Before commencing doctoral training you should make sure that you have a reliable source of funding. Generally speaking, finding funding for a traditional doctoral degree, which may take three to five years to complete depending on subject and your personal situation, demands more personal initiative.
Most doctoral grants are awarded by foundations, such as funds to support gifted individuals. In addition to academic aptitude and a well-conceived doctoral project, these organisations usually require funding recipients to share their aims or views.
In terms of funding for your doctoral project, remember that there is usually a period of a few months between the submission of your dissertation and the oral examination.
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| The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) is the oldest political foundation in Germany. Since it was founded in 1925, the FES has awarded scholarships to gifted students and doctoral candidates with an active commitment to social democracy. | |
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 | The gifted individuals fund of the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit supports talented young academics to enable them to pursue their chosen careers by funding doctoral degrees.
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 | The CSU-affiliated Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung awards grants through several programmes, including programmes for doctoral research. It works in around 60 countries worldwide in the areas of support for gifted individuals, development cooperation and political education.
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 | With the motto 'Tailwind for Talent', the Green Party-affiliated Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung supports students and doctoral candidates in all disciplines in Germany and abroad who support the objectives of the Green project.
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| Evangelische Studienwerk e.V. Villigst awards scholarships to gifted students in all subjects who are willing to shoulder responsibility in society, industry and research.
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 | The Hans-Böckler-Stiftung funds doctorates as individual projects through individual scholarships and also supports structured doctoral degrees through Research Training Groups, junior research groups and institutional cooperations. In terms of material support the foundation provides scholarships and supports research visits, conferences and language courses abroad. In non-material terms it organises events on current issues in social policy and cultural topics and seminars designed to provide additional qualification and support the dissertation-writing process.
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 | We provide individual, programme-based support to highly qualified and socially committed doctoral candidates engaged in an academically demanding project, regardless of individual worldview. Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
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Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft
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