DAAD: donor analysis and its programmes for Ukraine

DAAD is the world’s largest organisation for international academic exchange. Since 1925 it has supported roughly 3 million students and researchers, and every year it awards more than 140,000 scholarships and grants. During the war, DAAD became one of the most visible funding channels for Ukrainian researchers, lecturers and universities, so its programmes range from short research stays to partnerships between German and Ukrainian institutions. Below we break down how this donor works and which of its programmes are open to Ukraine right now.

What DAAD is

DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, the German Academic Exchange Service) brings together German universities and student bodies, and its head office sits in Bonn. A single student in Heidelberg started it in 1925, and today it ranks as the world’s largest funder of academic exchange.

Most of the money comes from the German federal budget, primarily from the Federal Foreign Office and the Ministry of Education and Research, and also from the EU. As a result, the annual budget passes half a billion euros. Notably, independent committees decide who gets funding rather than officials, so they judge each application first of all on academic quality.

DAAD also acts as the national agency for Erasmus+ in Germany, and it runs a network of offices abroad, including one in Kyiv. For Ukrainians this matters because access to the programmes stays systematic and does not depend on one-off initiatives.

What DAAD funds

DAAD mostly funds individual people: students, graduates, doctoral candidates, postdocs, lecturers and professors. The money goes to master’s study scholarships, research grants for doctoral candidates and researchers, short research stays, and also partnerships between German and foreign universities.

Most DAAD recipients are master’s students and doctoral candidates. The logic here is simple, because someone who already holds a first degree has proven their academic ability and therefore tends to benefit more from support. DAAD accepts applications from all disciplines.

Research programmes almost always require a host supervisor or institution in Germany. So an applicant first agrees on a project with a German university or institute, and then both sides submit a joint application to fund the stay.

DAAD programmes for Ukrainians

DAAD runs one dedicated programme for Ukraine plus several general ones where Ukrainians apply on equal terms with others. Here are the key points.

Future Ukraine: Research Grants

This is the flagship programme built specifically for Ukraine. It funds a short research stay in Germany for master’s students, doctoral candidates, postdocs, lecturers and professors who study or work at Ukrainian universities, regardless of where the person currently lives. Ukrainian citizens can apply, and so can third-country nationals who held a permanent residence permit in Ukraine before 24 February 2022.

A stay lasts from 1 to 6 months. The monthly payment depends on the level: 992 euros for master’s students, 1,400 euros for doctoral candidates, 2,000 euros for postdocs, 2,150 euros for experienced researchers and lecturers, and 2,300 euros for professors. On top of that, DAAD covers travel and insurance.

The programme runs in rounds, roughly twice a year. The most recent round took applications until 13 May 2026 for a funding period from August 2026 to January 2027. So the next intake is worth tracking on the DAAD Ukraine office page, because the dates come out in advance.

Research Grants (general DAAD database)

These research grants target doctoral candidates and early-career researchers, and they stay open to applicants from all countries, including Ukraine. Funding runs from 2 to 12 months for a doctorate and from 2 to 6 months in the early postdoc phase. The next deadlines fall on 17 August 2026 (a decision in November 2026, with funding from February 2027) and 16 November 2026 (a decision in March 2027, with funding from June 2027). Here too an applicant needs a host researcher in Germany.

Study Scholarships and master’s study

For graduates who want a master’s degree or a study visit in Germany, DAAD offers Study Scholarships. The monthly payment for master’s students reaches 992 euros, plus insurance and travel. Deadlines differ by country and field, so applicants check them in the DAAD scholarship database before they apply.

Support for universities and researchers at risk

Besides scholarships for people, DAAD also supports institutions. From 2022 to 2025 the Ukraine digital programme helped German-Ukrainian partnerships keep teaching online, so students could finish their studies despite the war. Separately, since 2021 the Hilde Domin programme has supported students and doctoral candidates who effectively lose access to education at home.

How to apply and get on DAAD’s radar

The search starts in the DAAD scholarship database, where filters by country of origin, study level and field show the programmes that fit you. Because each programme sets its own deadline and its own requirements, you check them one by one.

For research grants the next step is to find a supervisor or host institution in Germany, since you cannot submit without the host’s agreement. A typical document set includes a CV, a motivation letter, a detailed research proposal agreed with the supervisor, and references. An independent committee then decides, and competition runs high, because the success rate in popular programmes sits at roughly 10 to 15 percent.

One practical tip: apply early and plan ahead. Several months often pass between the deadline and the start of funding, so plan a research stay about half a year in advance.

Who it fits and what to do now

DAAD works best for doctoral candidates, postdocs, lecturers and researchers who can travel for a stay, and also for universities that build partnerships with German institutions. Because the scholarships go to people, this tool mainly suits individual researchers, while direct funding for an organisation stays limited to specific partnership programmes.

What to do right now: if you are a doctoral candidate or an early-career researcher, look at the general Research Grants with deadlines on 17 August and 16 November 2026, and in parallel find a supervisor in Germany. If you aim for Future Ukraine, track the next intake on the DAAD Ukraine page.