International Doctoral Candidates in Hannover

Exposé scholarship from the Graduate Academy 

This scholarship is suitable for students who are planning to do a doctorate at Leibniz university Hannover and have already been accepted for supervision by a university professor. The support serves as financial assictance for the preparation of the exposé and intial research work. It is limited to a maximum of 6 months. 

DAAD short-term grants

International doctoral candidates with above-average qualifications can apply for this short-term scholarship as part of a research project. Those who are completing their entire doctorate at a German university are excluded. The funding period is between 1 and 6 months. Please note the application deadlines. 

ILSSE-Program

ILSSE is a program to promote academic cooperation between Germany and Israel and the Palestinian territories. Every year, 25 grants are awarded for 4-6 week stays at partner universities. 

DAAD Research Grants

International students who wish to do their doctorate at LUH can apply for this scholarship but need to find a supervisor first. Funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is limited to 4 years and must be reapplied for each year. Applications are usually submitted from the home country. Doctoral candidates who have alreada been in germany for more than 15 months cannot be considered. 

DAAD one-year grants

International doctoral candidates who wish to carry out a research project or a scientific training project at LUH can apply for this annual DAAD scholarship. The funding period is between 7 and a maximum of 12 months. The research project must be coordinated with a supervisor at LUH. 

Minerva Fellowship Programme

The Minerva Fellowship Programme (funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research) enables Israeli and German scientists to complete a research residency at institutions in the respective other country for a maximum of 24 months.

Doctoral grants and other funding opportunities

Many foundations award doctoral grants to German and international doctoral candidates. Among other criteria, the personality of the doctoral candidate is a decisive factor in the selection process. Award criteria may vary depending on the organisation that awards the grant. The Graduate Academy made an overview. 

Formal admission to doctoral studies comprises two steps:

• 1. Being accepted as a doctoral candidate by the faculty.

• 2. Enrolling as a doctoral candidate at the Admissions Office.

If you will be staying longer than one semester

Doctoral candidates who will be staying in Hannover for one or two semesters may enrol as visiting doctoral candidates.

In order to enrol, please complete the following two steps:

• Please obtain a confirmation of acceptance as a visiting doctoral candidate issued by the faculty and signed by the dean.

• After obtaining the signed confirmation, visiting doctoral candidates can enrol via the online form of the Admissions Office (first appearance in German, after registration the English option is available).

If you will be staying less than one semester

A visitor’s pass can be obtained from the International Office, which can be used to:

•     prove that you are a member of Leibniz University Hannover

•     benefit from staff discounts at the cafeteria

•     access the library

Visiting doctoral candidates on a short-term research stay who are not eligible to enrol are covered via the university's accident insurance, provided that they perform similar tasks as regular members of staff. For this purpose, a formal request must be submitted to the Personnel and Legal Department (Dezernat 2) by the host institute.

The International Office is offering a German language course for the winter semester 24/25 in cooperation with the Bildungsverein. 

Target group: International doctoral candidates and researchers 

Level: Beginner A1.1 

Period: 15.10.2024 - 05.02.2025 (interruption: 18.12.2024-07.01.2025)

Time: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 17:45 - 20:25 

Costs: 140€ p.p.

Registration: Please send an email to researchLUH@zuv.uni-hannover.de with your full name, institute, nationality and status at the university. Registration is possible until 16.09.2024. 

Completion Grands by the Graduate Academy

Completion Grands for special hardship cases. The prerequisite for apllying is a prior consultation. These grants are limited to 6 months. Further information can be found here. 

Degree Completion Grant by the International Office

International doctoral candidates who are in the final phase of their doctorate at Leibniz University can apply for a Completion Grant. In addition to very good academic performance, social need is a central criterion for seleftion. Funding is decided individually for each case. Further information can be found here.