The final doctoral scholarship 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 final scholarship is aimed at women who are in the final phase of their doctorate and is intended to enable them to carry out their final research work.
The funding comprises a basic monthly scholarship amount of 1,750 euros (additionally for parents: for the first child a monthly allowance of 400 euros, for each additional child 100 euros per month until the age of 18) until 31.12.2026 at the latest.
Eligible applicants are:
- Outstanding female doctoral candidates who plan to complete their doctoral project at RPTU in a timely manner and do not have a position as a research assistant (except for Hiwi contracts) during the funding period.
- Preference will be given to female doctoral candidates with care responsibilities.
The application deadline for the final scholarship is 15 July 2026. Funding begins on 1 September 2026. As the measure is linked to the duration of the state equal opportunities program, the last scholarship payment must be made in December 2026 at the latest . You will receive notification of your application by August 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
- Short description of the research project (max. 2 pages) with references/sources and, if applicable, illustrations
- Short time and work plan for the funding period
- To be submitted separately: Letter of recommendation from a professor at RPTU who is supervising the doctoral project
- Curriculum vitae in tabular form
- Degree certificates (MA/state examination or overview of grades/transcript of records)
- If available: Documents for care allowance (birth certificates of child/children) or for care (degree of care or similar)
Eligibility requirements:
- Very good study and examination results as well as a convincing presentation for the completion of the doctoral project at RPTU
- Regulations on previous employment:
- A previous employment contract in your own department at RPTU and a subsequent completion scholarship are mutually exclusive. The following exceptions apply:
- A previous employment contract ends for a fixed-term project. There is a clearly recognizable thematic distinction between the employment contract and the scholarship. In this case, the attachment "Delimitation between employment contract and planned scholarship" must be completed.
- There are approx. 6 months between the last employment contract as an employee at RPTU and the scholarship(goodwill regulation).
- Previous receipt of a departmental scholarship (possibly in combination with a contract as a research assistant) and a subsequent final scholarship are possible and are not mutually exclusive.
- Secondary employment to a limited extent is possible within the framework of the scholarship regulations at RPTU. Please refer to the general award guidelines.
- Subject to further funding commitments and existing requirements, an application for an extension of the final scholarship in 2027 should be possible in principle. You will be informed of this separately.
- Following the grant, a final report (max. 1 page) must be submitted.
- Applications will only be accepted in full. (Please also understand that we cannot consider applications without a letter of recommendation).
There is no legal entitlement to the award of a scholarship.
Please sendapplications and letters of recommendationby e-mail to the Department of Equal Opportunities at RPTU (e-mail: annegret.scheibe[at]rptu.de)by July 15, 2026. Annegret Scheibe will also answer questions by email or telephone (06341 280-31243). Download the application here.
Orientation on the guidelines of the Begabtenförderungswerke (updated status: October 2025), published by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space