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257 fully funded PhD positions in Germany

Every position below is currently open, with the full advert, the deadline and the university's own application link on its page. Free to browse, no login. 176 have a stated closing date.

257open positions
91institutions
15subject areas
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The list below covers every field. Our PhD mentorship covers STEM subjects only.

Closing soonest

0 days left Four 2-year Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Zukunftskolleg University of Konstanz 0 days left PhD position in Plasma Material Synthesis (m/f/x) Uni Bochum · Physics & Astronomy 0 days left Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin / Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter (Doktorandin / Doktorand) (d/w/m) naturwissenschaftlich / bioinformatisch in der translationalen Tumorforschung Einsatzort: Campus Charité · Biology & Life Sciences 0 days left Wissenschaftliche/r Mitarbeiter/in (w/m/d) – Promotionsstelle (DC4) für die Entwicklung Integraler Ansätze zur Kopplung digitaler Bauwerksmodelle und Monitoringsystemen mit intelligenten RWTH Aachen · Computer Science & AI 0 days left Doktorand:in in der Didaktik der Informatik Uni Jena · Education 0 days left Research Assistant (PhD Candidate) in Digital Work (m/f/x) LMU München · Computer Science & AI 0 days left Doctoral Researcher (all genders welcome) Uni Göttingen · Mathematics & Statistics 0 days left Researcher/PhD (m/f/x) in Medicinal Chemistry Uni Bochum · Biology & Life Sciences 0 days left Wiss. Mitarbeiter*in (m-w-d) (Doktorandin*Doktorand) Uni Halle-Wittenberg · Medicine & Health 0 days left Wiss. Mitarbeiter*in (m-w-d) (Doktorandin*Doktorand) Uni Halle-Wittenberg · Medicine & Health 1 days left PhD Position (w/m/d) im Bereich Angewandte Geowissenschaften: Mustererkennung in DAS-Daten KIT Karlsruhe · Computer Science & AI 1 days left Doktorand*in (m/w/d) Uni Bochum · Biology & Life Sciences

Search and filter all 257 positions in Germany →

What a PhD pays here (as of September 2026)

Most PhD positions in Germany are paid jobs. You sign an employment contract with the university or institute, usually on the public-sector pay scale TV-L, pay group E13. At full time (100%), E13 step 1 is €4,759.37 a month before tax and social contributions (table valid 1 April–31 December 2026).

The percentage in an advert — "65% E13", for example — is your share of full time, and you are paid that share of the full-time amount. For DFG-funded projects, the usual share is 65% in biology and medicine, 67% in chemistry, up to 75% in physics and mathematics, and up to 100% in computer science and engineering.

At the Max Planck Society, doctoral researchers are paid 65% of the federal scale TVöD E13. A DAAD doctoral scholarship pays €1,300 a month.

Sources: TdL — TV-L pay table, valid 1 April–31 December 2026 (PDF) · DFG — personnel rates guidance, form 55.02 (PDF, German) · Max Planck Society — higher pay for doctoral researchers · DAAD scholarship database — doctoral research grant

Contract or stipend

Mostly a contract. University and institute positions are usually employment contracts; some graduate schools and scholarship funders such as the DAAD pay a stipend instead. The two are treated differently for health insurance, pension and tax, so check which one the advert or offer letter describes.

How to apply from India in 5 steps

  1. Find positions that fit your degree. Every open PhD position we track in Germany is listed on this page, updated every morning. Shortlist the ones whose required degree and skills match yours.
  2. Read the advert line by line. Check eligibility, the required degree, language requirements, the documents asked for and the deadline before you write anything. Guide: Reading a PhD advert
  3. Write a tailored cover letter and CV. One letter per position, written to what that group actually works on. A generic letter sent to many supervisors is easy to spot. Guide: Academic CV, Research Proposal
  4. Apply exactly as the advert says. Some positions use an online portal, others ask you to email the supervisor directly. Follow the advert, and send it before the deadline. Guide: Emailing a Professor
  5. Prepare for the interview. Shortlisted candidates are often interviewed online. Be ready to explain your past research clearly and to ask good questions back. Guide: Interview Prep

Questions students ask about PhDs in Germany

How much does a PhD pay in Germany?

Most PhD positions are paid on the TV-L E13 scale. At full time, step 1 is €4,759.37 a month gross (1 April–31 December 2026), and your contract percentage — often 65% in biology and medicine — is the share of that you receive. A DAAD doctoral scholarship pays €1,300 a month.

What does "65% E13" mean in a German PhD advert?

E13 is the pay group and 65% is your share of a full-time post. You are paid 65% of the full-time E13 salary. Under DFG guidance the usual share is 65% in biology and medicine, 67% in chemistry, up to 75% in physics and mathematics, and up to 100% in computer science and engineering.

Is a German PhD a job or a scholarship?

Usually a job: an employment contract with the university or institute. Some graduate schools and the DAAD pay a scholarship (stipend) instead. The advert or offer letter says which.

Can students from India apply for PhD positions in Germany?

Yes. Unless an advert says otherwise, positions are open to applicants from any country. You apply directly to the university or institute through the link in the advert, and apply for a visa after you have an offer.

Want a mentor who has done this?

Our PhD admission mentorship pairs you with a mentor who has secured a funded PhD position themselves — 27 mentors across 9 countries, and 335+ students helped so far. STEM subjects only.

How our PhD admission mentorship works → Read success stories →

Guides for applying in Germany

Not sure whether you're competitive for these?

That is usually the real question, and it is worth answering before you spend three weeks on an application. Book a free 15-minute call and we will look at your profile against what these programmes actually ask for.

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Emerging Scholars Council is not the employer. These positions are advertised by the universities themselves and your application goes directly to them.

All 257 open PhD positions in Germany

Institutions currently hiring in Germany

University of Konstanz · Uni Bochum · Charité · RWTH Aachen · Uni Jena · LMU München · Uni Göttingen · Uni Halle-Wittenberg · KIT Karlsruhe · TH Mannheim · Uni Erlangen-Nürnberg · UKSH · Uni Hannover · Uni Ulm · TU Dresden · Uni Hamburg · TU Darmstadt · Uni Regensburg · UMG Göttingen · UKA Aachen · University of Cologne · LMU Munich · German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) · FU Berlin · Uni Bremen · Uni Köln · Uni Marburg · Uni Wuppertal · Uni Augsburg · Uni Oldenburg · Uni Duisburg-Essen · UKT Tübingen · International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP) · KH Freiburg · Uni Freiburg · International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Quantum Dynamics and Control (QDC) · UK Erlangen · UKW Würzburg · Uni Stuttgart · Uni Weimar

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Funded PhD positions in other countries

United Kingdom 456 United States 153 Netherlands 112 Switzerland 111 Austria 108 Morocco 82 Luxembourg 71 Belgium 60 Sweden 54 Finland 53 Hong Kong 48 Denmark 46 United Arab Emirates 42 Australia 27

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