Scholarships for Doctoral Candidates

The doctoral scholarship programme of ELES is aimed at technically qualified doctoral candidates of all disciplines – with the exception of Medicine – who are at the beginning of their doctorate. Doctoral scholarships are awarded for the standard funding period: two years. In justified cases, there is the possibility of renewing the funding twice for a period of six months. Under certain circumstances, a doctorate at a foreign university can also be funded. The monthly stipend for doctoral scholarship holders is €1350 a month, plus a monthly €100 for research, and in some cases a monthly amount for a health insurance subsidy can also be awarded. The subsidy amount is calculated independently of the parent and partner income. In addition, there are generous family-friendly supplements and further extension options for doctoral students with a child as well as foreign supplements for research trips.

Intellectual Support

The doctoral students are supported by two instructors, who work with them individually and help with questions concerning ELES funding and the doctoral degree process. Similar to the support that the scholarship holders in the ‘Student’ category receive, every doctoral student will be assigned a Counsellor who can be consulted with and asked for advice on matters both internal and external.

The intellectual support programme of ELES is focused equally upon the scholarship holders within the ‘doctoral student’ category and those in the ‘student’ category.  In addition to participation in biannual seminars stages by ELES, doctoral students also have the opportunity to contribute their own expertise by taking on the role of speakers at these events. This not only promotes the exchange of ideas within the study programme, but helps the doctoral students to present and research their own thoughts. The forum also offers doctoral candidates an opportunity to exchange their views on the structural and technical workings of the scholarship. In addition to this, ELES also works to help the doctoral scholarship holders make their work publicly available, and included within the public discourse; we facilitate public projects, such as book publications and exhibitions, and support the participation of doctoral students in conferences (etc.).

In the doctoral scholarship category (Promovierenden-Initiative (PI)), representatives of the other twelve federally funded scholarship programmes (Begabtenförderungswerke) exchange information with one another and reflect upon and emphasise our intersectional interests. Representatives of PI are partof the ELES scholarship council (StiRa) and have one vote.

What we expect

The aim of ELES is to financially and ideologically support Jews who demonstrate a sense of social responsibility and the ability to communicate beyond their own specialist knowledge and are therefore among those who can and will actively shape the future. In addition to outstanding university and research achievements, the scholarship holders are therefore also expected to show social commitment in Jewish communities, in the social sphere, in youth work, in student organisations and in their social environment.

We expect our scholarship holders to partake in regular conversations with ELES counsellors, to participate in the events and structure of the scholarship programme – and after the funding period ends – to participate actively in the alumni network of the Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk.

To the Application