Offers for refugee researchers

Philipp Schwartz Initiative

The Philipp Schwartz Initiative is a programme of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation that enables universities and research institutions in Germany to host researchers at risk on the basis of a full fellowship.

The programme is aimed at

• Researchers who are demonstrably at risk

The funding includes:

• Research fellowships for a maximum of 24 months
• An extension of twelve additional months is possible within the framework of a co-financing model.

Both research stays within the framework of a research fellowship and research stays within the framework of an employment contract are possible.

Application requirements

To apply, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be able to provide credible evidence of risk. Proof can be either a residence status in the context of an asylum-granting procedure within the EU or a detailed, personal statement of a credible third party (e.g. German diplomatic representation abroad, non-governmental organisations or similar).
• You need a confirmation of supervision from a professor in your field of research at TU Braunschweig.
• You must have a doctorate or a comparable academic degree (Ph.D., C.Sc. or equivalent).
• You must not have been outside your home country for more than five years at the time of application.
• You need sufficient language skills to successfully carry out your research project at TU Braunschweig.
• You must provide evidence of your scientific qualifications (e.g. through publications).

Application procedure

Applications can only be submitted through TU Braunschweig and the host professor. Please contact TU Braunschweig's Represantative for Refugees. She will accompany you through the application process and can also establish an academic contact at TU Braunschweig if necessary.

Astrid Sebastian: refugees(at)tu-braunschweig.de

Information on the next application deadline will be published here shortly.

More information on the Philipp Schwartz Initiative

Volkswagenstiftung

The Volkswagen Foundation wishes to support exiled academics in continuing their research in Germany and to contribute to their integration into German society as well as the local science system.

More information

Hilde Domin Programme

The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) offers grants in the frame of the "Hilde Domin Programme" with funds from the Federal Foreign Office. The programme supports students at risk as well as doctoral candidates in obtaining a degree or doctorate at a German university.

The long-term goal of the programme is to enable students and doctoral candidates to pursue higher education studies or a research stay in a safe environment so that they can make an important contribution to political, economic and social development in their countries of origin (or in Germany or third countries) after completing their studies or doctoral work.

Target group are:

• Students and doctoral candidates who are formally or de facto denied the right to education in their country of origin.

The students and doctoral candidates nominated and selected within the framework of the programme are enrolled in degree programmes of their personal choice and individual qualifications if they fulfil the necessary requirements.

The funding includes:

• A scholarship to cover the necessary costs of the study or research stay.

Application requirements:

• Fulfilment of the requirements for the chosen degree programme (school-leaving certificate, previous academic certificates, language skills).

Nomination and selection procedure

Potential candidates cannot apply for the Hilde Domin Programme on their own, but are nominated by the presidiums/rectorates of an institution that is a legal entity in Germany.

For a nomination by TU Braunschweig, please submit the following documents to the representative for refugees:

• Curriculum vitae
• Transcripts (school, university)
• Language certificates
• If you are unable to submit individual documents, please contact the representative for refugees.

A selection committee will then decide whether TU Braunschweig can nominate you.

The nominating institutions and organisations must submit a nomination form provided by the DAAD, with a nomination statement to be completed.

Afterwards, on the basis of an initial plausibility check, suitable candidates will be contacted by the DAAD and invited to apply via the DAAD's online application portal. The application documents submitted by the candidates are then checked by the DAAD for completeness and formal correctness. The final selection of candidates is made by independent selection committees appointed by the DAAD. In the course of the selection process, both vulnerability and academic performance are assessed.

Further information about the programme.

Download the application form here.

DAAD scholarship search

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers a scholarship search for international students and researchers on its website.

Click here for here for scholarship search

TU Braunschweig supports you in learning German, because you need a good knowledge of German for your everyday life in Braunschweig, for communicating with colleagues or for your future career.

• Preparatory German Courses:
  You can quickly improve your German language skills in these compact intensive courses. The courses are offered by the TU Braunschweig Language Centre and require payment. The preparatory German courses prepare participants for the German as a foreign language test (TestDaF).

• German Semester Courses:
  Another option for you at TU Braunschweig are the semester courses in German as a foreign language. Here you can improve your German language skills at levels A1 to C1 in courses that take place once or twice a week parallel to your research activities. Click here for the courses

• Learn German on your own:
  To support language courses or tandem programmes, there are many free platforms on the internet where you can improve your German language skills on your own. The Language Centre has put together an overview of the most important links:
  Self-learning links for the German language.