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DAAD
Dear Anna,
There is no special format for the recommendation letters. The letters should be signed by the supervisors and usually they also use their letterhead. You can either upload the recommendation letter during the application process or the lecturers can send them to me via email.
Best regards,
Monique Trachsel
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give. know. opportunities
The DAAD primarily supports individuals with high academic achievements. As a rule, the scholarship programmes do not stipulate a minimum grade point average for the application. Academic performance (selection criterion "qualification") is nevertheless an important criterion for the award of the scholarship.
But good grades are not everything: other aspects are also taken into account that are also important, such as the quality of the project, language skills, motivation, extracurricular commitment, special circumstances, etc.
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In a letter of motivation, you are required to describe your professional and personal reasons for your planned project in Germany on at least one and no more than three pages.
A letter of motivation gives you the opportunity to describe your personality and the reasons why you are applying for DAAD funding in your own words. The following information and questions will help you write an informative letter of motivation.
Facts about your education, skills and knowledge
Studies: study programme, number of semesters, if applicable, degree
Professional experience, if applicable
Specialised knowledge, skills and language skills
Prizes and awards (if applicable)
Academic motivation
Why do you wish to take the study programme or attend the language or specialist course for which you are applying?
What appeals to you about your chosen university?
What do you hope to gain from your stay in Germany (personal, professional, for your career)?
Reasons for applying for a scholarship
Why are you applying for a DAAD scholarship?
What do you expect of this scholarship?
How will the scholarship help you achieve your academic, professional and personal goals?
Personal interests
Here you can outline special extracurricular achievements and commitments or personal qualities that say something about your character.
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The use of artificial intelligence (AI tools) in application procedures is permitted as an aid provided that certain principles are observed:
Adherence to good Scientific Practice:
Applicants must comply with the principles of good scientific practice, particularly by ensuring the protection of intellectual property and the authenticity of submitted documents. Text passages derived from secondary sources must be properly cited and labelled.
Originality and Authenticity:
Even when using technical tools, the authenticity of your application must be maintained. Applicants’ unique qualities and characteristics should remain evident as these play an important role in the selection process.
Transparency and Disclosure Requirements:
The use of AI tools must be clearly indicated by stating in your documents that text passages were created with the help of an AI tool. Include the note ‘Produced with the aid of (tool used)’.
Data Usage Considerations:
You should note that data entered into AI tools may be reused by the provider. Exercising caution when handling personal data is therefore necessary.
Declaration of Authenticity:
Applicants must declare that the application was prepared independently, with proper attribution of resources and adherence to the principles of good scientific practice. This declaration also confirms the accuracy and truthfulness of the application.
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Scholarship applications are reviewed by an independent and voluntary selection committee. This may be made up of local and/or German university teachers, researchers and DAAD Lecturers. Depending on scholarship programme and the local situation, the best applicants may also be required to introduce themselves personally. This can take place either on site, face-to-face, or virtually.
Depending on programme, the selection decision is made either by the local selection committee directly or – in the case of a two-stage selection procedure – by another independent committee of academics in Germany. DAAD staff are not entitled to vote in the scholarship selection procedure.
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No. In order to maintain the independence of our volunteer selection committee members, we must ensure that they can make their assessments without any influence or bias. For this reason, like other funding institutions, we refrain from disclosing the composition of the individual commissions and the names of any additional experts who may have been consulted.
At the same time, strict bias regulations apply to the selection experts: To avoid conflicts of interest/bias, experts are not allowed to evaluate applications from the university’s own faculty or examine applicants with whom they have a personal (supervisory) relationship.
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The key selection criteria are:
Professional qualification
Academic achievements (grade point average, development of grades)
Academic progress
Knowledge of the language(s) of instruction or working language(s)
Academic performance (general grade point average, grade development)
School-leaving certificate, if applicable
Course of studies
Knowledge of the language of instruction or working language
If applicable, relevant internships, work experience
Quality of the study or research project
Study project:
Quality of the study project and of the preparation (preliminary information, choice of degree programme, host university and establishment of contacts)
Integration of the project into the academic career path
Quality of the study project as well as the preparation (preliminary information, choice of study programme, host university and establishment of contacts)
Research project:
Quality of research proposal and preparation (originality, topicality and relevance of the project, choice of host institution and first contacts)
Feasibility and consistency of study plan and schedule
Incorporation of project within the overall doctorate (in terms of content and time), if relevant
Quality of the research project as well as the preparation (originality, topicality and relevance of the project, choice of host institution and establishment of contacts).
Feasibility and consistency of the work plan and timetable (analysis and evaluation steps)
Embedding of the project in the overall doctoral project (in terms of content/time), if relevant
Potential of the applicant
Motivation: academic and personal reasons for the stay in Germany, German language skills (if different from the working language);
Prospects: Significance of the stay in Germany for further academic, professional and personal development.
Extracurricular commitment: extracurricular knowledge and skills, social commitment.
Motivation: professional and personal reasons for the stay in Germany, German language skills (if different from the working language);
Perspectives: Importance of the stay in Germany for further academic, professional and personal development
In addition, in order to ensure equal opportunities, the selection committee may take into account special circumstances, which you can state in the application form. Examples of "special circumstances" are
disability,
chronic or prolonged illness,
raising children,
caring for relatives,
extensive employment required to finance studies
refugee background
In these or comparable cases, disadvantages will be compensated for when assessing the application.
Depending on scholarship programme, additional selection criteria may be relevant, e.g. language skills. To find out what applies to your programme, read the Call for Applications in the Scholarship database (www.funding-guide.de).
Based on your request for a table listing "all things mentioned as values" in the sources, and considering the various ways the term "values" is used or implied in the text, I will present the information by categorising different types of "values" discussed. These include:
Please note that "values" can also refer to numerical data collected based on indicators (e.g., the actual "number" of participants), or target values/benchmarks. While the sources mention the need for target values or report on some numerical distributions (like funding by subject area), they do not provide a comprehensive, systematic list of these specific data points or targets across all relevant areas. Therefore, this response will focus on the types of "values" that are conceptually defined or listed as standards/indicators in the sources.
Here is a presentation of "values" based on the categories above:
1. Standard Indicators for the BMZ Funding Area
These indicators are used for continuous monitoring of goal achievement within the BMZ funding area and provide a reference framework. Not every indicator is applied to collect data for all programmes in the same way, and some differentiations are collected for specific programmes.
Table 50
Standard indicator
Data collection
Reference to results framework
Differentiations mentioned in source
Standard indicator
Data collection
Reference to results framework
Differentiations mentioned in source
Number of the DAAD-funded full-time equivalents, employed at each participating higher education institution (in the reporting year)
Annual report
DAAD-funded academic staff within the higher education institutions
Field of activity (e.g., project coordination, scientific activities), Type of academic staff (e.g., domestic assistants, staff abroad)
Number of DAAD-supported events held (in reporting year)
Annual report
Events are held
Title/topic, Place/country, Date (beginning), Duration (in days), Type (e.g., seminars, conferences, steering workshops), Reference to the SDG
Number of participants in the events (in the reporting year)
Annual report
Events are held
Gender, Nationality
Number of DAAD-supported continuing and further education events (in the reporting year)
Annual report
(Not explicitly stated in source but implied related to events)
Title/topic, Place/country, Date (beginning), Duration (in days), Type (e.g., seminars, conferences, steering workshops), Type of qualification (e.g., subject-specific, didactical), Reference to the SDG
Curricula/teaching modules developed/revised
Annual report
Curricula/teaching modules that are cutting-edge and suit the local context... have been jointly developed/revised
Type (e.g., curriculum, teaching module, course), Newly developed or revised, Level (e.g., Bachelor, Master, PhD), Status, Involvement of external actors, Number of partner institutions involved
Number of planned students/participants in study programmes as well as continuing and further education events newly developed or revised supported by DAAD (since funding began)
Annual report
Partner higher education institutions offer degree courses...
Type (e.g., curriculum, teaching module, course), Level (e.g., Bachelor, Master, PhD)
Number of applicants for study programmes as well as continuing and further education events newly developed or revised supported by DAAD (since funding began)
Annual report
Partner higher education institutions offer degree courses...
Type (e.g., curriculum, teaching module, course), Level (e.g., Bachelor, Master, PhD)
Number of students/participants in study programmes as well as continuing and further education events newly developed or revised supported by DAAD (since funding began)
Annual report
Partner higher education institutions offer degree courses...
Type (e.g., curriculum, teaching module, course), Level (e.g., Bachelor, Master, PhD)
Number of scholarship holders (in the reporting year)
End-of-award questionnaire
(Not explicitly stated in source)
Gender, Nationality, Degree pursued, Date of prospective graduation, Grade, Self-assessment of performance
Ratio of graduates that, directly after completion of scholarship, evaluate the utility of their participation in the programmes as positive for their career (in the reporting year)
End-of-award questionnaire
Graduates are qualified to take over responsible positions...
Gender, Nationality, Status (DAAD-key)
Number of graduates who, as a result of their course of study, have newly acquired or improved their skills (in the reporting year)
End-of-award questionnaire, Annual report
Graduates are qualified to take over responsible positions...
Gender, Nationality, Status (DAAD-key), Type of qualification (e.g., subject-related, didactical)
Number of alumni in the reporting year, who are still in contact with their German host institution
Follow-up questionnaire
Graduates are qualified to take over responsible positions...
Gender, Nationality, Degree
Ratio of scholarship holders whose parents have maximally completed primary education (in the reporting year)
Starting and end-of-award questionnaire
The participation of women and underprivileged groups is reinforced
Gender, Nationality, Degree
There are no rows in this table
Note: This list is based directly on the layout and content of Appendix II in the source.
2. Evaluation Criteria
The DAAD bases its monitoring and evaluation standards on those followed by the German Evaluation Society (DeGEva) and the OECD/DAC. Key evaluation criteria include:
(Source:)
3. Strategic Principles and Concepts
The sources highlight several core principles and concepts that guide the DAAD's activities and strategy:
(Source:)
This breakdown provides a structured view of the different types of "values" discussed in the sources, ranging from specific measurable indicators used in monitoring to the broader strategic principles and evaluation criteria that guide the DAAD's actions and assess its success.
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