Independent Scholarships (standard funding)

1. Requirements
2. Funding amounts and other parameters
3. Application procedure (first application)
4. After approval of funding
5. Information on stays abroad
6. Information on family allowances
7. Application procedure (Continued scholarships)
8. Completion of funding
9. FAQ

1. Requirements

If you want to be granted a scholarship for your doctoral research period, you must meet the following requirements:

1. A completed university degree
2. Outstanding qualifications
3. A scientific research project that is expected to be of significance to the respective field of research
4. Acceptance as a doctoral researcher by the respective KIT department ("Faktultät")
5. Scientific supervision by a full/associate/assistant professor from one of the KIT departments ("Fakultät")

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2. Funding amounts and other parameters

• Basic scholarship, 1,468 euros per month. This amount includes a flat rate for material and travel expenses
• Family allowance, 400 euros per month for the first child, 100 euros per month for each additional child
• The rate of the annual approval is based on the assigned budgetary resources.
• The scholarships are initially granted for twelve months and funding starts on January 1 every year. The start of the funding period cannot be changed.
• Given a corresponding progress of your doctoral thesis, a follow-up application for a continued scholarship can extend the scholarship for additional twelve months.
• The maximum duration of funding is three years.
• Call for application is open to all disciplines
• Taxable income as defined in the German Income Tax Act EStG of the scholarship holders in the funding period may not exceed a gross amount of 20,000 euros a year. For every child this amount is increased by 1,000 euros. Examples for tax-free income (German only, enumeration is not exhaustive).
• If and when there is an existing employment relationship with KIT, or one is to be concluded, the scholarship holder has to inform the service unit Human Resources (PSE) of the scholarship. An additional employment contract with KIT is only possible if there is no connection in terms of content, location and time with the activities within the framework of the scholarship.

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3. Application procedure (first application)

The application deadline for the next possible beginning of funding (2021/01/01) is Monday, October 5, 2020.

3.1. First application:

You need to hand in the following documents in hardcopy:

• Check list > PDF-Download
• Scholarship application form (as of 2020/06/19) > Download
• Your work plan including a time schedule and a short description of your project, which is a maximum of five pages long
• Document "Guideline for assessment LGF" of the supervisor (does not replace the expert opinion) > Download
• The expert opinion of the supervisor of your research project (full/associate/assistant professor), which includes a reliable answer to the question as to how your supervisor intends to finance your doctoral research in the case that your doctoral research period exceeds the funding period; in addition, the transcript should include a reliable statement to what percentage of the best students of his or her year the applicant belongs.
• The expert opinion of a second full/associate/assistant professor
• Legally certified copies of your degree certificates (certificates from the preliminary and main study periods and/or Bachelor and Master certificates including a transcript of records). Non-German degree certificates have to be submitted in an English or German certified translation.
• Official letter of acceptance as a doctoral researcher at the KIT department (Fakultät)
• CV (in table form), in particular listing information concerning your course of study up to now
• If applicable, complete list of scientific publications and conference contributions (including an indication if first author or peer-reviewed)
• Declaration of implementation of the Law on Graduate Funding from the German States (as of 2020/06/19) > Download
• Written confirmation from the Residents' Registration Office ("Einwohnermeldeamt") stating that your child lives in your household (if you have applied for a family allowance)

The following documents have to be handed in digitally:

• All of the application documents (work plan, time schedule, letters of recommendation, CV, certificates etc.) in the exact order as stated above and in one single PDF file (apart from the table)
• Table Key Data Application (Excel file as seperate document, not included in PDF file) > Download

The documents should be directed to the central committee of the Graduate Funding from the German States and submitted to KHYS (Dorit Dietel-Kronwald). Concerning the application deadline and modalities (see current call for application)

3.2. Selection procedure (First application):

The selection procedure has two steps:

1. After the formal check at KHYS, the applications will be forwarded to the respective committee at the KIT departments. Here the applications will be assessed and ranked and forwarded to the central committee.
2. Taking note of the assessments and rankings of the respective department´s committees, the central awarding committee (LGF)* in mid-november each year makes the final decision. Chairman of the central committee is the Vice President for Research, Prof. Dr. Oliver Kraft.

KHYS informs the applicants about the results as soon as possible.

3.3 Picture of selection procedure (First application)

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4. After approval of funding

• Delivery of approval of funding
• To rule out any double funding, it may have to be withdrawn from already existing grants.
• Employment contracts may need to be adjusted (see § additional income). Upon lapse of the employee status at KIT (employment contract at KIT) the employee ∂does-not-exist.kit edu address expires. This needs to be applied for anew for the scholarship holders via the guest and partner management system by the institute.
• Scholarship holders must ensure their health insurance coverage themselves (see Handbuch für Promovierende manual for doing your PhD at KIT => chapter 2.6.1, p. 45).
• The monthly payments are paid each month at the beginning of the month.
• The beginning of funding on 01.01. every year cannot be changed.
• If and when there is an existing employment relationship with KIT, or one is to be concluded, to inform the service unit Human Resources (PSE) of the scholarship.

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5. Information on stays abroad

Scholarship holders are generally permitted to spend research time outside of Germany during the Graduate Funding from the German States (LGF) scholarship period. On our website you can find a list of funding institutions that can financially support your research stay abroad (available in german only)

Important indications:

• Financial aid from the LGF may be suspended for a maximum of one year if a scholarship holder is spending a research period abroad and has applied for the suspension.
• During the requested suspension period, the scholarship holder may receive a full scholarship from a different sponsoring body.
• During the LGF funding period the scholarship holder may apply for partial fundings and scholarships for a research stay abroad, for example the KHYS Networking Grant or the DAAD Additional Scholarship (GraFöG Aufstockungsstipendium).

You can apply for the following grants, among others:

Support of a stay abroad through KHYS (Research Travel Grant)

• Support for travel and subsistence expenses for a three to six-month research stay at a university or a company abroad
• The KHYS Research Travel Grant is not available for participation in congresses and conferences.

Requirements (i.a.)

• KHYS membership
• Interruption of the Graduate Funding from the German States for the duration of the stay
• Employment at an institute of KIT / work group (must be at least equivalent to a part time E13-position)
• Research stay abroad must be an extension of the doctoral project, not an original part

Additional scholarship for of a stay abroad by the DAAD Additional Scholarship (GraFöG Aufstockungsstipendium):

• Supplementary funding for a time period of 30 days up to twelve months to carry research projects abroad
• Applications from doctoral researchers participating in a postgraduate program or other university research projects will not be considered
• Application for funding for a research stay abroad (as of 09/2017) > PDF download
• Information sheet (as of 09/2017) > PDF download
• Special terms and conditions (as of 09/2017) > PDF download
• Language certificate form (as of 04/2018) > PDF download

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6. Information on family allowances

Within the scope of the funding a family allowance can be applied for (see Satzung des KIT zur Durchführung des LGFG, § 2 Fördersätze (available in German only)).
Funding rate: family allowance of 400 euros per month for the first child, 100 euros per month for each additional child

Apply for family allowance together with first application and application for a continued scholarship
For more information, see page 2 (first application) or page 2 (application for a continued scholarship)

Apply for family allowance during funding period
All scholarship holders who are already receiving funding can apply for family allowance using this form: > Download

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7. Application procedure (Continued scholarships)

The application deadline for continued scholarships is usually identical with the application deadline for first applications. For the exact date and details please check the current call for applications. (Exception: should the funding have begun later (successor) or have been interrupted, please submit the application for a continued scholarship at the latest six weeks before the end of funding).

7.1. Application for continued scholarship

You need to hand in the following documents in hardcopy and digital version:

• Application for a continued scholarship for a doctoral researcher (as of 2020/06/19) > Download
• A work report including the work and time schedule of the research completed so far and a work and time schedule for the work concerning issues that still have to be solved, which is a maximum of five pages long
• An expert opinion from the supervisor of the doctoral research project (university professor or associate professor)
• Declaration of implementation of the Law on Graduate Funding from the German States (as of 2020/06/19) > Download
• Written confirmation from the Residents' Registration Office** ("Einwohnermeldeamt") stating that your child lives in your household (if a family allowance has been applied for)

7.2. Application procedure (Application for continued scholarships)

The central awarding committee (LGF) will decide in its meeting on the applications for the contuination of scholarships in mid-November of each year. We will inform you in writing about the result of your application. In the meantime please refrain from inquiries.

7.3 Picture of selection procedure (Application for continued scholarships)

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8. Completion of funding

1. If the dissertation is not yet completed six months after the funding period according to § 9 LGFG you have to additionally submit at KHYS (in both cases via email and mail)

• either an official confirmation of your KIT-department, that you have submitted your dissertation
• or a final report (1-2 pages).

Concerning the final report, the following aspects have to be considered:

• objectives and impact of the research work
• progress of work up to now
• steps and time required to complete the work
• information about published papers during the funding
• basic formal requirements (date, name, signature on the reports)

2. After completion of your dissertation project you have to submit a copy of your PhD diploma and certificate as a verification (it does not have to be legally certified).

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9. FAQ

You can find the answers to our frequently asked questions on our FAQ List > Download

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.

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