arial 11pt, 1.5 lines)
4. Abstract of the written exam paper (if applicable)
5. Copy of the university degree
6. Confidential reference by the supervisor which provides information about the dissertation project as well as the personal and professional qualifications of the applicant (form [docx, 41 kb] de) (please inform the supervisor to send it to graduiertenstipendien@uni-jena.de)
7. Confidential reference by a second professor (please inform the supervisor to send it to graduiertenstipendien@uni-jena.de)

If you wish to claim a Corona-related extension, please submit the appropriate evidence of the pandemic-related restrictions. For possible restrictions see point "Temporary regulations for pandemic-related delays in the progress of doctoral projects".

If you wish to apply for the family support scheme, please submit a proof of having children (copy of birth certificate, child benefit notice or similar).

If the doctoral period that was funded by a position or a scholarship, could – due to the exceptional situation regarding corona – only be used to a limited extent for your doctoral project, a grant for completing a doctorate can still be applied for after the 36 months of previous funding. The total duration of your funded doctorate (position and/or scholarship, including the grant for completion you apply for) shall not exceed more than 42 months.

For doctoral researchers that hold a position, the following rules apply: if delays in working on the doctoral project appear because of the corona pandemic, the employer is initially responsible for extending the required working time of doctoral researchers, as to enable them to reach their qualification goals in spite of the delays brought on by the pandemic. Should this not be possible (for example because a third-party funding provider does not provide any extension possibilities or because the staff position is no longer available), a grant for completing the doctorate can be applied for under the above-mentioned conditions.

The application for a grant based on the temporary regulations for pandemic-related delays must contain a description of the pandemic-related restrictions that have occurred and the period of delay they have caused. Pandemic-related restrictions that may occur include the following:

• Individual quarantine
• Laboratory access: in March and April 2020 temporarily no access at all, after that limited access due to working in shifts and/or limited number of personnel
• Library use: between 20 March and 19 April no use of ThULB`s reference holdings, then limited use of books and work places (time restrictions)
• Research trips: archive trips, use of external laboratories, planned research stays in Germany or abroad were not possible or strongly restricted during certain times
• Conversion to digital learning: additional time may be required to prepare teaching in the summer semester 2020, also during the following winters to switch to digital teaching at short notice
• Childcare and home schooling: depending on the age and grade level of the children, the possibility of working from home was extremely limited during closing times of schools and day care and during qurantine times of children. Single parents are particularly affected.

Please note different restrictions and constraints separately: When and why was which task of your doctoral research affected?

If possible, please submit appropriate evidence (e.g. a certificate from the laboratory manager or head of a working group on laboratory closures and limited laboratory use, child benefit notification [or similar] to prove childcare/home schooling, etc.).

The family support scheme is an extension of the already existing university programme for the completion of a doctorate. The Corona pandemic confronts doctoral candidates with children with special challenges due to daycare and school closures, partial school closures and individual quarantines at care and educational institutions. Those parents affected can apply for the family support scheme to complete their doctorate. They may receive a funding for a maximum of 6 months if their previous support (position or grant, incl. pandemic-related doctoral completion support) did not exceed 42 months. The total funded doctoral period (position and/or scholarship incl. completion grant and family support scheme), may not exceed 48 months.

Additional information for doctoral candidates with employment contracts: Supervisors are responsible for extending the employment period of doctoral candidates with child(ren) in a way that the qualification goal can be achieved regardless of the pandemic-related delays. If this is not possible (e.g. because a third-party funding body does not provide any extension options or because the necessary budget position is no longer available), and given the above-mentioned conditions, you may apply for the family support scheme in order to complete the doctorate.

If you wish to apply for the family support scheme, please submit a proof of having children (copy of birth certificate, child benefit notice or similar).

Final report
A final report on the work performed and its results is to be presented on the doctoral candidate's own initiative no later than four weeks after the end of the scholarship. The results achieved (e.g. publication, application for external funds, essay, examination reports) are to be filed in copy along with the report. Documents may be submitted electronically.

Notes on the layout of the final report and sample report [pdf, 211 kb]

FAZIT-Stiftung
The FAZIT Foundation awards scholarships of several months' duration for doctoral candidates nearing completion of their degree. Applicants must provide evidence that they are in need of the funding.

• Deutsches Forum für Kunstgeschichte
  The German Forum for Art History mainly awards one-year research stipends for projects with a bearing on a particular overarching theme. The scholarships provide advanced young researchers the opportunity to complete their dissertation as part of an international group of scholarship recipients.
• Richard Winter foundation
  The Richard Winter foundation awards scholarships for the completion of a degree in the field of natural sciences in the form of monthly benefits. An application is possible at any time. All those interested may write off for information on the awarding of the scholarships.
• Stiftung Bildung und Wissenschaft
  The foundation offers scholarships for research projects that are nearly finished. Eligible are doctoral candidates of literatury studies and history (especially social and economic history). The maximum funding period is one year.