Hamburg University Germany PhD Scholarships 2026
The Graduate School of the Cluster of Excellence Understanding Written Artefacts (CSMC) at Universität Hamburg is now accepting applications for fully funded PhD scholarships offered through the DAAD’s prestigious Graduate School Scholarship Programme (GSSP). These scholarships support outstanding international doctoral candidates interested in exploring the material, cultural, and historical dimensions of written artefacts across global contexts. The program provides a unique interdisciplinary research environment, combining methodologies from the humanities, natural sciences, and digital technologies to investigate how written artefacts have shaped human communication throughout history.
Each scholarship covers three years of doctoral research starting 1 January 2026, including a monthly stipend, health insurance, travel allowance, and support for research stays and conferences. Fellows will join an international academic community with structured training, expert supervision, and top-tier research facilities. As the process is highly competitive, applicants should review eligibility and application details on the Universität Hamburg and DAAD websites.
Benefits of Scholarships
Chosen applicants will obtain:
- A monthly allowance of €1,300
- Medical insurance protection
- Extra provisions as outlined in the DAAD GSSP regulations.
This funding allows doctoral researchers to concentrate entirely on progressing their academic projects without financial stress
Eligibility
The program welcomes well-qualified international applicants (non-German nationals), particularly from the Global South. Candidates need to:
- Possess a Master’s degree or comparable qualification in areas associated with manuscript cultures or written materials (potential fields include humanities, natural sciences, computer sciences, chemistry, physics, among others).
- Show English language skills at level B1 or higher.
- Do not possess a PhD or have undertaken substantial doctoral research at another institution.
- Must not have earned their Master’s degree over six years prior to nomination.
- Must not have lived in Germany for more than 15 months prior to November 2025.
- German language skills are not necessary; English serves as the working language at CSMC.
Selection Process
The enrollment process is conducted through two phases:
- Preliminary Evaluation: A group of Principal Investigators (PIs) evaluates applications regarding the quality, creativity, and significance of the research proposal.
- Final Nomination: The chosen candidates are submitted to DAAD, which ultimately decides on the funding.
Academic Environment
Doctoral researchers will become part of a dynamic, interdisciplinary research community encompassing more than 40 academic fields. The program offers degrees in the Faculty of Humanities (Dr. phil.) or the MIN Faculty (Dr. rer. nat.) with options for co-tutelle (dual supervision).
Participants will gain advantages from:
- Entry to the artifact profiling laboratory and expert library
- Regular seminars, workshops, and summer courses
- Intimate direction from seasoned instructors
- A broad variety of soft skills courses and complete access to all amenities at Universität Hamburg.
Required Application Documents
Candidates are required to send a single PDF document via email that includes:
- A comprehensive research proposal (maximum. 5 pages: summary, plan, and a 3-year timeline broken down into 3-month segments)
- Curriculum Vitae including personal information, educational history, published works, and language proficiency.
- Letter of motivation (1 page)
- Duplicate Bachelor’s and Master’s diplomas
- A single recommendation letter from a professor
- Evidence of English language skills (B1 or above)
- Certificates issued in other languages require translations in English or German.
How to Apply
Closing Date: The final deadline to submit applications for the Hamburg University PhD Scholarships within the DAAD GSSP program is 30 September 2025
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