Starter grant

You are about to complete your studies or have recently done so and would like to study for a doctorate at the University of Passau? However, you are still looking for bridging financing in order to set out on your doctorate and apply for doctoral funding (scholarship or a third-party funding position)? Then apply for our starter grant!
In order to provide you with optimal support and financial security during the transition from your studies to your doctorate, the University of Passau has introduced the bridging scholarship "starter grant".
This grant is intended to give you the opportunity, within an initial period of six months, to plan the first steps of your doctorate and to prepare a research proposal for applying for a doctoral scholarship or for obtaining a third-party funded position. If you apply successfully, you will be employed as a graduate assistant at the University of Passau for a limited period of six months with 80 working hours per month.
You can apply by filling out our application form until 28 February 2022. Funding will start on 1 May 2022 at the earliest and on 1 October 2022 at the latest.
In order to be able to apply, you need the support of a person who is allowed to supervise doctorates (usually a professor) and who is willing to supervise your planned doctorate. In addition to the application you submit, your designated supervisor must submit a statement by the application deadline.
Information on the application documents and all details can be found in the call for applications for February 2022 (currently only in German) and in the funding guidelines (currently only in German).
We recommend that you start compiling your application documents in good time. Please bear in mind that your designated supervisor may need a few weeks' lead time to prepare his or her statement.
Answers to frequently asked questions can be found on our FAQ page. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Graduate Centre team.