The target group for scholarships are graduates and postgraduates from Sub-Saharan Africa with a first academic degree if applying for a Master’s programme, or with a Master’s degree if applying for a doctoral programme who want to pursue Master’s or PhD courses in their home country (so called In-Country scholarships) or in another Sub-Saharan African country (In-Region scholarships).

Female applicants and candidates from less privileged regions or groups are especially encouraged to participate in the programme. We strongly recommend applicants to apply to institutions outside their home countries.

Generally, funding is provided for the usual duration of a course – up to two years for Master’s and up to three years for the PhD degree programmes

Below are the entitlements the scholarship programme covers:

• Monthly allowance
• Study and research allowance
• Printing allowance
• Tuition fees (paid directly to the university/institution)
• Travel allowance (only applicable for In-Region scholarship holders)
• Health insurance (only applicable for In-Region scholarship holders)

For further information, please see the call for applications of the degree programme you wish to apply for.

The selection process differs between the individual degree programmes. Please see the call for applications for further information.

Usually, the application procedure follows a two-pronged process. Applicants submit their scholarship application to DAAD via the DAAD portal and at the same time submit their application for admission to the host institution. After a pre-selection and shortlisting has been conducted by the host institution and DAAD, shortlisted applicants will be forwarded to a selection committee for the final selection. Please note that the admission application procedure may differ between the regions and host institutions. The specific application instructions regarding each host institution are in the respective calls for applications.

Please review the call for applications of the degree programme you wish to apply for to see the specific requirements. Generally, the minimum requirements are:

• Successful completion of a three-year Bachelor degree (Master’s applicants) or a two-year Master degree (PhD applicants) with above average results (at least 2^nd class upper division or equivalent);
• Completion of last university degree should not be more than 6 years ago at the time of application
• Clear demonstration of motivation and strong commitment;
• Thorough knowledge of the language of instruction;
• National or permanent resident of a Sub-Saharan African country

Explanatory note: Please note that the scholarship applicant is responsible for ensuring to apply for admission at the partner host university by the due date Each host institution might have additional requirements for admission that you will have to adhere to when you apply for the scholarship.

Please be aware that a scholarship from the DAAD is only valid if you have been admitted to the targeted study programme.

The language of instruction in most study programmes is English. The necessary language skills for the desired field of study may need to be proven at the latest by the start of study programme. Suitable proof of necessary language skills can be submitted with the application documents.

Please note that all scholarship application documents must be uploaded in the DAAD portal.

Incomplete applications will be formally rejected and will be excluded from the application process.

The following documents may be scanned and uploaded to the DAAD portal. If you submit documents in your national language, you must include English or German translations.

Required documents:

• • DAAD application form duly completed (available on the DAAD portal)
  • Curriculum vitae (max. 3 pages) containing information about the applicant’s academic career to date, former scholarships, current address and current or previous employers. It is recommended to use the European specimen form at https://europa.eu/europass/en
  • Letter of Motivation (1-2 pages) containing a precise description of the applicant’s academic / professional and personal reasons for the choice of degree programme and for wishing to participate in the programme
  • Recommendation letters by university teachers/lecturers not older than one year from the time of application (review specific requirements on the call for applications of the relevant study programme)
  • Proof of necessary language skills for the desired programme
  • Certified copies of university degree certificates including transcripts of records for all study years with all individual grades incl. explanation of grading system or a grading scale.
  • Copy of the applicant’s passport/national identification card.
  • For research programmes: Declaration of acceptance from the academic supervisor or a commitment letter from the host institution that a supervisor will be assigned
  • For PhD programmes: Detailed and precise PhD proposal (8-10 pages), inclusive of detailed workplan and timetable (if applicable: mentioning the planned research stay in Germany)
  • For research programmes: Abstract of the proposal on one page (include name and title of proposal)

Optional documents:

• Letter of admission from the host institution (this can be subsequently submitted before the scholarship begins if not available at the time of application)

Other documents you think might be of relevance to your application (e.g., certificates of employment and/or internship, proof of former scholarships, extracurricular engagement)

Please consult the call for scholarship application documents on the main In-Country/In-Region page to see when the call for the programme of interest is available.

Applications have to be submitted via the DAAD portal through the application links found in the call for applications for the respective study programmes.

Applications submitted through other channels or to other authorities will not be considered. Applications submitted via the incorrect application link will be formally rejected.

The DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs. Central European Time (CET) on the last application day.

Incomplete applications cannot be considered. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their applications are complete as per the directions in the call for applications.

Please note that the “Application portal” tab in the scholarship database only appears while the current application period is running. Once the application deadline is expired, the portal for this programme is not accessible until next year’s application period.

Your questions may already have answers in the Frequently Answered Questions (FAQs) section.

If you have not found your answer in the FAQs or need more information, please contact us via email or telephone:

DAAD Regional Office for Africa

Email: icir.nairobi@daad.de

Madison Insurance House, 3rd floor, Upper Hill Close, Nairobi, Kenya

P.O. Box 14050 00800 Nairobi (physical visits once a week on Wednesday between 10am and 12pm, virtual visits every Thursday between 10 and 11 am).

Phone number: +254 (733) 929 929 or +254 (733) 465 720

The DAAD Regional Office for East Africa regularly offers virtual information and counselling seminars (webinars) during the application period for the programme.

More information at: https://www.daad-kenya.org/en/online-seminar-schedule