The Bavarian Ministry for Science, Research and Art will sponsor scholarships for the academic year 2012/13. Gradraduates from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine are eligible to apply. The scholarships are meant to finance doctoral or postgraduate studies at Bavarian universities.
One year scholarships can be extended twice for up to 3 years. The scholarship is paid out monthly (700 €) and amounts to 8400 € per year. Students with children or an unemployed partner and at least one child receive 860 € per month, which amounts to 10320 € per year. Candidates should send their documents to the address specified in the application forms.
As an applicant for a one year scholarship by the Free State of Bavaria you need to:
• have the nationality of one of the following countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia or the Ukraine.
• be living full-time in your home country at the time of application.
• be no older than 30 in the first year of your scholarship (i.e. on the 1.10.2012).
• be needy, meaning that you are not able to finance your studies at a Bavarian university yourself, nor through the funds of a third party (for example through a scholarship from another institution).
• provide evidence of your German language skills, which should be at a level that you can master seminars and accordingly academic papers in German without difficulty. Note: when researching at an institute, where the working language is English, it is sufficient to send evidence of your English language skills. In addition, your supervisor at the Bavarian university has to confirm that your English language skills are sufficient for the planned research project. The same goes for study programs conducted in English.
• be able to give evidence at the time of application that you have achieved/ or will achieve a distinctively above-average university degree.
• be matriculated in a Master- or PhD-program at a Bavarian University of your choice during the period of your granted scholarship.
Criteria of selection:
• previous academic achievements (i.e. grades, scholarships or prizes, publications, talks at conferences etc.)
• letter of motivation: make it clear from your application that your postgraduate-studies are a continuation of your previous studies to a certain extent and will bring you closer to your professional goal
• description of your project (for PhD proposals only): convincing description of your research project and the academic relevance of your topic of research
• very good knowledge of the German and/or English language (see above)
• practical experience (e. g. internships, voluntary work, part-time jobs)
• international experience (e. g. studies or internships abroad)
• participation at conferences / non-curricular seminars / other advanced training etc.
• foreign languages
• voluntary work and commitments (e. g. student representation, theatre groups, sports associations,
political clubs)
Basic conditions for the awarding of the scholarship
• Sponsorship is initially given for one year and can – by application – be extended at most twice (to a total of three years).
• The scholarship holders are responsible themselves for their arrival at the respective place of study. Visa modalities have to be arranged and clarified beforehand at the German embassy or consulate in the home country by the scholarship holder. Travel costs are not accorded.
• The scholarship is paid in twelve monthly instalments of 700,- €. Single parents or those with an unemployed spouse and at least one child can apply for family allowance (160,- € per month).
• The scholarship is paid out by your Bavarian university. Please contact the scholarship department (“Stipendienreferat”) of your university upon receipt of scholarship regarding the paymentmodalities of your scholarship.
• Scholarship holders are obliged to attend the scholarship holders meetings (i.e. the annual weekend seminar for BAYHOST scholarship holders).
• Scholarship holders are obliged to provide BAYHOST with a evidence of their current immatriculation (i.e. copy of immatriculation card).
• Your study program has to take place in Bavaria.
• Funding can only be given for study programs, whose course fees do not exceed the maximum semester fee at Bavarian universities of 500, - € per semester (administration fees are exempted here).
• You may not receive funding from other scholarship-awarding organisations (e.g. DAAD) at the same time as you are receiving the scholarship of the Free State of Bavaria.
• Please note that tuition fees (“Studienbeiträge”) have to be paid at many Bavarian universities.
Some universities exempt BAYHOST scholarship holders from these fees. Please check with the universities of your choice, whether you would be exempted from the student fees as a BAYHOST scholarship holder. http://www.stmwfk.bayern.de
Deadline for first time applications (date of receipt!): 15th February 2012
List of documents needed in the application form (first time applications)
1. an online application form that is filled-in completely (see www.bayhost.de Æ “Scholarships”, it is not needed to send a printed version of the online application form by post)
2. a letter of motivation (1-2 DIN A4 pages)
3. proof of your German skills through an authenticated copy (this is not necessary, if your studies will be conducted in English)
4. an authenticated copy along with an authenticated German or English translation of your university diploma. In case you will not finish your studies until July 2012, please add confirmation from your university that you are registered for the final exams and that you are expected to graduate successfully by 31st July 2012. Further, please include an overview of your previous grades (I.e. university transcript)
5. proof of nationality (copy of your passport or identity card)
6. Letter of endorsement (“Betreuungszusage”) from a Professor (or alternatively from the course coordinator of a Masters-program) of a Bavarian university or academy. A letter of endorsement is an informal letter in which a Bavarian professor confirms that he will supervise you (i. e. your dissertation or academic work). The letter has to be signed and written on the official paper of the department. Sending the signed letter as a scanned attachment by email is possible. Should you encounter difficulties getting a letter of endorsement please contact us immediately via doeppe@bayhost.de or mure@bayhost.de
7. a tabular CV in German with a recent passport photo a possible model format can be found at: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu
8. For postgraduate dissertations: a two-page outline and time schedule of your entire research project.
9. Marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child (only in case you are applying for a family allowance) both as an authenticated copy and authenticated German (or English) translation.
