Funding for the final phase of your PhD

Scholarships are awarded in accordance with the framework regulations for the awarding of scholarships for the preparation of doctorates at the University of Wuppertal dated 17 February 2025.

Scholarship holders from spring 2025 or earlier

If you have already received a basic or final scholarship in accordance with the previous framework regulations for the awarding of scholarships for the preparation of doctorates at the University of Wuppertal dated 20 April 2015 and the amendment regulations dated 9 July 2015 and 2 November 2018, you can still request an interruption or apply for further approval or an extension in accordance with the provisions of their grants.

Authorisation decisions

The university's internal Advisory Board for Graduate Funding decides on the selection and funding of applicants. The quality of the application is decisive for the award of a scholarship. There is no legal entitlement.

Funding for the final phase of the PhD

We award scholarships ...

• of up to 12 months
• with a basic amount of € 1,600 per month and
• a child allowance of € 200 per month per child that the scholarship holder is supporting, and
• if applicable, a supplement for travel and material costs of a maximum of € 1,000.

Scholarship holders from spring 2025 or earlier

Scholarships that correspond to the already approved scholarships in terms of the basic monthly amount, the child allowance and the travel and material costs allowance can be awarded in the following cases

• Continued approval for the second year of current basic scholarships or
• Extension of a maximum of 12 months for expiring basic scholarships or
• Extension of a maximum of 6 months for expiring final scholarships.

Funding for the final phase of the doctorate

Eligible applicants are German and international early career researchers who are completing their doctorate at the University of Wuppertal and have completed a substantial part of it.

Persons who have already received a scholarship from BUW budget funds cannot be considered.

Scholarship holders from spring 2025 or earlier

Scholarship holders whose undergraduate and graduate scholarships were approved until spring 2025 and have not yet expired are eligible to apply.

Funding for the final phase of the doctorate

Doctoral candidates whose academic project is expected to make an important contribution to research are eligible for funding. A scholarship can be awarded to anyone who can prove that the academic project has reached a stage where an above-average result can be achieved in the time allotted for a scholarship.

If the candidate works more than ten paid hours per week, funding is excluded. Parallel funding from other public or publicly funded private organisations for the same purpose and during the same period is also not possible.

Scholarship holders from spring 2025 or earlier

Scholarship holders with ongoing scholarships whose academic project is expected to make an important contribution to research are eligible for funding.

If the candidate works more than ten hours a week in a remunerated position, funding is excluded. Parallel funding by other public or publicly funded private institutions for the same purpose and during the same period is also not possible.

Regular application deadlines are ...

• 1 June (summer round, funding from August at the earliest) and
• 1 December (winter round, funding from February of the following year at the earliest).

Please send your application documents ...

• with a scan of your signature
• combined into a single PDF file
• to: gradfoer[at]uni-wuppertal.de

The date of receipt of the mail at the University of Wuppertal applies.

If possible, use the email address you received as a BUW student or employee for authentication.

If you do not have a BUW mail account, please use your private account. In this case, you will be authenticated after consultation with us.

If you want to encrypt the data transmitted by e-mail, feel free to contact us.

... for a new application for funding in the final phase

• Cover letter (subject "BUW Graduate Funding, Application")
• Application form (template see sidebar or below)
• Attachments: see list at the of the application form

... for an application for continued approval after year 1 of the basic scholarship (for initial approval until spring 2025)

• Cover letter (subject "BUW Graduate Funding, Application for Continued Approval")
• Presentation of the progress of your work, including comparison with the work plan originally submitted and, if necessary, justification of deviations
• Statement from your supervisor

... for an application to extend an expiring scholarship (for initial approval until spring 2025)

• Cover letter (subject "BUW graduate funding, application for extension")
• Presentation of the progress of your work, including comparison with the work plan originally submitted and, if necessary, justification of deviations
• Timetable for the extension phase
• Statement from your supervisor that specifically considers the necessity and prospects of success of an extension