Study in Germany | DAAD GROW Scholarship 2026

March 29, 2026 9:59 am

Study in Germany | DAAD GROW Scholarship 2026

The German Academic Exchange Service has opened applications for the 2026 cycle of its GROW programme—Global Research Opportunities for the South. This initiative offers funded research stays in Germany for early career and established academics from Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Backed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the programme funds stays of up to six months at German universities and research institutions. It targets scholars whose work addresses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Why GROW Matters

The GROW programme sits at the intersection of two trends reshaping international academic mobility. First, Germany positions itself as a destination for researchers from the Global South. Competition for academic talent between Europe, North America, China, and the Gulf states has intensified. Second, funders increasingly emphasize “development-relevant” research—work that produces measurable outcomes in public health, climate resilience, and governance.

By tying its eligibility to the OECD DAC list and its evaluation criteria to the SDGs, DAAD signals that GROW is not a conventional mobility grant. It is a capacity-building instrument designed to strengthen research ecosystems in countries where institutional resources remain uneven. For researchers from eligible countries, it represents one of the more structurally purposeful funding streams available in 2026.

The Financial Package: What You Receive

GROW provides monthly scholarship payments that scale by career stage:

Doctoral Candidates and Postdoctoral Researchers: 1,400 euros per month
Assistant Professors and Lecturers: 2,000 euros per month
Full Professors: 2,150 euros per month

Beyond the monthly stipend, the programme covers:

Health, accident, and personal liability insurance
Travel allowance for your journey to and from Germany
Supplementary funding for scholars with a disability or chronic illness, covering costs not met by third-party sources

Funding duration ranges from one to two months for preparatory and cooperation visits under Programme Line 1. Programme Line 2 funds research stays from two to six months. Neither funding line can split into segments. All funded activity must begin in 2026 and conclude by 31 January 2027.

Eligibility: Who Can Apply

The programme welcomes doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, university teachers, and established academics from countries on the OECD DAC list of Official Development Assistance recipients. The primary geographic focus is Sub-Saharan Africa, with Latin America and Asia as additional target regions.

You must hold a current position at a university or research institution in your home country at the time of application. Postdoctoral researchers are defined narrowly: your PhD must have been completed no more than four years before the application deadline.

Candidates already based in Germany at the time of application are not eligible. Those conducting their entire doctoral or postdoctoral research at a German institution also cannot apply. Women, socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, and persons from underrepresented regions or groups receive particular encouragement.

How the Apply

Click Here to Apply

Your application requires several key components:

Research or Cooperation Proposal: Submit a detailed plan outlining your intended work in Germany.
CV: Document your academic achievements relevant to the proposed project.
Host Contact: Provide evidence of prior contact with a prospective host supervisor or institution in Germany.
Integration Plan: Doctoral candidates must demonstrate how the proposed work integrates into their broader doctoral project.
Transfer Concept: Outline concrete measures for implementing research results back in your home country. This is not optional—it is a formal selection criterion.

An independent committee of specialist scientists evaluates proposals along three axes: academic qualification, quality and development relevance of the proposal, and your potential for sustained impact.

Selection Criteria

For cooperation visits, the committee weighs the plausibility of your chosen host institution, the feasibility of your work plan, and the likelihood that collaboration continues beyond the funding period. For research stays, originality, currency of the research question, and the strength of your transfer concept carry considerable weight. Extracurricular engagement and broader societal commitment also factor into the assessment.

Practical Considerations

Because all funded activity must conclude by 31 January 2027, plan your proposed timeline accordingly. Indicate your preferred funding period in the application form. The selection committee will determine the final duration based on your submitted work schedule.

The programme’s implementation depends on BMZ budget approval. Selection does not create a legal entitlement to funding until you receive a formal grant notification.

Why This Matters

For researchers in the Global South whose work addresses real development challenges but who lack access to German networks, infrastructure, or peer communities, GROW offers a carefully designed bridge. It is not merely a travel grant. It is an investment in the idea that the most pressing problems facing lower- and middle-income countries require researchers embedded in those contexts but connected to global knowledge systems.

Visit the DAAD scholarship database today. Review the full requirements, prepare your proposal, and submit your application. The scholars who make the most of this opportunity will arrive in Germany with a clear plan and leave with partnerships that outlast the funding period.