PRIME is targeted at postdoctoral researchers at German universities who want to go abroad, regardless of nationality. However, applicants who are currently living abroad may apply. A strong previous connection to a German research institution or a degree from a German university is recommended for a successful application. 
 

You may apply up to six years after your (first) PhD was completed.
Years of experience outside of research and career breaks are not counted (make sure to provide a complete CV).

Children who have not yet reached the age of 12 at the start of the extension period and who live permanently in the same household as the applicant are taken into account for the calculation of the extension period:
Mothers: 2 years flat per child (up to 6 years)
Fathers/2nd parent: 1 year per child (up to 3 years)

If you want to claim other exceptions for caregivers and personal circumstances that may have delayed your career, contact us, and be ready to provide documentation. 

PRIME does not have an age limit. However, reviewers may take the applicant’s “scientific age” into consideration.

You are eligible and welcome to apply for PRIME if you have received a DAAD scholarship in a different funding programme before. Previous scholarships may be evidence of excellence and scientific competitiveness. 

Holders of medical doctor (M.D.) degrees corresponding to medical training alone, are not eligible. Your M.D. doctorate will be accepted only, if equivalent to a Ph.D. degree, demonstrated by the appointment to a position that requires a Ph.D. degree.

The DAAD finalizes funding agreements with German universities only. Hence, the German host institution must be a university. However, we will not object if you conduct your actual research at a non-university research institute (e.g., Max Planck Institutes, Helmholtz Centres, Fraunhofer Institutes, Leibniz Institutes) in coordination with a university. Please discuss any such arrangements directly with your German host.

You should choose the German host university that provides the best research environment for your project, so your home university may be a convincing choice. Please keep in mind though, that reviewers look for a certain degree of independence when assessing a postdoctoral application. Moving on from your PhD supervisor and changing institutions may be a wise option to demonstrate scientific autonomy.

It is your responsibility to locate a German host university. You can check the website GERiT - German Research Institutions as a directory for your specific subject-area in Germany. Additionally, we provide a list of universities that nominated a contact for PRIME on our website www.daad.de/prime/contacts. Please be aware that all German universities are eligible as host institutions.

No, the 18-month funding duration in PRIME consists of a 12-month research stay abroad and a 6-month (re)integration phase in Germany. Both phases are mandatory and not interchangeable.

If your research project, or insurance and residence law requires an alternate schedule, other models may be chosen with approval of DAAD.

Integration into the German social security system is a prerequisite for the research stay abroad, therefore funding may have to begin with a 1-month starting phase in Germany (funding cycle 1+12+5). The respective local statutory insurance determines your status. 

In general, every foreign country is an eligible destination for the 12-month research stay abroad, if you have not stayed in the respective country for more than 12 months in total during the three years preceding the application deadline. This may rule out your home country or the country where you currently reside as potential destinations for a research stay under PRIME.

In addition, there is one requirement that you must consider when choosing the country of destination: If the research stay abroad is to be undertaken in a country other than an EU member state, you must either be a national/resident citizen of the EU or have been continuously active in research for three years’ full-time in the EU, immediately prior to the time of recruitment.

No, the foreign host institution can either be a university, a non-university research institute, or an industrial research entity. The host must be chosen according to your scientific needs and preferences. Please be aware that DAAD cannot make funds available to the foreign host institution.

If research stays at two different institutions and/or countries are essential for your project, you may apply with a respective research schedule. You must obtain letters of invitation from both foreign institutions.

You may reapply once, the following year, with an improved project.
Make sure to consider the feedback you receive after your first application when revising your project proposal. You must contact us for a consultation, as reapplicatons are rarely successful.

After two years have passed, you may apply with a new project after a consultation with us. 

 

All necessary documents are listed in the call for applications. It is the applicant’s responsibility to submit a complete application and we reserve the right to exclude applications that are incomplete or were completed only after the deadline.

The deadline is on Friday, 30 August 2024, and the application portal closes at 11:59 pm CET (23:59 Uhr MESZ) on that day. Do not to wait until the very last day (or even the last second) to submit your application, as we cannot guarantee an unrestricted portal access if too many users log in simultaneously to file an application. We will not be able to re-open the application portal after the deadline.

You must have completed your PhD before the prospective starting date of your PRIME fellowship. If you cannot provide a PhD certificate yet, your doctoral supervisor must confirm – either in the letter of recommendation or in a short separate statement – when completion of the PhD is expected.
We strongly encourage candidates who have completed their PhD at the time of application.

It is your obligation to submit a complete application before the deadline. The absence of documents that you hand in yourself (e.g. CV, research proposal, time schedule, ethical issues declaration etc.) will lead to exclusion. This includes letters of invitation from the foreign and German host institutions (incl. form 1 and form 2), which are essential documents for your application. 

Your language skills must be sufficient to successfully conduct your research project abroad and in Germany. You only need a language certificate, if the language relevant to your project is not your mother tongue (or English) and relevant to your research project. We assume that at the postdoc level a working language at the host institute is English. Proof by the host institute, and English language certificates are not required.

Please note that knowledge of German will be helpful in everyday activities and may be a plus for your application.

The curriculum vitae should be prepared in a tabular form in accordance with EU standards. We recommend using the template provided by europass to make sure that your CV will meet the requirements. Please ensure that your CV does not contain any chronological gaps. A photograph is not required for application.  

The invitation letters must be signed by the scientific hosts. The host researchers should be the perfect match to your research project, provide access to the research infrastructure and be willing to mentor you. Your host at the German institution should be in touch with you regularly to inform you about developments at the institution and to ensure a successful reintegration at the end of the period abroad.
The binding declaration of the German host university must be signed by an authorized university official.  

The DAAD online application portal is the only way to submit your application. Please see the instructions here and in the call for applications.

You must start your fellowship between 1 June 2025 and 1 November 2025. Further postponement of starting dates is decided case-by-case after the selection process and is granted only in exceptional circumstances. 
Implementation of the fellowships takes time. Your host university has to prepare an employment contract and you may need one or two visas. Therefore a June start is not always feasible. 

Every application will first undergo a formal examination (eligibility check, completeness, compliance with deadline etc.). We expect to inform all applicants in October whether their proposals are forwarded to reviewers or are excluded for formal reasons.

All applications that enter the review process are reviewed independently by external experts from around the world. Their expertise corresponds to the proposed research topic. Our interdisciplinary selection committee decides on the final rating based on the external reviews and generates a ranking list. Available funds determine the number of successful applicants and reserve candidates.

The criteria for evaluation are (1) academic performance, (2) quality of the proposed project and (3) your long-term career perspectives (in Germany, as for example evinced by the suitability of the project for a sustained academic career).

Our evaluation forms include a checklist and a self-declaration in which reviewers have to indicate if a potential conflict of interest exists. Scientists who have a conflict of interest will not be able to serve as reviewers.

The selection committee meeting is scheduled for February 2025.  We will notify applicants  in March 2025 of the results.

Successful candidates are invited to a virtual information seminar in  March/April 2025. Please be prepared to attend.

No, PRIME is strictly oriented on DAAD’s principle to provide funding for the best candidates.

The funding ratio depends on the total number of applications and the available funds. The success rate has been ~12 % lately. 

PRIME fellows will receive a set salary on the German pay scale “TV-L E13”. The exact amount depends on personal circumstances. Expect a salary range of € 4,500 - € 5,800 per month pre-tax, plus approximately € 1,450 - € 2,500 per month expatriate allowance during the 12 months of your research stay abroad.

DAAD concludes a grant agreement with the employing German university to cover these costs. DAAD does not cover overhead costs or bench fees.

PRIME fellows will receive a lump sum travel allowance depending on the country of destination. This is the only payment that fellows will receive directly through DAAD.

There is no extra family support for PRIME fellows available through DAAD, but since funding is provided via a work contract there are usually deductions from your income tax that take into account your family situation.
The decision on the entitlement to state-funded child benefits (“Kindergeld”) rests with the respective German authorities.

No, PRIME funding covers the costs for an 18-month temporary position, but the German and foreign host institutions are expected to provide the necessary research infrastructure.
As a PRIME fellow you may apply for extra support from DAAD’s programme for congress travel. However, this programme is separate from PRIME and requires a completely new application.

Yes, DAAD can cover up to 10,000 euros in additional costs to ensure that chronically ill or disabled PRIME fellows have equal access to research opportunities abroad. We individually assess and determine the amount of support on request of the host university. 

More information:
- Mobility with a disability
- Information for German host universities of PRIME fellows with a disability or chronic illness (German/ English) 

You may not receive another salary or scholarship from a different funding provider. However, PRIME does not cover additional costs for research infrastructure/equipment or travel expenses for conferences and visits to cooperation partners. Therefore, you may apply for, and receive funds for that purpose.
In case your research project depends on additional support, you should state in your application how you are going to secure additional sources. If reviewers have doubts regarding the feasibility of your project, they might question a successful outcome of your fellowship period. Your foreign hosts are encouraged to waive bench fees and provide you with extra research support.  

No, we do not pay for visas. We issue award letters to successful applicants so you can obtain visas to Germany or the foreign host country.

PRIME fellows must comply with immigration regulations in the country of destination and in Germany. Make sure to obtain the correct status for your research stay, as you may otherwise face detention, deportation, or even a ban to re-enter a country.