Bridge Fellowship "On the way to a doctorate"

The Bridge Fellowship "Auf dem Weg zur Promotion" is financed by funds from the RLP State Equal Opportunities Program and awarded on behalf of the Central Equal Opportunities Officer at RPTU. These are earmarked funds for gender equality, which are to be used, among other things, for the promotion of female scientists at various career stages or qualification phases. The bridging scholarship is aimed at women who are in the transition phase between their studies and doctorate and is intended to increase the proportion of women among academic staff and professors in the long term.

On the one hand, the funding period serves to prepare the doctoral project (preliminary research, clarification of target agreements with the future doctoral supervisor, preparation of a doctoral exposé), on the other hand it is intended to provide a framework for an interdisciplinary assessment of the current situation and opportunities to reflect on personal goals and career aspirations.

The funding comprises a basic monthly scholarship amount of EUR 1,365 (plus amonthly allowance of EUR 400 for the first child and EUR 100 per month for each additional child up to the age of 18)[1] for a maximum period of 6 months. In addition, each scholarship holder receives up to 3 individual coaching sessionsof 60 minutes each for personal career planning (in cooperation with the "Zentrum für Graduiertenförderung und akademische Personalentwicklung Landau"/ZGaPL/Coaching-Angebote der RPTU).

Eligible to apply are:

• (prospective) outstanding Master's or State Examination* graduates in the preparatory phase of their doctorate who plan to base their doctoral projects at RPTU.

The application deadline for the Bridge Fellowship is May 1, 2026. Funding for 6 months begins no later than July 1, 2026. In justified cases, a shorter funding period is also possible. As the measure is tied to the duration of the state equal opportunities program, the last fellowship payment must be made in December 2026 at the latest . You will receive notification of your application by June 1, 2026 at the latest.

An application must include the following documents (if possible a PDF file with all attachments)

• Letter of motivation with location of the project at RPTU
• Description of the research project (max. 3 pages) with references/sources and, if applicable, figures
• Time and work plans for the funding period, if possible beyond this period
• To be submitted separately: Letter of recommendation from a professor at RPTU who will supervise the doctoral project (The letter should contain statements about the applicant as well as the planned research project and its integration into the department. For orientation and better comparability, the template for a letter of recommendation for doctoral supervision ).
• Curriculum vitae in tabular form
• Degree certificates (BA, overview of grades/transcript of records, if available: MA/state examination certificate, proof of submission of thesis if applicable)
• Optional: Additional information that can be provided in the letter of motivation (explanation of special life situation and personal background: e.g. care responsibilities, disabilities or chronic illnesses; experience of discrimination; first-time academic status in the family)

Eligibility requirements:

• Very good academic and examination results; a convincing outline of a doctoral project to be carried out at RPTU
• As a rule, there must be no more than 2 years between the date of application and graduation.
• The thesis must at least have been submitted by the time the scholarship begins.
• Part-time work to a limited extent is possible within the framework of the scholarship regulations at RPTU. Please refer to the general award guidelines: https: //rptu.de/studium/im-studium/studienfinanzierung/stipendien/richtlinien-und-faqs[2].
• Following the funding, a final report (max. 1 page) and, if applicable, proof of acceptance for doctoral studies in the department must be submitted.
• Applications will only be accepted in full. (Please also understand that we cannot consider applications without letters of recommendation).
• There is no legal entitlement to the award of a scholarship.

Please sendapplications and letters of recommendationby e-mail to the Department for Equality, Diversity and Family (GVF) at RPTU (e-mail: annegret.scheibe[at]rptu.de) by May 1, 2026. Annegret Scheibe will answer any questions by e-mail or telephone (06341 280-31243).

[1] Orientation towards DFG guidelines: https://www.dfg.de/resource/blob/167708/dfg-2-22-de-v0122.pdf

[2] The guidelines for the awarding of scholarships at RPTU stipulate that a combination with other scholarships (if the other scholarship provider allows this) or other additional income (e.g. work as a student assistant) is possible, provided that the specified maximum gross income is not exceeded during the approval period. Gross income includes all (tax-free) income (e.g. parental allowance, rental income, etc.).