State Graduate Scholarships

The funding is primarily aimed at doctoral students in the 1st year of their doctorate.

Individuals who are pursuing a doctorate at the University of Hohenheim can apply for a scholarship if the following requirements are met:

1. a completed university degree,
2. the applicant’s outstanding qualifications,
3. a planned scientific project that is expected to make an important contribution to research,
4. acceptance as a doctoral candidate,
5. academic supervision by the University of Hohenheim

When determining the qualification, academic achievements, experience, and knowledge that the scholarship applicant has gained in or outside of the university can be taken into account in addition to coursework and examination grades. The scholarships are primarily awarded to individuals who are at the beginning of their doctoral studies.

Please note that the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences scholarships are advertised through the doctoral study program.

The grant can only be awarded upon application. Calls for applications for the scholarships are usually announced once a year. Applications can only be submitted within the period specified in the call for applications. Please use only the appropriate form for your application.

• Application form for post-graduates in Faculties N and W
• Application form for post-graduates in Faculty A

1. The applications are subject to preliminary examination by the competent departmental committee: a position table is compiled in each case.
2. The Senate Committee Landesgraduiertenförderung makes the final decision concerning the award of scholarships on the basis of the position tables presented by the departments.

Scholarship

For scholarships awarded for the period from May 2024, the scholarship amounts to EUR 1,500 per month (subject to approval by the Senate in April 2024).

Family grant:

If the relevant requirements are met, the basic stipend will be increased by a family allowance in the amount of € 160.00 or € 210.00. Requirements for the family grant are that the scholarship holder

1. or his/her spouse receives child benefits according to the Income Tax Act (Einkommensteuergesetz) or the Child Benefits Act (Bundeskindergeldgesetz) for a common child,
2. is a single parent and therefore receives child benefits according to the Income Tax Act (Einkommensteuergesetz) or the Child Benefits Act (Bundeskindergeldgesetz) for a child,
3. is of foreign nationality and therefore not eligible for child benefits according to the Income Tax Act (Einkommensteuergesetz) or the Child Benefits Act (Bundeskindergeldgesetz), and can provide a certificate from the registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) as proof of the fact that his/her child/ren live with him/her in the same household.

The family allowance increases to € 210 per month if the scholarship holder has more than one child.. If both spouses are scholarship holders according to the LGFG or if the spouse of the scholarship holder receives a scholarship according to regulations with the same purpose of LGFG regulations, only one family grant can be granted.

Recognition of income

Scholarship holders may additionally earn up to EUR 22,200 gross per year. The income has to be accounted for by means of the salary statement of the tax notice. If the scholarship holder earns more than EUR 22,200, the income will be deducted from the scholarship. Starting with the payment of the scholarship, the income is relevant. The income before receiving the scholarship serves only as a reference point. The income of the spouse in not included in the calculations.

At the University of Hohenheim, LGFG funds are not to be used to employ someone

1. because the additional costs arising from employment are not covered by the scholarship from the state of Baden-Württemberg and
2. there would still be open questions in terms of employment law.

The standard period of funding is two years. It is possible to have a shorter funding duration. In justified cases, an extension may be requested for a third year, and if funds are available the third year may be approved. When submitting an application form for an extension, a statement on the reasons must also be submitted by the department. In 2018, for the first time it will be possible to request funding for a third year. The decision on whether a third year will be funded is made by the Senate Committee.

Before the end of the 1st funding year, an interim report on the status of the doctorate is to be submitted and must be confirmed by the Faculty Committee. If the report is not submitted, funding is stopped.

In the following cases, the scholarship ends before the approved funding period has ended:

1. at the end of the month in which the oral doctoral defense is completed,
2. at the end of the month during which a reason arises that excludes funding (see under “When is it not possible to get funding”)
3. at the end of the month in which the scholarship recipient quits the dissertation, interrupts the dissertation with the university’s approval, or continues it at another university.

Funding under the LGFG will not be provided during

1. an apprenticeship or an introductory professional course, unless they are interrupted merely for the purpose and for the duration of the execution of the research project to be funded,

2. an occupation, unless it is a marginal activity compatible with the funding.

Compatible with funding however are

• cooperation in research tasks or in artistic development projects and academic or artistic cooperation in teaching duties at the university. The scholarship holder is not obliged to assume these activities.
• The scholarship holder may take up an activity outside of the university, provided this activity relates to the subject of his/her doctoral thesis. The supervisor of the doctorate who must be informed before the scholarship holder takes up the activity will decide whether the activity bears any relation to the doctoral thesis. On the whole, the activity may not exceed 40 hours per month.

Furthermore, a scholarship may be refused if,

3. If a doctoral candidate receives funding from public or private bodies, from organisations that support students who show intellectual excellence, foundations or from graduate colleges, for example, for the same research project in accordance with the provisions of the LGFG at the start or during the term of grant. Funding by other bodies in accordance with the provisions of the LGFG does not arise, if the funding amount provided by these bodies is much lower than the scholarship provided under the LGFG.

4. The grant of a one-time allowance for material and travel costs or foreign allowances by other bodies does not preclude the grant of a scholarship under the LGFG.

The scholarship is given for two years. After the first year, an interim report must be submitted (recommendation: around 6 weeks before the end of the first year). The interim report is presented to the Faculty commission for a decision. If the commission votes for the interim report, the support will automatically continue for the second year.

You can find the application for the interim report on this website. Because the procedure is carried out electronically, please send us the application via e-mail and attach the required documents (see the list in the application form) as a pdf file if possible (Word files are also acceptable) to the e-mail address: lgfg@uni-hohenheim.de

Please order and name the application and documents as indicated in the application form before sending them. Thank you.