DAAD-PROMOS scholarships

Source: https://www.fau.eu/studying/organizing-your-studies-and-where-to-go-for-advice/going-abroad/funding-a-stay-abroad/daad-promos-scholarships/ Parent: https://www.fau.eu/

As part of the PROMOS mobility program offered by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), FAU awards scholarships for financing a period spent abroad, mainly outside of the ERASMUS area.

Applications can be submitted online between June 1 and July 15, 2026 via the Mobility Online Portal.

Information on DAAD-PROMOS scholarships

Click on the tabs to receive further information.

What is being promoted?

Partial scholarships for mobility and/or stays for

• Study stays with a minimum duration of 1 month
• Work on final theses with a minimum duration of 1 month
• Internships with a minimum duration of 1 month, if none of the DAAD’s specific internship programs are suitable. DAAD PROMOS scholarships cannot be used for clinical electives at FAU.
• Language courses with a minimum duration of 3 weeks and with at least 25 hours of lessons per week at a state run or private university or at an established language institute
• Specialist courses with a duration of up to 6 weeks that are offered by universities or academic organizations, e.g. summer courses. Travel expenses for giving presentations and attending conferences are not eligible for funding

Daily allowances for

• Study trips lasting up to twelve days for participants and for one university representative from FAU
• Trips for competitions of up to 12 days’ duration for participants as well as an FAU representative. The focus of the trip should be on the competition between the students. Travel for the purposes of tourism is not eligible for funding.

Stays abroad that start at the earliest on January 1, 2026 and at the latest on December 31, 2026 are eligible for funding.

The faculties and schools accept applications for the following types of stay:

Where is funding available

• Study stays and internships in countries that are not Erasmus+ program countries
• Final theses worldwide(prerequisite: stay is justified by the purpose of writing the thesis, students may not attend regular classes at a university abroad, time schedule and supervision agreement from FAU, Erasmus + funding not possible).\ For final theses in countries that are generally eligible for Erasmus+ funding, students must check themselves in good time whether they may be eligible for Erasmus+ funding for the planned time abroad. Students must arrange details with the mobility team (mobility@fau.de) at the latest 10 weeks before the stay abroad begins.
• Language courses, subject-related courses, study trips and trips for competitions worldwide

At the Faculty of Engineering, priority is given to stays abroad in the USA and Canada for PROMOS scholarships. Provided enough funds are still available, funding can also be provided for stays in other countries that are not Erasmus+ program countries.

At the School of Business, Economics and Society, PROMOS scholarships are only awarded to students selected by the School for stays at a partner university.

At the Faculty of Medicine, paid internships in Switzerland (e.g. clinical rotation with a contract for a clinical internship) are not eligible for funding.

Please ensure you observe the information regarding travel and safety and, in particular, the (partial) travel warnings of the Federal Foreign Office when planning your stay and for the duration of your stay abroad. Funding with a PROMOS scholarship can only be awarded if there are no travel warnings in place for the duration of the scholarship in the relevant country or region. Students who are German citizens and who are planning a stay abroad in a region with a critical situation regarding security are requested to register in the crisis prevention list kept by the Federal Foreign Office.

Who can apply?

• All regularly enrolled students at FAU. They remain enrolled at FAU during their stay abroad
• Doctoral candidates can only apply for funding for language or specialist courses and study trips or trips for competitions (exception: medical students who gain a doctoral degree during their degree program can also receive funding as part of study stays or internships as well as for completing final theses)
• Students/doctoral candidates who are not German citizens are not permitted to go on stays abroad in their home country; the home country is considered the country in which the student/doctoral candidate has predominantly been living for the last five years.
• Students must have sufficient language skills to successfully complete their stay abroad
• Students are not permitted to receive any other funding from the DAAD for their planned stay abroad
• Students from the Faculty of Engineering must have an average grade of 2.5 or above at the time of application.
• In the case of students at the School of Business, Economics and Society, the School selects the students who are eligible to apply, contacts these students individually to inform them of the application requirements in the semester in question, and encourages them to submit an application.

Delivery head

• The amount of funding for stays abroad with a PROMOS scholarship is calculated by means of lump sums defined by the DAAD.
• The scholarship is only partial funding, it is not sufficient to cover all the costs of a stay abroad.
• Priority is given to partial scholarships for the stay abroad; please also refer to the application process for FAU travel scholarships for funding for mobility.
• The maximum funding period is 6 months. Please note that due to the number of applicants and the annual decreases in funding, on average, a DAAD PROMOS scholarship from FAU only covers a stay abroad lasting 2 to 3 months.
• Partial scholarships can be awarded up to February 2027, which means that rotations as part of the year of practical training for medical students begun on December 29, 2026 can only be funded for a maximum of 2 months.
• The exact amount and duration of funding for each individual scholarship is determined by the PROMOS selection committees at the faculties.
• PROMOS scholarship holders with disabilities (degree of disability of at least 50 percent) or a chronic medical condition can receive additional funding (special requirements) if no other financial assistance is provided (e.g. from the social security provider). The application for assistance must be submitted by email via International Affairs, addressed to Ms. Garza for forwarding to the DAAD, at least two months before the planned stay abroad. Please note the information leaflet provided by the DAAD about stays abroad for students with disabilities or chronic medical conditions.

Selection criteria

At FAU, PROMOS scholarships are awarded on the basis of a quality-oriented selection process. Direct applications to the DAAD are not possible. The decision about awarding scholarships is made by the PROMOS selection committee of the relevant faculty.

The main selection criteria are:

• Academic achievements to date (40%)
• The intent and purpose of the planned stay abroad for further studies (40%)
• Applicable language skills (20%)

Application deadlines

Applications for a PROMOS scholarship must be filed in the funding year in which you plan to start your stay abroad. You can also file an application if you are already abroad. DAAD guidelines stipulate that funding is not available for completed stays abroad.

There are two application rounds with the following deadlines:

• January 1 to February 15, 2026 for stays abroad that start between January 1, 2026 and June 30, 2026.
• June 1 to July 15, 2026 for stays abroad that start between June 1 and December 31, 2026.

The decision to grant the PROMOS scholarships is made within 5 weeks after the end of the application deadline. All applicants are informed as soon as possible about the outcome of the application process.

Application documents

After registering on the Mobility Online portal, please upload the following documents, bearing any exceptions listed below in mind:

• Curriculum vitae in tabular form
• Current certificates of enrollment at FAU: for the current semester and for the duration of the semester abroad
• A current overview of course achievements from campo (standard view with average grade)
• If applicable, copies of previous university degrees (e.g. Bachelor’s degree including final grade)
• Confirmation of the stay abroad (e.g. internship contract, admission letter from host university, invitation letter from the host institution, supervision agreement from an FAU professor for final theses that are not associated with an institution; description of the program and the number of hours of teaching for language and specialist courses)
• Letter of motivation (1-2 pages), please include the following points: academic motivation for the stay abroad, preparation in terms of language and cultural skills, relevance of the stay abroad to degree program at FAU; for final theses please also include details of the planned stay with a time schedule and reasons why you are writing your final thesis abroad
• Proof of language ability, dated no more than 2 years previously (UNIcert certificate, “mobility test” language certificate from FAU Language Centre, TOEFL, IELTS, TOPIK, HSK, JLPT, DELF, DALF, DELE; others can be used after consultation with the program coordinator; students of a degree program taught mainly in English as well as students of English Studies/American Studies and teaching English do not need to submit evidence of their English language abilities. The same applies if the language relevant for the stay abroad is the applicant’s own native language. *No other exceptions are permitted.* Note: Students who teach in German during their stay abroad require proof of sufficient proficiency in English or the language of the host country.
• If applicable, copy of your confirmation of a scholarship for a previous stay abroad funded by PROMOS
• Letter of recommendation from an FAU professor or lecturer from the applicant’s field of study using the relevant template; for students of the Faculty of Medicine: letter of recommendation from a professor or a “Privatdozent” with a habilitation (teaching qualification) from FAU; for medicine, not the Dean’s Letter. Please note: The letter of recommendation must be sent directly by the person writing it to International Affairs, addressed to Ms. Garza.Applicants are not able to send the letter themselves.

If you do not have your letter of recommendation and/or proof of language skills before the end of the application deadline, you can submit them at a later date in justified exceptional cases.

Exceptions:

Students at the School of Business, Economics and Society do not require a letter of recommendation.

Students from the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology must also send their application and the datasheet from the Mobility Online portal via email to the program coordinator named below.

Applications for study trips and trips for competitions must be submitted collectively by an FAU representative. The following documents must be sent via email to the program coordinator of the faculty as well as to Ms. Garza at International Affairs:

• List of participants including their first name, last name, degree program, type of degree, subject semester, email address and signature of all participants
• Justification and description of the content of the study trip/trip to attend a competition, for example: acquisition of subject-specific knowledge and skills, opportunities to meet international students and researchers, insight into culture of the region
• Schedule
• Current certificate of enrollment of all students participating

Combination with other support programs

If you have received additional funding from another source for your stay abroad, you must first check if you are permitted to receive this funding at the same time as a PROMOS scholarship. The rules are generally as follows:

• PROMOS and PROMOS: You can receive more than one PROMOS scholarship for a stay abroad during a specific phase of your education. Funding can be provided for study stays or internships lasting a maximum of 6 months. There are no limits on the maximum period of funding for participation in specialist courses, language courses, study trips and trips for competitions.
• ERASMUS+ and PROMOS: It is not possible to receive a PROMOS scholarship at the same time as funding from ERASMUS+.
• BAföG and PROMOS: If you are receiving BAföG for your stay abroad, you are obliged to report your PROMOS scholarship to the relevant office for BAföG while abroad. The office checks if the PROMOS scholarship needs to be offset against any funding provided by BAföG for your stay abroad.
• DAAD scholarships and PROMOS: It is not permitted to receive funding from a PROMOS scholarship at the same time as other funding through DAAD.
• Deutschlandstipendium and PROMOS: Students are permitted to receive the Deutschlandstipendium and the PROMOS scholarship simultaneously without any limits.
• Funding from public funds and PROMOS: Funding from German public funds (e.g. BAYIND, BAYLAT, BAYCHINA, etc.) may not be used for the same purpose as a PROMOS scholarship. A case-by-case assessment is required. If you have applied for PROMOS and another public scholarship in Germany, please ensure you include this on your application and inform both scholarship providers of both ongoing applications and whether you have been accepted or rejected.
• Scholarships from private funds and PROMOS: There are no restrictions for receiving scholarships from private funds and PROMOS scholarships.

Insurance coverage abroad

PROMOS scholarships do not include insurance cover. Please therefore ensure you have the following:

• International health insurance
• Accident insurance
• Liability insurance (professional and personal liability insurance, if applicable)

DAAD offers an international insurance policy that includes health, accident and private liability insurance. Further information is available on the DAAD website. If you have any questions about insurance for stays abroad, please email Versicherungsstelle@daad.de.

Point of contact for the program and applications

The faculties select PROMOS scholarship holders. If you have any questions about the program, please contact:

• Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology: International Office, Kerstin Maurer
• Faculty of Business, Economics, and Law (School of Business and Economics): Office for International Affairs, Heidrun Kuka
• Faculty of Business, Economics, and Law (School of Law): Point of contact for general international affairs
• Faculty of Medicine: Office of the Dean of Studies
• Faculty of Sciences: Internationalization coordinator
• Faculty of Engineering: Office for Student Information and Advice

If you have any questions about the Mobility Online portal, please send an email with “PROMOS” in the subject line to rstpromos@fau.de.