State Scholarship Program

The University of Rostock awards, on the condition that related financial means are provided, scholarships for preparing a dissertation subject to the State Postgraduate Scholarship Program of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern issued 20.11.2008 (last version 22.04.2023) and the regulations on implementing the State Postgraduate Scholarship Act of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern issued 18.09.2023.

Scholarships are awarded twice a year with a starting date on 01.04. and 01.10.  Application are possible around Mai/June for scholarships starting in October and in November/December for scholarships starting in April. 

General information

Conditions of funding

Conditions of funding

The procedure starts with the announcement the university will provide information about in due time.

Those persons can apply who:

  • Completed university studies that qualify for an admission to doctoral studies,
  • Are able to proof far above average study and examination results (specific qualification),
  • Have been admitted for doctoral studies at the University of Rostock and plan a scientific project that is expected to make a significant contribution to research

A form must be used for submitting an application. This form and further details on the application are provided in the currently valid scholarship announcement.

Those persons are excluded from the funding who:

  • Have already completed a dissertation,
  • Have already been awarded public or private subsidies for the same project
  • Have already been awarded subsidies from a public institution or a private institute that receives public funding related to another dissertation project,
  • Are currently involved into an education course or professional initiation as far as this education course is not interrupted for the purpose and the duration of the project or
  • Are employed, unless it is only a small-scale employment that can be combined with the funding.

Properly submitted and complete applications pass a two-level selection procedure. The funding period depends on the current state of work of the dissertation project. Normally, the funding will be granted for three years. After 18 months, the scholarship holder is obligated to submit a report to receive the funding for the rest of the funding period. The scientific supervisor provides a statement concerning the progress report.  As a rule, the dissertation should be completed after three years. In case specific reasons prevented this, one more prolongation of the scholarships for six months can be granted in exceptional cases.

The monthly basic scholarship amounts to 1,500 Euros. In special cases, a family allowance of 150 Euros is granted for the first child, of 100 Euro each for every other child.

In case a longer stay abroad is necessary to implement the dissertation project, the state scholarship programme might be complemented by a DAAD increase scholarship for this purpose. This increase scholarship has to be applied separately.

Application information

Application information

The following documents are needed for submitting an application:

  • Application form (only in German available)
  • CV in tabular form
  • Certified copy of the university leaving certificate
  • Description of the project/ concept with time schedule
  • Expertise of the scientific supervisor
  • Second opinion issued by a second university lecturer
  • admittance as doctural candidate from your faculty
  • supervision agreement

Detailed information on the individual points are provided in the „Application guidelines“ (only in German available)

Scholarship extension

Scholarship extension

only for scholarships with a starting date before 1st October 2023

Extension requests have to be sent 8 weeks before the initial funding ends. The application consists of a progress report and an expertise of the scientific supervisor.
If you apply for an extension in exceptional cases (after the regular period of 24 months) an additional second opinion issued by an university lecturer has to be provided.

Guidelines for progress reports:

Number of pages: 5 -10

Generally understandable without reading the description of the project from the first application

Structure of the report:

  • cover page with name of the scholarship holder/current private address/ your faculty/working title of your PhD project
  • introduction to the topic/ aim of the project (max. 1 page)
  • presentation of the achievements of the first year of funding in comparison with the original time schedule and working plan
  • justification/ discussion of possible deviations
  • working plan and time schedule presented as bar chart (original
    working plan with changes)
  • publications

Award committee

The awarding of scholarships and material costs is a task assigned to the university. It is subordinated to the specialised supervision of the Ministry of Education.

The decision on the applicant’s qualification and the eligibility of the project in every individual case is made by the university’s award committee with the faculties in charge being involved. The award committee’s decision are subject to the legal supervision of the Ministry of Education.

Members of the award committee are:

  • The rector or, as deputy, one pro-rector as head of the award committee,
  • at least two professors,
  • one scientific or artistic assistant or a scientific or artistic staff member or a lecturer for special tasks
  • one graduated student.

The members of the award committee are elected by the Academic Senate of the University. A deputy is elected for each of the members. The term of office amounts to two years, the student members’ term in office amounts to one year. Re-election is permissible.

Members of the award committee

Name Faculty
Prof. Dr. Kerstin Thurow Faculty of Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering
Prof. Dr. Anne-Kristin Kuhnt Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences
Prof. Dr. Hanna Fischer Faculty of Humanities
Prof. Dr. Hendrik Schubert Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Dr. Riko Siewert Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Marine Technologies
Anna Hanf Faculty of Humanities

Deputy award committee members

Name Faculty
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Lakner Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Prof. Dr. Karsten Müller Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Marine Technology
Prof. Dr. Uwe Ritschel Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Marine Technology
Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Köhling University Medicine
Dr. Stefan Jopp Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Silvia Retzlaff Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences

Contact

Pro-Rector for Research, Talent Development and Equal Opportunities

Prof. Dr. Nicole Wrage-Mönnig

Office: Universitätsplatz 1, 18055 Rostock, Room 125

Phone: +49 (0) 381 498 1002
Fax: +49 (0) 381 498 1006
pft(at)uni-rostock.de

 

 

 

Susanne Engler

Universitätsplatz 1, Room 027
18055 Rostock

Phone: +49 (0) 381 498 1026
landesgraduiertenfoerderung(at)uni-rostock.de