DAAD Scholarships 2026–27: Eligibility, Deadlines and Funding Opportunities

DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) or German Academic Exchange Service is reputed to be the largest German Support Organization in connection with international academic cooperation and exchange.

Global Talent Engine

     DAAD positions Germany as the premier destination with respect to world class talent while simultaneously empowering German Scholars to carry out their advancement impactfully across the planet.

Institutional Synergy

   The DAAD support backup provides strength to international University partnerships in order to drive innovative capabilities of students, graduates on top of researchers and elevate worldwide educational standards for higher education.

Presently announced DAAD scholarship programmes:

1. DAAD Doctoral Programmes in Germany

DAAD Doctoral Programmes in Germany – official call

Deadline: 31 August 2026
Selection: February 2027
Earliest funding: May 2027.

What it funds

A complete doctoral project in Germany at:

• a state/state-recognised university, or
• a recognised non-university research institute.

It can be either:

• an individual PhD supervised by a German professor, or
• a structured doctoral programme.

Financial support

• €1,400/month
• health, accident and personal-liability insurance
• travel allowance, on application
• €460 annual research allowance
• possible rent subsidy
• possible family allowance
• possible German-language preparation
• language-test fee reimbursement in applicable cases.

Funding is initially up to 3 years, with possible extension to 4 years depending on progress.

Eligibility

You need:

• Master’s degree or equivalent by the beginning of funding
• above-average academic qualifications
• your most recent university degree normally obtained within the previous 6 years
• if you have already started a doctorate, it normally must have started no more than 3 years before application
• you must not have lived in Germany for more than 15 months at the deadline.

For an English-language PhD, DAAD specifies, for example:

• IELTS 6.5
• TOEFL iBT 79
• TOEFL PBT 550
• PTE Academic 59
• or equivalent.

Documents

The important ones are:

1. CV — maximum 3 pages
2. Motivation letter — 1–2 pages
3. Research proposal + previous research — maximum 10 pages total
4. Research schedule
5. German supervisor’s confirmation
6. Degree certificates
7. Transcripts
8. Recommendation letter
9. English-language certificate if applicable
10. ID/passport.

If your MPhil degree certificate is still being withheld, this is not necessarily fatal: DAAD says that if the most recent degree certificate is not available at application time, a provisional document can be uploaded, with the final certificate supplied before the scholarship starts.

2. DAAD Study Scholarships for STEM — Master’s only

DAAD STEM Scholarship — official call

This is a new/current 2027/28 scholarship call for Master’s study.

Deadline

31 August 2026

Selection: February 2027
Funding begins: October 2027.

Fields

• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Natural Sciences
• Engineering
• interdisciplinary programmes with a clear STEM focus.

Funding

• €992/month
• health/accident/personal liability insurance
• travel allowance
• €460 annual study allowance
• possible rent subsidy
• possible family allowance
• possible language-course support.

Funding is for 10–24 months.

Important eligibility restrictions

This one is NOT suitable for someone who already has a Master’s degree.

DAAD explicitly says:

If you already have a Master’s degree by the application deadline, you cannot apply.

There is also normally a six-year limit on the most recent university degree.

3. DAAD Study Scholarships – Master’s, all academic disciplines

DAAD Study Scholarships – official programme

This is another major DAAD programme.

Current deadline

2 November 2026 for the current 2027 cycle in the updated call.

Who is it for?

Graduates with a first academic degree who want to undertake postgraduate/Master’s study in Germany.

It can fund:

• a complete Master’s degree in Germany, or
• in certain circumstances, a study year in Germany as part of a Master’s degree at the home university.

Funding can be up to 24 months.

4. DAAD EPOS — Development-Related Postgraduate Courses

DAAD EPOS – official programme

This is one of DAAD’s best-known fully funded programmes for applicants from developing countries.

Fields

It covers selected development-related Master’s programmes and, in exceptional cases, doctoral programmes.

Examples comprise:

• development economics
• development planning
• public policy
• environmental management
• natural-resource management
• engineering
• public health
• agriculture
• related development fields.

Eligibility

The core requirements include:

• degree in an appropriate subject
• normally a Bachelor’s degree
• at least 2 years of professional experience
• above-average academic performance
• appropriate language ability
• clear development-related motivation
• intention to contribute to development after the programme.

Funding

For graduates:

€992/month

For doctoral candidates:

€1,400/month under the current figures.

It can also include:

• health insurance
• travel allowance
• possible rent allowance
• possible family allowance.

Deadline

There is NOT one single EPOS deadline.

Each participating Master’s/doctoral programme has its own deadline. Some 2027/28 deadlines fall in late 2026 and others later.

DAAD has published the 2027/28 list of eligible postgraduate courses and their individual deadlines.

5. Helmut-Schmidt Programme – Public Policy & Good Governance

DAAD Helmut-Schmidt Programme -official page

This is another famous fully funded DAAD Master’s programme.

Fields

• Public Policy
• Public Administration
• Political/Social Sciences
• Law
• Economics
• related governance fields.

Deadline

For the current cycle shown in the DAAD database:

16 November 2026

Selection: March 2027
Funding: from October 2027.

Purpose

It is designed to train future leaders who can contribute to the political, social and economic development of their countries.

6. DAAD Research Grants in Germany

This is potentially useful if you want a research stay rather than a complete new PhD.

The programme can support research projects during a doctorate for 2-12 months, and early postdoctoral research for 2–6 months, depending on the particular call.

Some 2026/27 deadlines are:

• 17 August 2026 – one current round
• 16 November 2026 – another round.

But eligibility is country-specific, so you have to select Pakistan in the DAAD database for the exact call.

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7. DAAD Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degrees / Cotutelle

This is relevant only if you want a jointly supervised PhD between Pakistan and Germany.

A German academic and a supervisor at your home institution jointly supervise the doctorate.

One current 2026 deadline shown by DAAD is:

31 August 2026

with selection in February 2027 and funding from October 2027.

This could be interesting if your Pakistani university is willing to establish the required arrangement.

For students and researchers seeking to advance their academic careers in Germany, the DAAD 2027 opportunities deserve serious consideration. The combination of financial assistance, access to established universities and research institutions, and international academic exposure makes these programmes highly valuable. Since applications are being submitted during 2026 for programmes commencing in 2027, prospective applicants should begin preparing early rather than waiting until the final weeks before a deadline. Careful selection of the right programme, strong documentation and timely submission can significantly strengthen an application.