StudyDesk Scholarships
About the programme
The DAAD Re-Invitation Programme is the German Academic Exchange Service’s way of keeping its alumni connected: if you once held a DAAD research grant or study scholarship, DAAD will fund you to come back to Germany for a short research or working stay of one to three months, to work on a project with a German cooperation partner. It is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
The money is specific, not a blank cheque: €2,000 a month for assistant teachers, assistant professors and lecturers, €2,150 a month for professors, plus a travel allowance and health insurance if you are not otherwise insured. The stay must begin in 2027, cannot be renewed, and can be claimed only once within three years. And the door is narrow by design: you must be a former DAAD holder who has not lived in Germany for at least the last three years. If you have never held a DAAD scholarship, this programme is not for you.
Eligibility
- Be a former holder of a DAAD research grant or study scholarship, funded for more than 6 months by the Federal Foreign Office or a co-financed programme; or an East German (GDR) scholarship holder who studied in Germany for at least 1 year.
- Have not lived in Germany for at least the last 3 years.
- Have a research or working project coordinated with a cooperation partner in Germany.
- Be a graduate, postdoctoral researcher or faculty member, in any discipline (languages and cultural studies; law, economics and social sciences; maths and natural sciences; medicine; veterinary, agricultural, forest, nutritional sciences and ecology; engineering; art, music and sport).
- Working stays in business, administration, culture or media are possible for non-science-sector alumni.
- Country-restricted — the DAAD database says "Country: Only specified". Third-country applicants and Germans living abroad should contact the responsible DAAD branch or section before applying.
Benefits
- €2,000 a month for assistant teachers, assistant professors and lecturers; €2,150 a month for professors. For non-science-sector applicants, the rate is calculated on qualifications.
- A travel allowance, unless it is covered by your home country or another funder.
- Health insurance through DAAD if you are not otherwise insured — the cost is deducted from the payment.
- A disability or chronic-illness subsidy on application, case by case.
- A 1–3 month research or working stay in Germany, beginning in 2027.
- Note that the stay is non-renewable and can be claimed only once within three years.
Documents to prepare
- The online application form (downloaded from the DAAD portal).
- A full tabular CV (maximum 3 pages).
- A list of publications, if applicable.
- A comprehensive project statement (maximum 10 pages, uploaded under "research project").
- A time schedule and itinerary of the visit.
- Confirmation from the German academic host, referring to the project and guaranteeing a workplace.
- German or English translations of any documents in a national language.
- All uploads as PDF only.
How to apply
- Confirm you are a former DAAD scholarship holder who has not lived in Germany for at least the last 3 years.
- Agree your project with a cooperation partner in Germany and get their written confirmation.
- Wait for the DAAD portal to open — at least 6 weeks before the deadline.
- Register in the DAAD portal, download and complete the application form, and upload your documents as PDFs.
- Submit by 23 February 2027 (the portal closes at 24:00 CET/CEST on the last day).
- For technical help: portal@daad.de, or the hotline +49 (0) 228 882-8888, weekdays 09:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00 CET/CEST.
FAQs
23 February 2027 for the next open round (selection June/July 2027, funding from October 2027). The 1 October 2026 round has closed.
Former DAAD research-grant or study-scholarship holders funded for more than 6 months, or East German (GDR) scholarship holders who studied in Germany for at least 1 year, who have not lived in Germany for at least the last 3 years. If you have never held a DAAD scholarship, you are not eligible.
€2,000 a month for assistant teachers, assistant professors and lecturers, and €2,150 a month for professors, plus a travel allowance and health insurance if you are not otherwise insured. The stay lasts 1–3 months.
No — it is country-restricted. The DAAD database says "Country: Only specified". Third-country applicants and Germans living abroad should contact the responsible DAAD branch or section before applying.
No. The stay is non-renewable and can be claimed only once within three years.
The EPOS re-invitation programme is a separate scheme for former holders of Development-Related Postgraduate Courses scholarships, with different deadlines and eligibility. It is not covered in this article.
Verified 26 Oct 2026: daad.de (official DAAD scholarship database, detail 50015492, opened live) — next deadline 23 February 2027, 1 October 2026 round closed, €2,000/€2,150 monthly rates, 1–3 months, once within three years, former DAAD holders funded more than 6 months, not lived in Germany for at least 3 years, country-restricted, documents (CV max 3 pages, project statement max 10 pages, host confirmation), DAAD portal procedure; europescholarships.com, myguide.de — corroboration. CORRECTION: Bright Scholarship says the deadline is "not specified" / "Open Now" and claims "All Nationalities" — both wrong against the official page; the 1 October 2026 round has passed and the next open deadline is 23 February 2027. Date pairs seen in search snippets (31.07.2026 / 16.11.2026; 17.08.2026 / 16.11.2026) belong to the separate EPOS re-invitation programme, which is not covered here. No application fee is mentioned on the official page, so none is claimed. The exact list of eligible countries depends on the applicant’s country filter in the DAAD database and cannot be stated as a fixed list.
