The potential routes to earning a doctorate are as varied as the funding options available for doctoral researchers. A distinction is made between three basic solutions: admission to a structured doctoral programme at Leipzig University, employment, and scholarships. We present these three options here in more detail.
Find a Job to Finance Your Doctorate
Doctoral candidates can be employed at Leipzig University or at other institutions. Employment is possible either in connection with the doctoral project or independently of it. In most cases, you will be employed as a graduate assistant (the German abbreviation is WHK) or as a research assistant. It is important to note the differences in pay structure between these two types of employment. Unlike scholarships, employment is a means of accumulating social security entitlements. However, if a person is employed in connection with their own qualification, then certain rules apply to fixed-term employment under the German Act on Fixed-Term Employment Contracts in Academia (WissZeitVG). Leipzig University awards positions for doctoral candidates to qualified applicants twice a year.
Finance a Doctorate with a Structured Doctoral Programme
The doctoral programmes offered by the Research Academy Leipzig offer doctoral students positions or scholarships to begin a structured doctorate. Applications are made directly to the individual programmes, which decide on the application and admission procedures. Members of the Research Academy Leipzig can benefit from special services. These include financial assistance for travel and self-organised conferences as well as childcare facilities.
Find a Doctoral Scholarship
Leipzig University, the Free State of Saxony and numerous organisations for the promotion of young talent all award scholarships to doctoral researchers. Most applicants need to demonstrate an above-average degree and pass a formal selection process. This usually begins with a project outline, which is often reviewed by two professors. The application procedure takes at least six months.
With its Stipendienlotse website, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research has compiled a database of national and international scholarships in the private and public sectors: Stipendienlotse
The following scholarships are awarded by Leipzig University and the Free State of Saxony:
The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff) offers financial support for projects involving “Intellectual and Cultural Change in Central and Eastern Europe”. The programme is intended to support doctoral candidates who have the potential to be the leaders of tomorrow. It is aimed primarily at disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, economics and law. Funding can be granted for a period of three years. Please refer to the Sylff programme page for more details and information on how to apply.